Ready-made routes.

Three days that follow Kyoto's food from an obanzai counter on Pontocho to Uji matcha, a Fushimi sake tasting, a sake-bar night, the Nishiki market stalls and a tofu kaiseki lunch.

Three unhurried days in the Kyoto the tour buses skip: an imperial villa you have to reserve, quiet zen gardens in the northern hills, and a cedar ridge walk from Kurama to Kibune.

Four days on the Kyoto everyone comes for — Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, Kinkaku-ji and Arashiyama — ordered so you meet each one in its quiet hour.

Three days of kuidaore — Osaka's 'eat until you drop' — from a guided Kuromon Market morning to kushikatsu in Shinsekai and a back-bar crawl behind Dotonbori.

Four unhurried days on Osaka Bay for ages 4 to 12 — a whole day at Universal, the whale-shark aquarium by shuttle boat, and a hotel a minute from the pier.

One Namba hotel, four easy days out — Nara's deer and Great Buddha, Himeji's white castle with Kobe's harbour, Koyasan's cedar cemetery — and Osaka Castle to finish.

Osaka's greatest hits from one Namba hotel — a castle, a whole day at Universal, the aquarium and a sunset sky-view, each paired with the food street that goes with it.

Four days from one Ginza hotel, eating your way from a depachika and a Bib Gourmand ramen through a sushi class and tempura to a yakitori alley, a guided bar hop and a last Tsukiji breakfast.

The classic first trip, one part of the city a day — old Tokyo east, the forest shrine and the skyline west, the market and gardens in the middle — with the view, the tea and the food tour already chosen.

Five days from one Shinjuku hotel, built for small legs — Ghibli's Cat Bus and rooftop Robot Soldier, a full day at Tokyo Disney Resort and Hello Kitty's indoor Puroland: one big outing a day, then home for dinner.

Ginkgo gold in Tokyo, maple red in Kyoto, waterfall momiji in Osaka — ten days timed to the peak weeks.

Ten days that follow the blossom front from Tokyo's moats and canals to Kyoto's temples and Osaka's riverbanks.