Monday, March 26 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NARITA
Our tour to Japan commences this morning when we assemble at the baggage check-in lobby at the airport for check-in procedures. We will depart Honolulu for Narita International Airport. Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Tuesday, March 27 (Day 02)
NARITA AIRPORT TO FUKUOKA
We’ll arrive Narita Airport in the afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer to the domestic ticket lobby to check-in for our flight to Fukuoka Airport in Kyushu, the third-largest and southernmost island of Japan. We’ll transfer to our hotel in Fukuoka/Hakata, the capital of Fukuoka prefecture to check-in for two nights.
Accommodations at HAKATA EXCEL HOTEL TOKYU or similar
Wednesday, March 28 (Day 03)
FUKUOKA/HAKATA (B)(D)
Originally two separate towns and divided by the Nakagawa River - Fukuoka & Hakata merged to become the largest city on Kyushu Island. The train station is still known as Hakata while the airport is called Fukuoka. We will enjoy a full day of sightseeing including a visit to Dazaifu Tenman-gu, one of the most important Tenmangu Shrines in Japan. The shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician of the Heian Period. His rise to power with his political career resulted in a rivalry with the Fujiwara clan and he was later exiled to Dazaifu. We’ll visit the Hakata Machiya Furusato-mura, a folk museum featuring displays of the culture of Hakata, mainly of the Meiji and Taisho eras. At the Machiya Hall, an example of traditional architecture is restored to provide a glimpse into the past. Located nearby is Kushida-jinja Shrine, featuring an enormous mikoshi (float) used for one of Kyushu’s largest festivals. A view of Fukuoka Tower can be seen as we drive through the city - the highest seaside tower in Japan and known as the landmark of the city. Enjoy a stroll through Tenjin - a popular shopping district with a shopping arcade and an underground shopping complex.
Accommodations at HAKATA EXCEL HOTEL TOKYU or similar
Thursday, March 29 (Day 04)
FUKUOKA * KARATSU * IMARI * TAKEO (B)(D)
After breakfast, we’ll travel west to enjoy a scenic view of Karatsu Bay and the two-mile long Niji-no-Matsubara, a grove of black pine trees extending along a sandy beach. The forest was originally planted by the feudal Lord Terasawa as a counter-measure against the strong winds and tides in Karatsu Bay, but today is one of the most picturesque landscapes in Japan. Saga prefecture has been a major manufacturing source of ceramics for centuries with Imari-yaki and Arita-yaki as the most famous and distinctive. Korean potters were brought to Imari to produce porcelain mainly for the Nabeshima domain. Enjoy a stroll through Imari Okawachiyama (The Village of Secret Kilns) - a small ceramic village in Imari, lined with many porcelain shops and with a few working kilns still in operation. We’ll travel to Arita, a pottery town where a Korean potter first introduced the art of manufacturing porcelain. We’ll visit the Kyushu Ceramic Museum - a museum where you can learn about the history and culture of Kyushu porcelain through exhibits and photographs. We’ll continue on to Takeo, a city located in Saga prefecture to spend the night. Enjoy dinner and relax in our onsen hotel this evening.
Accommodations at TAKEO CENTURY HOTEL or similar
Friday, March 30 (Day 05)
TAKEO * SASEBO * NAGASAKI (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll travel to Sasebo - gateway to Saikai National Park in Nagasaki prefecture - a city famed for its scenic beauty. We’ll board a sightseeing boat from Kashimae Pier to enjoy a relaxing and scenic cruise around Kyujukyu-shima (99 pine-studded islets) in the inland sea. Enjoy some of the most breathtaking natural scenery in Japan as you cruise through the islands. We’ll continue our drive on the Saikai Bridge to the city of Nagasaki, to visit some of the main attractions. We’ll visit Glover Garden - the former residence of British merchant Thomas Blake Glover. The mansion and other 19th century buildings are preserved on this spacious hillside garden with a breathtaking view overlooking Nagasaki Harbor. The story for Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly” was allegedly set here and the main character was based on Tsuru, Glover’s Japanese wife. Enjoy a stroll through Nagasaki Chinatown, Japan’s oldest Chinatown - best known for its many restaurants and two of their most famous local noodle dishes - champon and sara udon. We’ll visit Dejima, formerly a man-made island in the port of Nagasaki, constructed to segregate Portuguese residents from the Japanese population. Today, the surrounding area has been reclaimed and many historical residences, warehouses, walls, and gates still remain in the area.
Accommodations at NEW NAGASAKI HOTEL or similar
Saturday, March 31 (Day 06)
NAGASAKI * SHIMABARA * KUMAMOTO (B)We’ll continue our journey to the Shimabara Peninsula to enjoy a view of Mount Unzen, an active volcanic complex of several overlapping lava domes. We’ll visit Mizunashi-Honjin Fukae, (Avalanche Stricken Homes Preservation Park), a preservation memorial site where the after-effects of the devastation caused by the Unzen eruption are displayed. From the Shimabara Pier, we’ll board a ferry and cross the Ariake Sea to Kumamoto to spend the night. Kumamoto is a modern city with one of Japan’s finest reconstructed castles - Kumamoto-jo. Architect Kato Kiyomasa built this castle with ingenious engineering, and its size and numerous interesting exhibits in the castle make it visit-worthy. Enjoy a leisure stroll through Suizen-ji-koen, a beautiful Japanese-style landscape garden designed to mimic views seen when traveling along the Tokaido - the old highway between Kyoto and Edo (present-day Tokyo). As you stroll through the park, you’ll have a magnificent feeling of nature with its beautiful lakes and trees. The lake is fed by pristine spring water from Mt. Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan. At the east end of the park is Horaitsukiyama, made to look like a miniature Mt. Fuji. Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some of the local specialties of this prefecture at one of the restaurants located near our hotel.
