Thursday, November 4 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NAGOYA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the Japan Airlines lobby at the airport for baggage check-in procedures. We will depart Honolulu on Japan Airlines for Nagoya International Airport. Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Friday, November 5 (Day 02)
ARRIVE NAGOYA
We’ll arrive Nagoya (Centrair) Airport in the early afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, transfer to our hotel in Nagoya - Japan’s fourth most populated city and the capital of Aichi prefecture. The founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate - Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in this town and built Nagoya Castle for one of his sons.
Accommodations at the HOTEL CASTLE PLAZA or similar
Saturday, November 6 (Day 03)
NAGOYA - ISE - TOBA - ISE SHIMA (B)(D)
Before departing the city of Nagoya, we’ll visit the Tokugawa Art Museum featuring an extensive collection of painted scrolls, lacquer ware, prints, and ceramics - all previously belonging to the Tokugawa family. We’ll continue on to Ise, a city located in eastern Mie prefecture - home to Ise-jingu, Japan’s most impressive and sacred Shinto shrine with great spiritual and historical significance. The architecture is typical of ancient Japan: simple design, straight lines and unpainted wood. In northern Ise at the Futami Okitama Shrine is Meoto-iwa (wedded rocks) - two rocks in the sea joined by a shimenawa rope representing a husband and wife and considered sacred by worshippers. Located in the Bay of Toba is the Mikimoto Pearl Island, a museum featuring pearls. Enjoy a performance by female pearl divers known as Ama (sea women) who traditionally plant and harvest oysters. We’ll enjoy a scenic drive to our hotel to spend the evening. Dinner will be provided for you at the hotel.
Accommodations at the ISE SHIMA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Sunday, November 7 (Day 04)
ISE SHIMA - KII KATSUURA (B)(D)
Our journey continues south along the scenic coastline of the Pacific Ocean through the town of Kumano in the southern region of the Kii Peninsula. Enjoy a dramatic drive along the Kitayama River to Doro-kyo Gorge, one of the most beautiful and secluded gorges in Japan located in Yoshino-Kumano National Park. Enjoy the view of its towering cliffs, majestic forests, and beautiful rock formations set amidst the emerald green waters of Kitayama River. We will spend the night at Kii Katsuura, a fabulous hot spring hotel located in a quiet resort town. Best known for its bokido or rotenburo (outdoor onsen), this town is also noted as one of the largest tuna fishing port of its class in Japan.
Accommodations at the HOTEL URASHIMA or similar
Monday, November 8 (Day 05)
KII KATSUURA - KUSHIMOTO - SHIRAHAMA (B)(D)
This morning we’ll enjoy a visit to Kumano Nachi Taisha, one of the three most sacred temples in the Kii Mountain Range and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Sacred Site and Pilgrimage Route. This shrine is located near the sacred Nachi-no-taki, Japan’s tallest waterfall - built in homage to the waterfall’s kami. We’ll continue on to Kushimoto, a small town located on the southern tip of the Kii Peninsula and renowned for ‘Hashi-gui-iwa’ - a series of pillar rocks dotting the coastline leading out towards Oshima Island. Legend claims that these rocks were created by the famous monk - Kobo Daishi - who formed these rocks after being challenged to build a bridge across the sea. Our tour continues on to Shirahama, a resort area best known for its white-sand beaches and excellent hot spring baths. We’ll make a picture stop to see Senjo-jiki, uniquely shaped rock formations that looks like tatami mats created by the erosion of soft sandstone by the raging waves and Sandan-beki, a breathtaking view of a 50 meter high rock wall that extends along the beach. We’ll proceed to spend the night in Shirahama, a resort town on the south coast of Wakayama prefecture with white sand beaches and noted for its hot springs. Dinner will be provided for you this evening.
Accommodations at HOTEL SEAMORE SHIRAHAMA or similar
Tuesday, November 9 (Day 06)
SHIRAHAMA - MINABE - WAKAYAMA - OSAKA (B)(D)
Our journey continues on to Minabe, a small town in Wakayama, noted throughout Japan for its high-quality apricots, known as ume. Minabe is also famous for a high-quality charcoal called binchotan . We’ll make a stop at a local market center to purchase umeboshi and other locally made products. We’ll continue on to the city of Osaka, to overnight for two nights in the south area known as Namba. Some of the most famous images in Namba is the Giant Crab, located around the Dotonbori Canal. The area is also known for shopping with the Takashimaya Department Store and the sprawling underground Namba City Shopping Mall. Dinner will be provided for you at the hotel this evening.
Accommodations at SWISS HOTEL NANKAI OSAKA or similar
Wednesday, November 10 (Day 07)
OSAKA (B)(D)
The day is at your leisure to explore this exciting city on your own or enjoy strolling through Shinsaibashi, a district in the Chuo-ku ward and known as the city’s main shopping area. It centers around Shinsaibashi-suji, a covered shopping street, north of Dotonbori and east of Mido-suji Street. Amerika-mura, an American-themed shopping area and center of Osaka’s youth culture is located west of Mido-suji Street - another famous area to explore.
