Sketching and Food Illustration in Japan with VanSketcher Sept 2027

SEPTEMBER 1-10 in JAPAN
Do you want off the tourist-track, unusual, spectacular, but safe and top quality?
This tour is to a Japan you will not have seen before.
Extraordinary Japan.

WHAT IS OUR TYPE OF TOUR?
As with all our tours, we offer sketching, drawing , journalling and food illustration tours to anyone: from those who are new to this way of travelling to people  who are experienced artists.

• Whether you are an inspired COOK who wants to document RECIPES
• a FOODIE who loves travelling and trying new dishes and then sketching them
• a TRAVELLER  who wants to journal daily life on the road
• a SKETCHER looking to improve their skills or just TRAVEL in a fun group learning, developing and laughing along the way - then this is the tour for you!

  Everyone learns at their own pace

  

• THE KID GLOVE approach:
  This tour is a bespoke tour designed for our French Fusion Travel's clientele
• We are offering a 4 star tour with our own Australian experienced guide and expert Jamie Heffernan (pictured right) who has lived and worked in Japan for many years and specialises in tours there
• We have choreographed a tour of exceptional value where everything has been meticulously planned in advance and you are well looked after at all times.

ABOUT  VANESSA - author and prolific artist
Instagram: @vansketcher

Vanessa is an urban sketcher and practising architect based in Hong Kong

• Vanessa discovered Urban Sketching in 2014, and has carried her sketchbook with her wherever she goes ever since.
• We love her exciting sketch pages filled with maps, diagrams, buildings, food, text and mixed media. 
  It is the perfect way to document your travels. and a sensational keepsake that everyone wants to see.
• Vanessa works primarily in ink and watercolour, speaks fluent English and travels widely teaching her art style.

We arrive into Japan on September 1 and after a second day of introduction and settling in we head off  Day 3 by train into the mountains.

Highlights include a pilgrimage stay in a Shukubo or mountain monastery (travel by cable car) with a 400 year old temple, 1200 year old cedar forest and the oldest cemetery in Japan. Morning chanting by the monks will be something you will never forget.  
Our 2nd night here is in a traditional guest house with all amenities in beautiful surroundings, visiting where an 8thC Chinese Buddhist monk founded Shingu  in Japan and meet our extraordinary local guide and Buddhist monk for a private tour of this ancient place.

A short flight to our accommodation in the Shimane Province where we experience Unesco World Heritage sites: an islands cruise, delicious fresh food and we'll sketch fishing boats, eagles, ancient houses, waterfalls, coastal beauty, local people, no crowds and much more for 4 nights.
Exceptional rooftop gastronomic dinner together looking out over the port, the mountains and the sea.

Return flight to our hotel in Osaka for our final night together before the tour ends the following day.

Our accommodation is chosen for location, en suite amenities and exceptional experiences.

Your guide is Australian Jamie Heffernan - fluent speaker and expert on Japan.  
We have three exceptional local guides too as well as Kate Stedman, her husband Steve and of course the super-talented Vanessa Leung as your sketching tutor!

You will be paying for this tour in AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS as we are an Australian company.

COST PER PERSON for 8 DAYS in 4 star quality accommodation, including your tour host, guest artist, your guide and local expert at all times:

• TWIN SHARE IN A ROOM:  $7,995 AUD
• SOLO TRAVELLER IN OWN ROOM:  $9,385 AUD
• Non-sketching participant: $7,450 AUD if sharing a room with sketcher

This includes most meals, all accommodation and all ground transport whilst on tour (not flights)

International airfares to OSAKA airport are NOT included in the land price

International travel insurance which is mandatory on all our tours

All other meals not included in the itinerary