Accommodations at KUMAMOTO NIKKO HOTEL or similar
Sunday, April 1 (Day 07)
KUMAMOTO * KAGOSHIMA * IBUSUKI (B)(D)
Dominating the skyline from Kagoshima is the brooding cone of Sakurajima, an active volcano with the summit split into three peaks - one of which is still active. The most violent eruption occurred when the volcano poured out tons of lava, overwhelming villages and completely filling the narrow strait that separated the volcano from the mainland - thus converting Sakurajima from an island to a peninsula. We’ll continue our drive south to Kagoshima, the southernmost major city in Kyushu and known to the Japanese as the “Naples of the Orient”. The Shimazu clan not only dominated Kagoshima’s history but also left the city with its principal attraction - Iso-tein - a beautiful bayside garden with one of the most impressive pieces of ‘borrowed scenery’ in the background - the fuming peak of Sakurajima. Enjoy a leisure stroll through this beautiful landscaped garden. We’ll travel to the southernmost tip of the Satsuma Peninsula to Ibusuki, a coastal town best known for its therapeutic sunamushi onsens (steaming black sand baths). As an option, you may want to experience being covered in warm black volcanic sand. The weight and heat of the sand feels so relaxing and after rinsing off, you will feel unusually energized. Relax and enjoy dinner at our elegant onsen resort hotel this evening.
Accommodations at IBUSUKI IWASAKI HOTEL or similar
Monday, April 2 (Day 08)
IBUSUKI * CHIRAN * BULLET TRAIN TO HIROSHIMA (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll travel to Chiran, a samurai town noted for its fine collection of preserved samurai houses and gardens. The Tokko Heiwa Kaikan (Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots) built on the former Chiran Air Base displays an extensive collection of correspondence, photographs, relics, and mementoes belonging to the Special Air Force Attack Group members - known as the Kamikaze Pilots. A presentation by a guide with photos and letters present a positive image of kamikaze pilots as they willingly gave their lives for their country and their families to establish peace and prosperity for Japan. We’ll enjoy a stroll along ‘samurai street’, visiting a few old samurai residences and landscaped gardens. In the afternoon, we’ll transfer to the train station and board the New Kyushu Shinkansen to Hiroshima. On arrival at the Hiroshima Station, we’ll transfer to our hotel and check-in for two nights. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL HIROSHIMA or similar
Tuesday, April 3 (Day 09)
HIROSHIMA * MIYAJIMA * HIROSHIMA (B)(D)This morning, we’ll proceed to the pier at Miyajimaguchi and board a ferry to Miyajima Island, famed for its scenic Itsukushima-jinja, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a floating torii in the sea. The landscape - including the shrine - is one of the most photographed tourist attraction in Japan. With the island’s Misen-san as a backdrop, Miyajima Island is classified as one of Japan’s three most scenic sights. Enjoy strolling through Omotesando - the island’s main shopping street with many shops offering a nice selection of souvenirs. The meibutusu (main feature) of the island are momiji manju (cakes in the shape of a maple leaf made with a variety of fillings) and shakushi (wooden spoons) - some popular souvenirs to bring home. We’ll return to the main island by ferry to return to the city of Hiroshima, visiting the Nihojima-mura Hawaii Immigration Museum. Dinner will be on your own this evening. Try some delicious okonomiyaki at one of the local restaurants located near the hotel or at Okonomi-mura - a building with floors of okonomiyaki shops offering this specialty of Hiroshima nearby the shopping arcade.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL HIROSHIMA or similar
Wednesday, April 4 (Day 10)
HIROSHIMA * ONOMICHI * KURASHIKI * OKAYAMA (B)(D)
We’ll continue on to Onomichi city, home of Senkoji Park, one of Japan’s 100 best cherry blossom viewing sites. Located on Mt. Senkoji, view thousands of cherry blossom trees in bloom, providing a spectacular sight (weather permitting). We’ll continue on to Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture featuring a preserved canal area that dates back to the Edo period. Many of Kurashiki’s former storehouses have been converted into museums, boutiques, and cafes. Enjoy strolling through Bikan-chiku, a historical area with many old traditional buildings and shops lined along the picturesque willow-lined canal. We’ll spend the night in Okayama, capital city of Okayama prefecture and famous as the setting for the Japanese fable “Momotaro”.
Accommodations at GRANVIA OKAYAMA or similar
Thursday, April 5 (Day 11)
OKAYAMA * HIMEJI * KOBE (B)(D)
This morning, enjoy a leisure stroll through Korakuen Tein, a beautiful Japanese garden and Okayama city’s main attraction. Koraku-en is ranked as one of Japan’s three best landscape gardens with its walking paths, pavilions, a crane aviary, and groves of plum, maple and cherry trees contained in this spacious garden. We’ll continue on to Himeji in Hyogo prefecture to visit Himeji Castle, considered as one of Japan’s most spectacular castles. The castle is classified as a national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While major renovations are being done to the castle, we’ll be able to access an observation deck from where the renovation work to the castle can be observed. Weather permitting, the view of thousands of cherry blossoms in bloom all around the castle grounds should be a breathtaking sight. We’ll continue on to spend the night in Kobe, the sixth largest city in Japan and capital of Hyogo prefecture.
Accommodations at BAY SHERATON KOBE or similar
Friday, April 6 (Day 12)
KOBE - OSAKA TO HONOLULU (B)
This afternoon, we’ll proceed to the airport for our 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 dinner will be served on board the flight