Saturday, October 2 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NARITA
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 Narita International Airport. Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Sunday, October 3 (Day 02)
ARRIVE NARITA / TOKYO (D)
We’ll arrive Narita Airport in the early afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer to our hotel in Tokyo to spend two nights. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Monday, October 4 (Day 03)
TOKYO (B)(L)
A full day of sightseeing is in store for us in this exciting metropolitan city. We’ll visit Sensoji - also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple built for the goddess of Kannon. Located adjacent to the temple is Nakamise-dori - a shopping street with many shops offering typical Japanese souvenirs and traditional local snacks. Enjoy a delicious tempura lunch at a well-known tempura restaurant in Asakusa. We’ll visit Meiji Jingu, one of Tokyo’s major shrines, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji - the first emperor of modern Japan and his wife, Empress Shoken. The shrine - located in a wooded forest in Yoyogi Park in Shibuya - was built in the traditional nagarezukuri style primarily with Japanese cypress and copper. A large torii stands at the entrance of the temple complex. We’ll drive by Ginza, the most exclusive entertainment and shopping district in Japan with upscale shops and restaurants. Enjoy shopping at Ameya-yokocho, a lively shopping area with many indoor and outdoor vendors offering a variety of fresh and dried food products and various other merchandise at discounted prices. This evening, enjoy dinner on your own at one of the restaurants located in the shopping mall adjacent to our hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, October 5 (Day 04)
TOKYO - MT. FUJI - HAKONE - LAKE YAMANAKA (B)(D)
We’ll travel to spend the night at Hakone, a region that is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and famous for its volcanic hot springs and natural beauty. En route, we’ll visit the Mt. Fuji Visitor Center located at the entrance of the Subaru Line - a toll road leading up to the slopes of Mt. Fujii - Japan’s highest and most sacred mountain. An interesting video presentation explains the history of Mt. Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes. Weather permitting, a beautiful view of this majestic mountain can be seen from the observatory. We’ll enjoy a relaxing and scenic boat cruise on Ashino-ko - a crater lake formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano’s last eruption. We’ll spend the night at our elegant hotel overlooking Lake Yamanaka, the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes. Weather permitting, a breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji can be seen from the grounds of the hotel. Enjoy dinner and relax in the hot springs this evening.
Accommodations at HOTEL MT. FUJI or similar
Wednesday, October 6 (Day 05)
LAKE YAMANAKA - SHIZUOKA - NAGOYA (B)
We’ll visit Shiraito-no-taki (White Thread Waterfall) - a picturesque waterfall with small streams trickling down from the rocks between the main flows, creating a vast white cascade. We’ll continue our drive along the Pacific Coast through Shizuoka prefecture, the largest tea producing region in Japan. We’ll visit a tea factory to observe the production of tea with a video presentation and a tour of its facility. Our drive through Shizuoka prefecture provides a view of the Southern Alps, a breathtaking view of Fuji-san, and miles of scenic coastline along Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean. We’ll arrive in the castle town of Nagoya, Japan’s fourth largest city and the capital of Aichi prefecture to spend the night. The people from Nagoya are famed for their lavish weddings and love of pachinko (Japanese pinball). Time permitting, you may want to explore the huge underground mall located near the hotel. Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some local specialties at one of the restaurants located in the mall.
Accommodations at NAGOYA CASTLE PLAZA HOTEL or similar
Thursday, October 7 (Day 06)
NAGOYA - TOYOTA CITY - KYOTO (B)(D)
Early this morning, you may want to stroll through the ichiba - a busy morning market located on the back streets of our hotel. Many indoor and outdoor vendors offer a nice variety of fresh and dried seafood products, and various other merchandise. We’ll travel to Toyota City to visit one of the factories of the automobile giant - Toyota Motor Corporation. Observe the fascinating process of automobile manufacturing on a guided tour as workers assemble components to new cars on a moving assembly line. We’ll continue our journey to Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital. On arrival, we’ll visit Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), a magnificent golden structure sitting on a lake, providing a beautiful reflection in the calm waters. We’ll have some time to browse through the Kyoto Handicraft Center - a five story shopping complex offering a nice selection of Japanese souvenirs, handicrafts, kimonos, toys, works of art, and more. We’ll spend two nights in the city of Kyoto. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at KYOTO RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Friday, October 8 (Day 07)
KYOTO - NARA - KYOTO (B)
We’ll travel to Nara, an ancient city located at the northern end of the Yamato plain, a fertile valley where members of the Yamato clan rose to power as the original emperors of Japan. On arrival, we’ll visit the Todai-ji Temple Complex, a magnificent Buddhist temple in Nara Koen, a park that is home for many sacred deer roaming freely about. The Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha) is considered the largest wooden structure in the world and home to the ‘Daibutsu’ - an enormous bronze statue of Buddha, perhaps the most famous sight in Nara. Within the hall is a large wooden pillar with a hole at its base, and local tradition has said that those who pass through this opening will find their way to an afterlife paradise. We’ll return to the city of Kyoto to enjoy more sightseeing. We’ll visit Kiyomizu-dera, an independent Buddhist temple and part of the Historic Moments of Ancient Kyoto - a UNESCO World site. Constructed in 1633, not one nail is used throughout the whole temple and takes its name from the waterfall within the complex. Kiyomizu means clear or pure water. We’ll visit the Nishijin Textile Center - famous for weaving the superb Nishijin silk fabric. A large selection of silk related products are on display and available for purchase. Time pemitting, we may have an opportunity to enjoy an elegant kimono fashion show featuring beautiful ladies modeling some of the most fashionable silk kimonos. Dinner will be on your own this evening.
Accommodations at KYOTO RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Saturday, October 9 (Day 08)
KYOTO - BULLET TRAIN - HIROSHIMA (B)(D)
We’ll transfer to the Kyoto Station to board the shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima. On arrival, we’ll board our motor coach and proceed to the pier at Miyajima-guchi and board a ferry to Miyajima Island, famed for its scenic Itsukushima-jinja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its 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 beautiful sights. We’ll return to the main island by ferry, then continue on to the city of Hiroshima to spend the night. Before checking in, we’ll visit the Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park. Photographs and exhibits within the museum relives the history of the atomic bomb and the destruction it brought on Hiroshima and its people. The most poignant memorial in the Peace Memorial Park is the Children’s Peace Memorial - inspired by leukemia victim Sadako Sasaki. Thousand of paper cranes brought by school children, various clubs and groups are displayed there. Dinner will be provided for this evening.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HIROSHIMA or similar
Sunday, October 10 (Day 09)
HIROSHIMA - KURASHIKI - KORAKU-EN - OSAKA (B)(D)
Our journey continues on to visit the town of Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture. Enjoy strolling through the quaint Bikan-chiku (historic city district) located along the picturesque willow-lined canal with many old traditional buildings, storehouses, and shops. We’ll continue on to enjoy a stroll through Koraku-en in Okayama prefecture, noted as one of the three great gardens in Japan. Some scenic spots to view is Yuishinzan Hill, a manmade hill affording a panoramic view of the entire garden; and the tea fields with beautifully trimmed tea trees lined in a row. We’ll arrive in the industrial city of Osaka in the late afternoon to spend the night. Dinner will be provided for you this evening.
Accommodations at RAMADA OSAKA HOTEL or similar
Monday, October 11 (Day 10)
OSAKA - KANSAI AIRPORT (B)
The morning is at your leisure for your own activities until we transfer to the Kansai International Airport for our evening flight home. We’ll arrive Honolulu in the morning on the same day due to the International Date Line. A late meal will be served on board the flight.