Tokyo is an optimised city where nothing is without purpose – even if the purpose is to be cute. It’s both cutting edge and traditional, where a day can be spent bouncing between the pop culture playgrounds of Shibuya and Harajuku, followed by a night visiting Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, built in the seventh century. In Osaka, you might find a shrine squished next to a sushi restaurant and a labyrinthine complex of bars.

That’s exactly what Broadsheet did when we recently joined 10 travellers and one local leader for Intrepid’s Japan Highlights tour. Over eight days, we caught the train from the metropolis of Tokyo into the tea-lined countryside for a Ghibli-esque overnighter in Shizuoka, through to a food-stuffed stay in Osaka to practice kuidaore – or “eating yourself broke”. In partnership with Intrepid, here’s how to see the best of Japan in 8 days.