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Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing January 23rd 2009
Study Component Schedule
(Please note that group classes
are not held between Dec. 26th and Jan. 8th during the Winter session)
|
Study Length
|
Arrival*
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Commence
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Holidays**
|
End Studies
|
|
8 weeks
|
NOV/11-12
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NOV/13
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DEC/26-JAN/08
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JAN/22
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6 weeks
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NOV/25-26
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NOV/27
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DEC/26-JAN/08
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JAN/22
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4 weeks
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DEC/09-10
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DEC/11
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DEC/26-JAN/08
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JAN/22
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2 weeks
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JAN/06-07
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JAN/08
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x
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JAN/22
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*Arrival - there is an airport transfer available on arrival for the study component.
**Public/Institute holidays affecting classes are listed here in full.
Proposed Tour Schedule (this may change, please refer to notes below)
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Day
|
Date
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Destination(s)/Notes
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Depart+
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Return+
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Lunch+
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1
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January 23rd
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Early today we head to historic Daijuji - the
ancestral temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Matsudaira clan, with its unique pagoda and artworks,
before heading to one of the key reasons for Japan's emergence as a modern economy. At Toyota Motor we walk through their
superb exhibition hall,
learning about the processes involved before heading to a
Toyota Motor Factory
for a birdseye view.
On our return journey we visit Okutono Jinya and drink
tea in a old samurai barracks with a beautiful Japanese garden, In the afternoon we head
through the Japan alps and make our way to
Nagano.
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0820
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N/A
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Yes
|
|
2
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January 24th
|
In Nagano City our
first destination is the famous Zenkouji, one of the
major pilgrimage centers in Japan and home to the "Key to Paradise".
From Nagano City we'll head to
Jigokudani Onsen and fascinating
Yudanaka Snow Monkeys - enjoying
the walk through the snowy forest on the way. From here he head to the former castletown of
Matsushiro. We enter a shrine, and then the
incredible underground
WWII Imperial Headquarters carved out of the rocks
beneath the mountains by forced labour (primarily Koreans who endured severe hardships) during the 10 months leading up
to Japan's unconditional surrender in August 1945. We still do not know how many people died digging the headquarters,
and during the long walk through the underground tunnels its hard to come to grips with how many more lives would have
been lost had the war continued. Near the exit from the tunnels we visit an old Zen temple, which has the only known
graves (4) of the forced laborers.
Leaving Matsushiro, we head to
Matsumoto, an old but prosperous town centered on
Matsumoto Castle - one of the few castles in
Japan designated a national treasure. If time permits (the amount of snow determines how quickly we can move by road), we will
be able to enjoy an outdoor soak at Asama Onsen. We will have dinner in Matsumoto, and go for a walk afterwards to see the
illuminated castle at night. If the climate is kind this year, we will also see the ice sculptures carved during Matsumoto's annual "Castle
Ice Festival". Matsumoto is a university town, so there are quite a number of bars and restaurants for those who wish to
enjoy some Japanese nightlife.
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N/A
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N/A
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No
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3
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January 25th
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We begin the day with a visit to Matsumoto Castle and the accompanying museum to get an overview of the history
and culture of this alpine region. In addition to the castle we'll visit the
Japan Ukiyoe Museum. We then leave Matsumoto to
head into the alps to Hirayu Onsen and the frozen waterfall of Hirayu Otaki. This is in a very remote and snowy part of the
mountains, and near the waterfall we can enjoy an "Ashiyu". If the snow is very heavy and time permits, we can take in an outdoor
"rotemburo" onsen bath and a thatched roof farmhouse. We then descend into the city of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture
on the other side of the alps. We begin with a visit to the Takayama Jinya,
the military barracks where the town was governed from during the period of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This is the best
preserved example in Japan of an Edo Period Jinya, from which officials of the shogunate directly managed the rich
mining and forestry resources of this region. The torture chamber remains exactly the same as it was when the Jinya
was surrendered to the new Meiji Government in 1868. Takayama is popularly known as "Little Kyoto". