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20th Century Japan

9 days in Tokyo, Yokohama, Hiroshima, and Osaka

Optional 3 day extension

Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island in Japan.
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OverviewItineraryReviewsWhat's includedPriceFAQs
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OVERVIEW

Follow Japan’s modern history from imperial-era landmarks to powerful World War II memorials

Centered on Japan’s 20th-century history, this tour helps students connect major historical events with the places and people shaped by them. Tokyo introduces students to the country’s cultural foundations and modern transformation, from the quiet Meiji Shinto Shrine to the bustling Shibuya district. In Yokohama, students visit the Hikawa Maru, a historic ocean liner with connections to Japan’s wartime and maritime history. At the Peace Memorial Park and Museum in Hiroshima, students pause to reflect on personal accounts of the atomic bombing in 1945. As they continue on to explore Miyajima Island, Osaka Castle, and modern Osaka, students better understand how Japan remembers the devastation of WWII while continuing to rebuild, innovate, and carry forward long-standing cultural traditions.

20th Century Japan route map

What you’ll do

Explore a sample itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Japan

Board your international flight to Tokyo

Day 2: Tokyo

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Day 3: Tokyo

Tour Tokyo with an expert local guide

Visit the Harajuku shopping district

Visit the Meiji Shinto Shrine

Take a walking tour of Shibuya

Day 4: Tokyo

Visit the Shitamachi Museum

Explore the Asakusa Kannon Temple

Take a tour of Akihabara Electric Town, a hub for tech trends and fans of gaming, manga, and anime

Explore Tokyo on your own

Add this in-depth experience
Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony

Watch and learn as you participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony led by an expert. What type of tea is used? Do people still do traditional tea ceremonies? Discover the answers to these questions and more while enjoying a relaxing, centuries-old ritual.

Day 5: Tokyo • Yokohama • Hiroshima

Travel to Yokohama

Ride the Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel

Tour Yamashita Park with your Tour Director

Visit the Hikawa Maru

Travel by bullet train to Hiroshima

Enjoy a traditional bento dinner

Day 6: Hiroshima

Tour Hiroshima with an expert local guide

Visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum

Explore Hiroshima on your own

Day 7: Hiroshima

Visit the Mazda Museum or the JMSDF Museum

Travel by ferry to Miyajima Island

Explore Miyajima Park

Visit the Itsukushima shrine

Day 8: Hiroshima • Kansai region

Travel by bullet train to Osaka

Explore Dotonbori Canal street on your own

Visit Osaka Castle

Belt your favorite jams in English or Japanese at Karaoke

Add this in-depth experience
Taiko Drum Lesson

Taiko Drum Lesson

Try your hand at making a thunderous beat with a taiko drum lesson! Learn the mythological origins while playing the same traditional drum patterns you'd hear in a local festival. Local experts will teach you through the proper techniques you need to play this powerful instrument.

Enjoy dinner in the Kansai region

Day 9: Depart for home

Board your flight home from Osaka

What makes this tour special?

Journey by ferry to Miyajima Island to visit Itsukushima Shrine and examine its iconic floating torii gate

Journey by ferry to Miyajima Island to visit Itsukushima Shrine and examine its iconic floating torii gate

Discover the many sides of Tokyo, from Harajuku's colorful creativity to Shibuya's fast-paced commercial energy

Discover the many sides of Tokyo, from Harajuku's colorful creativity to Shibuya's fast-paced commercial energy

Pause for reflection at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial and Museum, exploring personal accounts of loss and survival after the atomic bombing during WWII

Pause for reflection at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial and Museum, exploring personal accounts of loss and survival after the atomic bombing during WWII

All of our tours are powered by our proven EF Method

Learn more

Your experience includes

Airfare & transportation
Hotels
Regional-style meals
Guided sightseeing
Entrances
Full-time Tour Director
Expert Local Guides
Personalized Learning Support
Continuous Support
Worldwide Presence

Travelers save when you lead this tour before October 1, 2027

See 2027 pricing

Unlock your lowest price

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Payment plan options

Pay over time interest-free or pay all at once

Fundraising

Every traveler receives a no-fee donation page

Global Citizen Scholarship

Every year EF awards $100,000 to student travelers

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Frequently asked questions

Let’s unpack that

We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours. They’ll walk you through this itinerary (along with other tours in our portfolio that match your curriculum or catch your eye), explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.

Once you decide to lead a tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.

You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:

  • Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group

  • Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)

  • Support you 24/7 as your right hand

  • Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination

  • Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to

  • Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine

Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.

All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.
 
Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.

EF has set the standard for travel-based learning for over 60 years. Not only do our educational tours amplify the lessons you’re already exploring in your classroom, but they also help build more empathy, open-mindedness, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.
 
Our educational philosophy, the EF Method, is built into every itinerary, so your students are immersed in a continuous journey of engaging, hands-on learning in real-world situations from the moment they step off the plane.

Yes! Plan to explore each destination primarily on foot, so be sure to pack your comfiest sneakers. You’ll have time to rest on the bus while traveling between cities and activities. If any travelers need accommodations, just let your EF Travel Team know in advance.

Every hotel your group stays in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different from what students are familiar with. For example, some hotels may not have an elevator. Rooms will have multiple single beds or shared double beds, and every room will have a private bathroom.

You’ll receive more detailed meal information closer to your tour, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

  • Daily breakfast is served continental-style at your hotel.

  • Most tours include daily group dinners, which take place at local restaurants (or your hotel) and feature a mix of familiar favorites and local dishes from a set menu.

  • Lunches are usually not included, but this varies by itinerary. If lunch isn’t included, this is the perfect opportunity for students to explore local markets and discover their new favorite food.

Travelers will share allergy or dietary information with EF after signing up, and we’ll help make the necessary accommodations.

We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.

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