AUTUMN NIHON KAI WITH SADO ISLAND AND KUROBE DAM

November 1 - 14, 2012 (14 Days & 12 Nights)  $100 EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT (deposit must be made by 03/30/2012)   Narita, Tokyo, Shinkansen, Niigata, Northern Culture Museum, Sado Island, Sado Kinzan Gold Mine, Toki Forest Park, Sado Rekishi Densetsukan, Nagano, Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, Kurobe Dam, Tateyama, Unazuki, Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa, Tojinbo, Noto Peninsula, Wajima, Kiriko Kaikan, Wajima Asa-Ichi, Mikata Goko, Miyazu, Amanohashidate, Tottori, Izumo Taisha Shrine, Matsue, Matsue Vogel Park, Oshima Island, Hawaii Museum of Japanese Emigration, Miyajima Island, Mazda Motor Corporation, Hiroshima, Narita TWIN RATE: $ 5,495 per person SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $ 695 per person LAND ONLY: $ 4,595 per person   (Individual arrangements to meet group are not included)                             Thursday, November 1  (Day 01) HONOLULU - NARITA Our tour to Japan commences this morning when we assemble at the lobby at the airport for baggage check-in procedures. We will depart Honolulu on for Narita International Airport. Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.   Friday, November 2  (Day 02) ARRIVE NARITA (D) We’ll arrive Narita International Airport in the afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, transfer to our hotel in Tokyo to spend the night. A dinner is planned for you at the hotel this evening.   Accommodations at HOTEL METROPOLITAN IKEBUKURO or similar   Saturday, November 3  (Day 03) TOKYO - NIIGATA (B)(D) This morning, we’ll transfer to the Tokyo Station and board the shinkansen (bullet train) to Niigata, the largest city on the coast of the Japan Sea and the gateway to Sado Island. On arrival, we’ll board our chartered motor coach and embark on a brief sightseeing tour of this port city. We’ll visit the former residence of a local land baron - the Ito Mansion. The mansion is preserved as the Northern Culture Museum and displays an extensive art collection donated by the family. The spacious wooden house is an example of traditional Japanese architecture and the premise is well preserved with the dignified simplicity of a wealthy landowner’s house of the olden days. We’ll make a stop at Furusato-Mura, a unique shopping village offering a nice selection of local traditional food and craft products. We will spend the night in the city of Niigata. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.   Accommodations at HOTEL OKURA NIIGATA or similar   Sunday, November 4 (Day 04) NIIGATA - SADO ISLAND  (B)(D) This morning we’ll board a hydrofoil from the port of Niigata crossing the sea of Japan to the port of Ryotsu on historic Sado-Ga-Shima. The island had an image of being remote and associated with political exiles and prisoners, yet has a distinguished history and culture all its own. Sado was the home in exile to some historical figures such as ex-Emperor ‘Juntoku’, Buddhist priest ‘Nichiren’, and drama master ‘Zeami’, who left a legacy of Noh theater on the island. At the Sado Kinzan Gold Mine in the town of Aikawa, we’ll descend into the old mining caves to see mechanical puppets dramatize the tough existence of the miners in the past. In addition to ‘Noh’, the island is famed for okesa (folk dances) and ondeko (demon drum dances), and the toki bird (Japanese crested ibis). The visitor center at the Toki Forest Park will provide us with interesting information and history about these protected birds. We’ll visit the Sado Rekishi Densetsukan (Sado Historical Folklore Museum) where relics of ex-Emperor Juntoku and Nichiren Shonin are exhibited and robots illustrate dioramas of Sado’s history. We’ll spend the night on the island. Enjoy dinner and relax in the hot springs at our hotel this evening.    Accommodations at RYOTSU YAMAKI HOTEL or similar   Monday, November 5  (Day 05) SADO ISLAND - TSUBAME SANJO - NAOETSU - NAGANO (B) This morning, we’ll proceed to the port of Ryotsu and board a hydrofoil to return to Niigata. We’ll board our chartered motor coach and travel to Tsubame Sanjo, a region known for its manufacture of kitchen cutlery and silverware. We’ll visit a large kitchenware shop that offers a wide selection of various merchandise - including some unique kitchenware products, knives, scissors, etc. We’ll drive along the Apple Line road alongside the Chikuma River en route to the city of Nagano where we will spend the night. Nagano is noted for its beautiful mountainous terrain consisting of the northern, central, and southern ranges of the breathtaking Japan Alps and best known as the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics. We’ll make a photo stop at Kawanakajima, the site of five fierce battles between two of Japan’s greatest warlords, Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Dinner will be on your own this evening.   