A Real Couple's Holiday Honeymoon in Japan for Sites, Skiing & Fall Foliage

Following Sarah Schachner and Drake Eaton’s luxurious wedding, the newlyweds enjoyed an adventurous, romantic, and cultural honeymoon over the holidays throughout Japan.

Destination: Tokyo, Japan

As they’ve stayed at other Edition properties across the world, The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza, was an easy choice for the couple’s first stop in Japan. “It was nice to have the signature Edition look and feel, but with a Japanese touch,” Sarah shares of the hotel with an incredible staff who served tea, customary New Year’s sake, and more little extras to make their honeymoon stay extra memorable.

Photos by Nikolas Koenig

“Being in Tokyo around New Year’s, one of the most important holidays in Japanese culture, was quite special,” affirms Sarah, whose favorite part of the trip was visiting the Meiji Jingu Shrine. “We were able to visit a special intertwined tree that signifies unity, known as the ‘husband and wife trees’ – especially beautiful to experience during our honeymoon.”

Other cultural sites included seeing the Sensō-ji Temple in the evening, taking part in a “traditional, yet inventive” Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience to learn traditional green tea and matcha techniques, and visiting the “touristy but fun” Shibuya Sky, offering views of the Toyko skyline and Mount Fuji.

Photos courtesy of Sarah & Drake Eaton

Sarah and Drake also enjoyed luxury and vintage shopping in Ginza, sourcing home and kitchen goods at Matsuya, a large department store, and getting sneakers at Onitsuka Tiger. “You can even get them custom embroidered!” Sarah suggests.

Inside major shopping center Ginza Six, they had tea-inspired cocktails at Mixology Salon, and other favorite Tokyo bars included speakeasy-style A10, Bar Trench for a moody vibe, and X Coffee Ginza for incredible coffee with beans sourced worldwide – “the best latte we’ve ever had!” Sarah says.

Must-visit restaurants included Daikanyama Issai Kassai for a kaiseki (traditional, multi-course) meal, Ginza Kagari for ramen – “try the Truffle Chicken Shio!” – and surprisingly, Pizza Marumo.

Photos courtesy of Sarah & Drake Eaton

Highlights of Tokyo

Dining outside the box. “Do not sleep on pizza in Japan – some of the best we’ve had! We recommend the ‘Teriyaki Boys’ at Pizza Marumo.”

Visiting the Sensō-ji Temple after dark. “It was beautiful to see the temple lit up at night. There were many people praying and bringing offerings to celebrate the New Year.”

Shopping in Ginza. “Ginza was an awesome home base for luxury shopping in Tokyo, and there are several vintage stores to explore too!”

Destination: Kanazawa, Japan

Highly encouraged to experience a traditional ryokan while visiting Japan, the newlyweds chose Beniya Mukayu located roughly an hour from Kanazawa – rich in cultural history and famous for its gold-leaf production and preserved samurai and geisha districts.

“The ryokan, a traditional Japanese-style inn that serves breakfast and dinner, did just that – allowing nature to speak for itself in a very minimalist, yet thoughtful architectural space. We would definitely recommend for an intimate and peaceful stay, coupled with incredible food, service, and private onsen (hot springs),” Sarah says.

Photos by Beniya Mukayu

As complimentary transportation to and from the train station was arranged by the ryokan, traveling to Kanazawa was easy. Favorite stops included Kenroku-en Garden, Omicho Market, seeing beautiful wooden architecture, sake tasting, and shopping in the geisha districts, and crossing off wish-list purchases at Byakko Knives and Hakuichi.

Photo courtesy of Sarah & Drake Eaton

Highlights of Kanazawa

Dining at Beniya Mukayu. “The meals were spectacular! We had traditional kaiseki both nights – one focused on snow crab, a winter delicacy, and the second had a special sushi and sashimi course.”

Savoring specialty ice cream. “It was top of my list to get ice cream topped with edible gold leaf at Hakuichi!”

Purchasing special souvenirs. “My husband got a traditional chef’s knife at Byakko Knives. He loves to cook, and this was the top of his list.”

Destination: Kyoto & Osaka, Japan

With its incredible temples, forests, and restaurants, Kyoto was top of the couple’s list, and Sowaka Kyoto in the Gion district provided a tranquil base.

Photos courtesy of Sowaka Kyoto

Favorite excursions were Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine and the hike through the famous torii gates leading into the wooded forest of sacred Mount Inari, the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, and Nishiki Market.

Must eats included Michelin Bib Gourmand ramen at Men-Ya Inoichi, a kaiseki meal at two-Michelin-starred Gion Nishikawa, matcha and crème brûlée souffle pancakes at Panel Cafe, and a tasting menu at Tempura Endo.

Other favorites included coffee at Kyoto Gion Saryo, Bar Rocking Chair for an “old-timey cocktail spot,” and “lovely wine flights” at Park Hyatt Kyoto.

Photos courtesy of Sarah & Drake Eaton

Suggesting a day trip to Osaka, the couple loved the Wagyu tasting menu at Fukutatei, cocktails at Craftroom, and the vibrant Dotonbori food scene.

Photo courtesy of Sarah & Drake Eaton

Highlights of Kyoto & Osaka

Seeing Kiyomizu-dera Temple. “A must-see! Even though we visited in December, fall foliage was still in bloom!”

Visiting the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. “The true stars were the surrounding temples: Jōjakkōji Temple, Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, and the famous gold-leaf exterior of Kinkaku-ji.”

Dining at Fukutatei in Osaka. “The chef prepared an absolutely phenomenal Wagyu tasting menu in front of us using a kiln.”

Destination: Niseko, Japan

For their final adventure, the honeymooners headed north to Hinode Hills Niseko Village.

Photo by Hinode Hills Niseko Village

“Drake actually proposed to me on a ski trip in Aspen, so we thought it would be a fun activity, especially with Niseko being known as one of the snowiest ski destinations in the world!” Sarah notes of their full-circle last days in Japan filled with skiing, dining, and relaxation.

Photos courtesy of Sarah & Drake Eaton

Highlights of Niseko

Eating on the mountain. “Ski resorts often feature items like chicken tenders, but in Niseko, we had the choice of ramen, katsu, gyoza, and more.”

Spending New Year’s Eve in Niseko. “We enjoyed an incredible tasting menu at Niseko Confidential and a fun DJ set at Popi’s in Mandala Club.”

Photo courtesy of Sarah & Drake Eaton

Overall, Sarah and Drake were absolutely thrilled with their 16-day Japan itinerary. “We curated urban city-life time, true relaxation and unplugging, and an athletic skiing adventure!” confirms Sarah of their dream honeymoon.

Japan Honeymoon Tips from Sarah & Drake:

“Visiting in December/January, it was nice to explore Tokyo in chilly but comfortable temperatures, then see beautiful fall foliage in Kyoto, and experience a real-life snow globe in Niseko. It was magical!”

“Japan took a lot of planning to get right. It absolutely paid off, but it was helpful to have our honeymoon a little over a month after our wedding.”

“We learned that you can ship luggage between hotels very easily. This was an incredible help for us, as we could ship our ski clothing from Tokyo to Niseko for a minimal cost, which let us travel for over a week without an extra suitcase. Be sure to look into this!”

This story was originally published as a Travel Diaries feature in the Winter 2026 issue of Inside Weddings magazine. To order a copy of the Winter 2026 issue, visit our library of Inside Weddings back issues available for purchase.