Accommodations at SWISS HOTEL NANKAI OSAKA or similar
Thursday, November 11 (Day 08)
OSAKA - AWAJI ISLAND (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll continue our drive over the Awaji Kaikyo Ohashi to Awaji-shima, the inland sea’s largest island. On arrival, we’ll visit Awaji Yumebutai-koen, a recently opened flower park. We’ll enjoy a performance of the Awaji Ningyo Joruri (Puppet Play) at the Awaji Puppet Theatre. The separate arts of puppet manipulation, gidayu narration, and shamisen accompaniment blend together to present a dramatic performance of a tragic drama. We’ll spend the night at a hotel on Awaji Island. Dinner will be provided for you this evening.
Accommodations at MINAMI AWAJI ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Friday, November 12 (Day 09)
AWAJI ISLAND - TOKUSHIMA - TAKAMATSU – DOGO ONSEN (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll enjoy a cruise on the Naruto Channel on the Naruto Uzushio Observation Boat to view uzushio (weather permitting). We’ll continue on crossing the Naruto Channel on the Naruto Ohashi, a bridge connecting Awaji Island to Shikoku. At each flow of the tide, currents rush through this narrow passage to form uzushio (whirlpools) of various sizes. Weather permitting, we may be able to see some as we cross this bridge. On arrival on Shikoku Island, we’ll proceed to the castle town of Takamatsu and enjoy a stroll through the beautiful gardens of Ritsurin-koen, a park that was once the summer retreat for the Lords of the Matsudaira family. This scenic garden follows a classical Japanese design featuring pine trees winding around a series of ponds, bridges and rock formations against the breathtaking evergreen backdrop of Mount Shuin. We’ll continue our travel west through Shikoku to spend the night at a ryokan in Dogo Onsen, a little town noted for its magnificent old public baths and home to Dogo Onsen Honkan - the oldest wooden hot spring bath house in Japan. Enjoy dinner and relax in the onsen this evening.
Accommodations at HOTEL OKUDOGO or similar
Saturday, November 13 (Day 10)
MATSUYAMA - IMABARI - SHIMA NAMI KAIDO - HIROSHIMA (B)(D)
Shikoku’s largest city, Matsuyama, is noted for its deep-blue textile fabric - iyo-kasuri (indigo dyeing) - one of the three major splashed pattern types in Japan. The history and process of this production - from cloth to finished article - can be seen and appreciated at the Mingei Iyo Kasuri Kaikan. Enjoy browsing through the shop to see some of their beautiful products on display and available for purchase. We’ll visit Ichihiro, a unique museum devoted entirely to towels. Displays feature everything from the basics of towel production to fine finished products - making this a fascinating and interesting visit. We’ll depart Shikoku Island via the scenic Shima Nami Kaido, a set of bridges connecting the many islands of the Seto Inland Sea to Honshu. Our drive will take us from Imabari in Shikoku through Onomichi, arriving Hiroshima in the afternoon. We will spend two nights in Hiroshima. Dinner will be provided for you at the hotel.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HIROSHIMA HOTEL or similar
Sunday, November 14 (Day 11)
HIROSHIMA - IWAKUNI - OSHIMA ISLAND - MIYAJIMA - HIROSHIMA(B)
This morning, we’ll travel to the pier at Miyajimaguchi and board a ferry for a short ride to Miyajima Island, famed for its scenic Itsukushima-jinja,a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a floating torii gate extending into the sea. The landscape - including the shrine - is one of the most photographed tourist attraction and with the island’s Misen-san as a backdrop, is classified as one of Japan’s three most scenic sights. We’ll continue onl to Iwakuni, visiting the famous Kintai-kyo (Brocade Sash Bridge), Iwakuni’s major attraction with its five linked arches forming a span across the Nishiki River. We’ll drive through Yanai City in Yamaguchi prefecture to Oshima Island, one of the largest islands in the Seto Naikai Strait. In the town of Suo-Oshima - the sister city of Kauai - we’ll visit the Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii. The museum features photographs, exhibits and artifacts about the hardship faced by the emigrants in Hawaii, the contributions made with the fortune accumulated through their efforts, and the history of cultural exchanges between the hometown and Hawaii up to now. We’ll return to the city of Hiroshima to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park. (optional) Exhibits within the museum relives the history of the atomic bomb and the destruction it brought on Hiroshima and its people. Thousands of paper cranes brought by school children, various clubs and groups are displayed there. Dinner will be on your own this evening. Try some delicious okonomiyaki, the specialty of Hiroshima at one of the local restaurants near the hotel.
Accommodations at RHIGA ROYAL HIROSHIMA HOTEL or similar
Monday, November 15 (Day 12)
HIROSHIMA - KANSAI TO HONOLULU (B)
This morning, we’ll depart Hiroshima and begin our journey to the Kansai International Airport for our evening flight home to Honolulu, arriving on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line. A late meal will be served on board the flight.