Accommodations at HOTEL METROPOLITAN NAGANO or similar   Tuesday, November 6 (Day 06) NAGANO - OMACHI - TATEYAMA KUROBE ALPINE ROUTE - KUROBE DAM - TATEYAMA (B)(D) We’ll travel along Shio-no-Michi (Salt Road) - a road used to transport salt from the ocean to the inland region of northern Honshu. This road still exists and if you are thirsting for more background on salt, there is a Salt Museum located at the Shinano-Omachi Station. This station is the starting point of the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, an impressive jaunt across the peaks between Nagano-ken and Toyama-ken. Our journey continues on to Mount Tateyama, visiting the great Kurobe Dam - the highest arc-style dam in Japan located deep within the Japan Alps National Park. We’ll enjoy a scenic ride through the mountains via a tram and cable car to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Murodo and Midagahara Plateaus. We’ll spend the night in Tateyama. Enjoy dinner and relax in the soothing onsen bath at our hot spring hotel this evening.   Accommodations at TATEYAMA KOKUSAI HOTEL or similar   Wednesday, November 7  (Day 07) TATEYAMA - UNAZUKI - TOYAMA - KANAZAWA (B)(D) Our journey continues on through Unazuki, a hot spring town boasting an excellent view over the beauty of the Kurobe Gorge in Toyama prefecture.  We’ll travel to the castle town of Kanazawa, capital of Ishikawa prefecture to enjoy a leisure stroll through its main attraction, Kenroku-en Garden - ranked as one of Japan’s three most beautiful gardens. The name Kenroku translates as “combined six”, referring to a renowned Chinese garden from the Sung Dynasty that required six attributes for perfection: seclusion, spaciousness, artificiality, antiquity, abundant water, and broad views. Located adjacent to the garden is Kanazawa Castle featuring its entrance gate - Ishikawa-mon Gate  - designated an Important National Cultural Asset by the government. We’ll spend two nights in Kanazawa. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.   Accommodations at KANAZAWA ANA HOTEL or similar   Thursday, November 8  (Day 08) KANAZAWA - NOTO PENINSULA - WAJIMA - KANAZAWA (B) We’ll travel to ‘Noto-Hanto’, a scenic peninsula of rugged seascapes surrounded on three sides by the Japan Sea. The town of Wajima at the center of the Okunoto area is known not only for its fishing industry but also for its production of Wajima-nuri (lacquerware). A characteristic of Wajima lacquerware is found in the base coat being repeatedly applied to original wooden materials - taking months to finish - and decorated with chinkin (gold & silver inlaying) and makie (gold or silver raised lacquer painting). We’ll visit a shop to see some of their beautiful works on display and available for purchase. Kiriko is a form of lantern produced only in the Noto district and is used to lead portable shrines during festivals. A giant lantern and several beautifully lacquered floats from the Edo period are displayed in the Kiriko Kaikan (Festival Hall). Enjoy shopping and bargaining with the vendors at the asa-ichi (morning market), a huge outdoor marketplace in Wajima selling a nice variety of dried seafood products including dried abalone. As we drive back along the west coast of the peninsula, we’ll enjoy a unique drive on the Chirihama Beach Driveway, resembling a sandy motorway as we roar across the sand by the breakers of the waters. Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some of the local specialties of this prefecture.   Accommodations at KANAZAWA ANA HOTEL or similar   Friday, November 9  (Day 09) KANAZAWA - TOJINBO - TSURUGA - MIYAZU (B)(D) We’ll continue our journey along the Sea of Japan to scenic Tojinbo, an impressive view of magnificent pillar-shaped rocks and cliffs created by volcanic activities and formed through the years by sea erosion. Standing gallantly against the raging waves, this site is a popular tourist destination with many legends is and famous as a location for suicides. As we drive along the coast line, enjoy the beauty of Mikata Goko (Five Lakes), an area located between Mihama and Wakasa town. A cable car or an individual chair lift is available to take us to the top of the mountain to enjoy a breathtaking view of the scenery. Each lake has a different nature: salt water, fresh water and brackish water, and differences in depths. Also called the five-colored lakes, it provides individual beauty during all four seasons.  En route to our hotel, we’ll make a stop at Konbu Kan, a shop offering a nice selection of konbu, nori and other konbu related products available for purchase. Relax and enjoy dinner at our luxurious hot spring resort this evening.   