“Art is what reveals to us the state of perfection”
-Kūkai (774-835)
Kadensho’s tailored tours of Japan explore the many manifestations of its art and culture. We provide travellers with insights into how its cultural heritage forged the powerful and varied aesthetics that still shape the Japan of today.
Kadensho (花伝書, literally, “The Book of Transmitting the Flower”) comes from the title of Zeami’s 14th century treatise on the Nō theatre. It carries a sense of the passing on of experience.
James Harper's 40 years of engagement with Japan and a unique range of contacts mean these tours take you beyond the surface. While transmitting some of our knowledge and love of Japan and its art, they are also a frame for the relaxed enjoyment of its rich past and its diverse contemporary culture.
ART・CRAFT・DESIGN
Kadensho itineraries are devised in consultation with you, the traveller.
From the flamboyant primitivism of the Neolithic Jōmon to the humble elegance of medieval Zen culture and on to its dynamic Present.
Kadensho’s curated tours reveal how art occupies a central place in the Japanese psyche, and how it has manifested and evolved.
Keeping numbers low, our itineraries go off the beaten track, taking the traveller to the heart of Japanese culture.
Home to some of the world’s great art collections, temples, ateliers and galleries, and affording endless exploration and experience.
Whether getting an overview of art through the epochs of Japanese history, or zooming into some specific genre, material, or tradition, seeing art in Japan and Japan through art is our mission.
Click through the sections below to find out more:
Get in touch and begin a discussion
Whether you have specific dates in mind, or would just like to consult on a future trip to Japan, feel free to contact Kadensho any time and start planning your own cultural pilgrimage to Japan
