Thursday, March 29 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO NARITA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the departure lobby at the airport for baggage check-in procedures for our flight to Narita International Airport. A meal and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Friday, March 30 (Day 02)
NARITA - TOKYO (D)
We’ll arrive at Narita Airport in the afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer to our hotel in Tokyo by chartered motorcoach. A dinner is planned for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL
Saturday, March 31 (Day 03)
TOKYO (B)(L)
We will embark on a full day of sightseeing in this exciting metropolitan city. Located in Asakusa in the center of shitamachi (old downtown) is Asakusa Kannon Temple - also known as Sensoji - Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple is built for the goddess of Kannon. Adjacent to the temple is Nakamise-dori - a lively shopping street with many shops offering a wide selection of typical Japanese souvenirs and traditional local snacks. We’ll tour the Edo-Tokyo Museum, showcasing interesting exhibits, photos, and artifacts relating to the historical heritage of Edo-Tokyo. The museum is divided into three major sections, the ‘Edo Zone’, the ‘Tokyo Zone’, and the ‘History Zone’. At the entrance of the museum is a replica of the famous Nihonbashi Bridge. We’ll drive through the main street of Ginza, the most exclusive entertainment and shopping district in Japan with its upscale shops and restaurants. Enjoy a shopping adventure at Ameyokocho, a lively shopping area with many indoor and outdoor vendors offering a variety of food products and various merchandise at discounted prices. This evening, enjoy dinner on your own at one of the restaurants in the shopping mall adjacent to our hotel.
Accommodations at SUNSHINE CITY PRINCE HOTEL
Sunday, April 1 (Day 04)
TOKYO - HAKONE - FUJI FIVE LAKES - LAKE YAMANAKA (B)(D)
We’ll travel to Hakone - a region that is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and is one of Japan’s most popular hot spring resort, famous for its volcanic hot springs and natural beauty. Weather permitting, enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on scenic Lake Ashino-ko - a beautiful crater lake formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone. The lake, with a view of Japan’s most sacred mountain Mt. Fuji in the background, is the symbol of Hakone. Hakone used to be an important checkpoint for the Old Tokaido Highway - the old road that linked the ancient capital of Kyoto to Edo (now known as Tokyo) during the Edo period. We’ll visit the Mt. Fuji Visitor Center to see an interesting video presentation explaining the history of Mt. Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes. We’ll spend the night at a beautiful hotel overlooking Lake Yamanaka, the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes, offering a breathtaking view of the mountain (weather permitting). Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at HOTEL MT. FUJI or similar
Monday, April 2 (Day 05)LAKE YAMANAKA - MT. FUJI - SHIZUOKA - NAGOYA (B)(D)
Weather permitting, we’ll drive up the Subaru Line, the toll road leading up the slopes of Mt. Fuji to the ‘go-go-me’ (Fifth Station). One of the major rest stops utilized by mountain hikers, enjoy a breathtaking view of this sacred mountain and its surrounding valleys. We’ll continue on to view Shiraito-no-taki (White Thread Waterfall), a picturesque waterfall located just inside of the Yamanashi border on the lower slopes of Mt. Fuji. The falls are particularly attractive at this time of the year as the snows of the mountain melt and strengthen the flow. We’ll continue our drive along the Pacific Coast through Shizuoka prefecture, the largest tea producing region in Japan and once home to the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu. Enjoy a tour of Greenpia Makinohara, a tea factory to learn about the production of tea and to get a close-up view of the tea plants growing in the orchard. The scenery of Shizuoka prefecture offers a beautiful view of the Southern Japan Alps, a breathtaking view of Fuji-san, and miles of scenic coastline as we drive along Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy picking and eating delicious fresh strawberries off the vines in covered greenhouses at a local orchard. We’ll continue on to spend the night in the castle town of Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at NAGOYA WESTIN HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, April 3 (Day 06)
NAGOYA - TOYOTA CITY - BULLET TRAIN - KYOTO (B)(L)
This morning, 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 we watch workmen and robots assemble components to new cars on a moving assembly line. We’ll return to the Nagoya Train Station to experience a ride on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. A delicious obento (box lunch) will be provided for you to enjoy on board the train. On arrival at the Kyoto Station, we’ll transfer by foot to our hotel and check-in for two nights. The rest of the day will be at your leisure to explore the city on your own or browse through some of the shops at the train station located near the hotel. Dinner will be on your own to try some Kyoto-style cuisine at one of the restaurants at the train station.
