Tuesday, April 6 (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO OSAKA/KANSAI
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the Japan Airlines departure lobby #5 at the airport for check-in procedures for our flight to Kansai International Airport. A meal and a snack will be served on board the flight.
Wednesday, April 7 (Day 02)
KANSAI - KYOTO (D)
We’ll arrive at Kansai Airport in the afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer to Kyoto by chartered motorcoach. A late dinner will be provided for you on arrival at the hotel.
Accommodations at KYOTO NEW MIYAKO HOTEL
Thursday, April 8 (Day 03)
KYOTO (B)(L)(D)
We’ll embark on a full day of sightseeing in the traditional city of Kyoto. Enjoy a stroll through the beautiful gardens of Heian-jingu, a spacious garden featuring a large pond and a Chinese-inspired bridge, and the gardens of Kyoto Imperial Palace. Weather permitting, the cherry blossoms should be in full bloom at this time of the year. Enjoy lunch at Restaurant Shabuzen for shabu shabu dishes. We’ll visit Kiyomizu-dera, an independent Buddhist temple that is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, a UNESCO World Site. Constructed in 1633, Kiyomizu means clear or pure water and takes its name from the waterfall within the complex. Situated in the hills above Yasaka Shrine, the Ryozen Museum of History is dedicated to the bloody events of the Meiji Restoration, many of which took place in Kyoto. The museum includes original drawings and weapons, a gallery of contemporary paintings and video reconstructions of the murder of Sakamoto Ryoma by the Shinsengumi. Enjoy lunch at Restaurant Shabuzen for shabu shabu dishes. The geiko (woman skilled in dance and music) and maiko (apprentice) still carry-out their traditional annual dances during the height of the cherry blossom season in April. Enjoy a performance of the most popular dance - the Miyako Odori ‘Cherry Blossom Dance’ at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater at Gion Corner. Time permitting, we’ll visit Maruyama-koen, one of Kyoto’s most popular cherry blossom viewing sites, featuring its star attraction - a tall weeping cherry tree (shidarezakura). Located in the center of the park, it’s beautifully lit-up in the evening. Tonight, we’ll dine at a local restaurant - enjoying a special kaiseki meal together with a maiko.
Accommodations at KYOTO NEW MIYAKO HOTEL
Friday, April 9 (Day 04)
KYOTO (B)(L)(D)
We’ll travel to Arashiyama, a pleasant district on the western outskirts of Kyoto. Its landmark is the romantic “Moon Crossing Bridge” - Togetsukyo - with forested Mount Arashiyama as a backdrop. The late Misora Hibari was an award-winning Japanese enka singer and actress and is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of all time. We’ll visit a museum dedicated to her - the Misora Hibari Museum in Arashiyama - that traces the history of Misora’s life and career. Enjoy a visit to the Sagano Bamboo Forest - noted as one of the most beautiful bamboo forests in Japan. The sound of the wind in this bamboo forest has been voted as one of “one hundred must-be-preserved sounds of Japan” by the Japanese government. In Kyoto, we’ll visit the Nishijin Textile Center - known for weaving the superb Nishijin silk. Observe the process of silk being woven into brocade used for kimono sashes. A nice selection of silk related products are on display and available for purchase at this center. Time permitting, we may have an opportunity to enjoy an elegant kimono fashion show with beautiful young ladies modeling some of the most fashionable silk kimonos. Lunch will be provided for us at the Nishijin Kaikan. Nijo-jo is a flatland castle built as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa Shojun, Ieyasu. We’ll walk through Ninomaru Palace - located between the two main rings of fortifications consisting of five connected buildings. One of the features of the Ninomaru Palace are the ‘nightingale floors’ - floors in the corridors that squeak like birds as a safeguard against intruders. We’ll visit Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion, a magnificent golden structure sitting on a lake, providing a beautiful reflection in the calm waters. Enjoy a delicious dinner this evening at a local restaurant serving sukiyaki dishes.
Accommodations at KYOTO NEW MIYAKO HOTEL
Saturday, April 10 (Day 05)
KYOTO (B)(L)(D)
Nishiki Market - also known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen” - is a narrow shopping street lined with more than a hundred shops. Rich with history and tradition, the marketplace is renowned as the place to purchase many of Kyoto’s specialties. Adjacent to Nishiki Market is the Shin-Kyogoku Shopping Arcade - another popular shopping area to purchase souvenirs and authentic Kyoto merchandise. Enjoy more shopping at the Kyoto Handicraft Center - a shopping complex offering a nice selection of Japanese souvenirs, handicrafts, jewelry, toys, kimonos and more. Lunch will be provided for you at Amita Honten. Gion and Pontocho are Kyoto’s traditional nightlife districts where you might spot a geiko and maiko walking in the streets at night. In the evenings, the narrow streets offer a great atmosphere with many restaurants and traditional teahouses. This evening, we’ll visit Gion Corner - a unique theater presenting seven of Kyoto’s professional performing arts: kyogen classical comedy, kyomai dance, bunraku puppet performance, gagaku music of the imperial court, koto harp, a tea ceremony, and a flower arrangement demonstration. This evening’s dinner will be provided for us at a local restaurant serving yudofu dishes.
Accommodations at KYOTO NEW MIYAKO HOTEL or similar
Sunday, April 11 (Day 06)
KYOTO - OSAKA - TAKARAZUKA - ARIMA ONSEN (B)(L)(D)
Our journey continues on to the industrial city of Osaka for more sightseeing in the city. Enjoy a tour of this ‘Water Metropolis’ on the “Aqua-Liner” - a long flat boat. The one hour cruise on the river covers Osaka’s major sightseeing spots, including a view of Osaka Castle, the Osaka Business Park, and the Osaka Amenity Park. This afternoon we’ll stroll through the famous Dotonbori Street to enjoy our Naniwa udon for lunch. Dotonbori, a single street in the Namba ward of Osaka, is known for its many shops and restaurants with bright neon lights. We’ll drive to Takarazuka city in Hyogo prefecture to enjoy the Takarazuka Revue - a Japanese all-female musical performance. Women play both male and female roles in lavish Broadway-style productions. We’ll continue on to spend the night at Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s oldest hot springs in Kobe with beautiful natural surroundings behind Mount Rokko. Arima Onsen is known for two kinds of hot springs - kinsen (gold spring) which has yellow-brown water from iron and salt and the other is ginsen (silver spring) which is colorless and contains radium and carbonate. Enjoy dinner and relax in the soothing hot spring bath this evening.
Accommodations at ARIMA ONSEN GYOEN or similar
Monday, April 12 (Day 07)
ARIMA - OSAKA PIER - KANSAI - HONOLULU (B)
En route to the Kansai International Airport, we’ll drive to Osaka Pier to the visit the famous aquarium ‘Kaiyukan’ - one of the largest public aquariums in the world. This walk-through aquarium features several habitats in 16 tanks with displays of a variety of marine life including manta rays and a pair of whale sharks. Weather permitting, we’ll stroll through ‘torinuke’ - a pathway of cherry trees in bloom along the Yodo River at the Mint Bureau. We’ll continue on to the Kansai 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.