Accommodations at MIYAZU ROYAL HOTEL or similar   Saturday, November 10  (Day 10) MIYAZU - AMANOHASHIDATE - TOTTORI - B)(D) “Amanohashidate” (Bridge to Heaven) is a pine tree covered sand bar resembling the shape of a bridge spanning across Miyazu Bay and is ranked as one of Japan’s three most scenic sights (nihon sankei). We’ll proceed to Kasamatsu Park and take a chair lift or cable car to the top of the hillside to enjoy this spectacular view. To view the sand bar as a ‘bridge in the heaven’, turn your back towards the bay, bend over, and look at it from between your legs. We’ll travel along the scenic coast of the Japan Sea to Tottori, one of the main cities in the San-in district and famous for its spectacular sand dunes formed by the wind stretching along the coastline. The Tottori Sand Dunes was used as the setting for Teshigahara Hiroshi’s classic 1964 film “Woman in the Dunes”. Climb to the top of the sand dunes to enjoy a beautiful view of the Sea of Japan. We’ll spend the night in Tottori. Dinner will be provided for you this evening.   Accommodations at NEW OTANI TOTTORI HOTEL or similar        Sunday, November 11 (Day 11) TOTTORI - YONAGO - MATSUE (B)(D) After breakfast, we’ll continue our drive along the coast of the Sea of Japan to visit Izumo Taisha Shrine constructed in the Taisha-zukuri style, considered to be Japan’s oldest form of shrine architecture. The wooded grounds are pleasant to wander through and the shrine itself enjoys the ‘borrowed scenery’ of Yakumo Hill in the background. Okuninushi - to whom the shrine is dedicated - is the kami (Shinto Spirit God) of marriage. Hence, visitors to the shrine summon the deity by clapping four times rather than the normal two - twice for themselves and twice for their partner or partners to be. We’ll travel to Matsue in Shimane Prefecture, a beautiful town surrounded by water. Enjoy a visit to the Matsue Vogel Park - a paradise of flowers, owls, and rare birds from around the world. The park features a waterfowl aviary that is home to various aquatic birds and a flower conservatory - the largest in the world displaying a beautiful variety of flowers in bloom all year round. Several trained owls will perform for you at a special owl show. Enjoy dinner and relax in the soothing onsen at the hotel this evening.   Accommodations at HOTEL ICHIBATA or similar   Monday, November 12  (Day 12) MATSUE - OSHIMA ISLAND - HIROSHIMA (B)(D) We’ll travel south through Shimane and Yamaguchi prefecture, passing through Yanai city to visit Oshima Island, one of the largest islands in the Seto Naikai Strait. We’ll visit the Museum of Japanese Emigration to Hawaii located in the town of Suo-Oshima, the sister city of Kauai. The Museum features videos, photographs, and exhibits presenting 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 the present. We’ll continue on to spend two nights in Hiroshima. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.   Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HIROSHIMA HOTEL or similar   Tuesday, November 13 (Day 13) HIROSHIMA - MIYAJIMA ISLAND - MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION - HIROSHIMA (B) We’ll proceed to the town of Hatsukaichi and board a ferry from Miyajima-guchi Pier to Miyajima Island, a sacred island and famous for Itsukushima-jinja with the famous ‘floating torii’ (Shinto Shrine Gate). Itsukushima Shrine is one of the most photographed tourist attraction in Japan and with the island’s Mount Misen as a backdrop, is classified as one of Japan’s three most scenic sights. We’ll return to the main island by ferry and continue on to Hiroshima. En route, we’ll visit the Mazda Motor Corporation (Zoom Zoom), to observe the fascinating process of automobile manufacturing. Enjoy a guided tour as we watch workmen and robots assemble components to new cars on a moving assembly line. Dinner will be on your own this evening. Try some delicious okonomiyaki, the specialty of Hiroshima at one of the local restaurants nearby the hotel.   Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HIROSHIMA HOTEL or similar   Wednesday, November 14  (Day 14) HIROSHIMA - HANEDA - NARITA TO HONOLULU (B) In the early afternoon, we’ll transfer to the Hiroshima Airport to check-in for our domestic flight to Haneda Airport. On arrival, we’ll transfer by motorcoach to Narita International Airport to check-in for our evening flight home to Honolulu. We’ll arrive in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line. A late meal will be served on board the flight    .      Map of Tour Itinerary       The tour price is based on double occupancy and a minimum group size of 20 passengers. Fare adjustment may apply for groups of 20 or under. The rate is based on tariffs and exchange rates effective 01/01/2012. Tour fare is subject to change according to any airfare and government tax increase, additional fuel surcharges and fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency. In the event of revaluation, the land portion of the tour price may be adjusted prior to your final statement.    Land based on 85 yen = $1.00                Tour Registration Form: You will need Adobe Reader to open. General Conditions (Japan/International)