Accommodations at KYOTO RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
TWednesday, April 4 (Day 07)KYOTO - NARA - KYOTO (B)(D)
We’ll travel to the ancient city of Nara 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. 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 it that those who pass through the opening will find their way to an afterlife of paradise. We’ll visit Kasuga Taisha Shrine, designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site with hundreds of stone lanterns lined along the approach-way to the shrine. In the afternoon, we’ll return to Kyoto to visit some of the highlights of this traditional city including a visit to Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), an impressive Zen Buddhist temple, designated as a National Special Historic Site. This magnificent golden structure overlooks a lake, providing a beautiful reflection in the calm waters. Stroll through the beautiful gardens of Heian-jingu, a spacious garden with a large pond and Chinese-inspired bridge. Enjoy shopping at the Kyoto Handicraft Center - a five-story shopping complex offering a nice selection of souvenirs, handicrafts, kimonos, toys, and more. Dinner will be provided for you this evening.
Accommodations at KYOTO RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL or similar
Thursday, April 5 (Day 08)
KYOTO - KOBE - AWAJI ISLAND - TOKUSHIMA (B)(D)
This morning we’ll travel to the city of Kobe and visit the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum featuring exhibits, photographs, and video presentations to explain the traditional sake brewing process. Samples of some of their delicious products will be provided for you to enjoy at the end of the tour. We’ll continue on to cross the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi, a bridge to Awaji Island - the inland sea’s largest island. On arrival, 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. Our travel continues on, crossing the Naruto Channel on the Naruto Ohashi, a bridge connecting Awaji Island to Shikoku Island. At each flow of the tide, currents rush through this narrow passage to form uzushio (whirlpools) of various sizes and we may be able to see some as we drive on the bridge. We’ll spend the night in the city of Tokushima on Shikoku Island - home of the 88 Temples Pilgrimage. In the evening, enjoy a lively performance of the famous Awa Odori, the pride of Tokushima at the Awa Odori Kaikan. Learn to dance and participate with the special ‘Awanokaze’ dancers accompanied by the sounds of shamisen (three stringed guitars), taiko (drums) and fue (flutes). Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at AWA KANKO HOTEL or similar
Friday, April 6 (Day 09)
TOKUSHIMA - TAKAMATSU - IMABARI (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll travel to the castle town of Takamatsu and enjoy a stroll through the beautiful gardens of Ritsurin-koen, a park that is the city’s major landmark and 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 including ‘borrowed scenery’ of Mount Shuin forming a backdrop to the garden. Experience making your own fan to take home as a souvenir at the Uchiwa Minato Museum, specializing in uchiwa (rounded paper fans). These fans are made with a decorated paper stretched over a thin bamboo frame. We’ll continue on to spend the night in Imabari, the second largest city in Ehime prefecture. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at IMABARI KOKUSAI HOTEL or similar
Saturday, April 7 (Day 10)
IMABARI - SHIMANAMI KAIDO - HIROSHIMA (B)(D)
We’ll depart Shikoku Island via the scenic Shimanami Kaido - an expressway which links Shikoku to Japan’s main island of Honshu, through a series of bridges and six small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Our scenic drive will take us from Imabari in Ehime prefecture to Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture, arriving in the city of Hiroshima to spend the next two nights. The afternoon is at your leisure to enjoy browsing through the 100-yen shop in the shopping arcade or at the department store located near our hotel. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL HIROSHIMA or similar
Sunday, April 8 (Day 11)HIROSHIMA - IWAKUNI - MIYAJIMA - HIROSHIMA (B)
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 with 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 beautiful sights. We’ll return to the main island by ferry, then continue on to Iwakuni visiting the famous Kintai-kyo (Brocade Sash Bridge), the city’s major attraction. Its five linked wooden arches are built without nails and form a span across the Nishiki river. This afternoon, we’ll return to the city of Hiroshima to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park. Exhibits within the museum relive 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. 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 Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, the specialty of Hiroshima at one of the local restaurants near the hotel or at the Okonomiyaki Village - a special building with floors of small okonomiyaki shops.
Accommodations at RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL HIROSHIMA or similar
Monday, April 9 (Day 12)
HIROSHIMA - KURASHIKI - OKAYAMA - OSAKA (B)(D)
Our journey continues on to make a stop in the quaint little town of Kurashiki in Okayama prefecture. Enjoy strolling through the Bikan Chiku (historical area) with many old traditional buildings, storehouses and shops located along the picturesque willow-lined canal. We’ll visit Koraku-en, a beautiful Japanese garden, and ranked as one of Japan’s three best landscape gardens along with Kairaku-en in Mito and Kenroku-en in Kanazawa. A large pond, walking paths, pavilions, a crane aviary, and groves of plum and cherry trees are contained in this scenic garden. We’ll continue on to spend the night in the commercial city of Osaka. Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.
Accommodations at RAMADA OSAKA HOTEL or similar
Tuesday, April10 (Day 13)
OSAKA - KANSAI TO HONOLULU (B)
The day is at your leisure to enjoy your own activities in this exciting city until our mid-afternoon departure to the Kansai Airport. Our evening flight will arrive Honolulu in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line. A meal will be served on board the flight.