Tokyo and Kyoto

Tokyo is served by Haneda, which is close to the city and handles business aviation, and Narita, which is further out. Kyoto is reached from Tokyo by shinkansen in around two and a quarter hours, or via Osaka’s airports.

The train is genuinely the right way to move between the two cities. Luggage forwarding between hotels is a standard, inexpensive service and makes travelling with the train far easier.

In Tokyo, international hotels with the high-floor views, and a growing set of smaller design properties. In Kyoto, the choice is between international hotels and ryokan — traditional inns with tatami rooms, kaiseki dinners and a level of service that is a cultural experience in itself.

Machiya townhouse rentals in Kyoto are a genuine alternative for families and groups who want space and a kitchen.

This is the core of the trip. Sushi counters, kaiseki, tempura, yakitori, soba, and a fine-dining scene that runs from three-star rooms to eight-seat counters with no sign on the door. Many of the best places take very few guests, require reservations far in advance, and some accept only introduced guests.

Magnara approaches restaurants on your behalf and is honest about what is realistic on your dates. Private rooms are available at many establishments and are the practical route for groups, since most counters simply cannot seat more than a few people together.

Tokyo’s evening is built around small bars: Ginza’s cocktail rooms, Golden Gai’s tiny counters, hotel bars with views across the whole city. Kyoto’s Gion and Pontocho are quieter and older, with their own customs and, in places, a genuine reticence about visitors.

Some establishments do not accept guests without an introduction. This is a cultural norm rather than an obstacle, and Magnara will say plainly when a request cannot be met.

Small ceremonies, vow renewals and celebration dinners suit Japan far better than large productions. Temple and shrine ceremonies are possible in specific circumstances and with the right introductions; hotels handle the more conventional route.

Legal marriage involves a documented process at a ward office and is generally handled with specialist assistance.

Kyoto in the early morning — temples before the coach parties, the bamboo at Arashiyama at seven, the markets. Tokyo by neighbourhood: the galleries and architecture, the department-store food halls, craft workshops, and a day trip to Hakone for onsen and Fuji views when it is clear.

With children, the museums, the trains themselves and the food halls do most of the work.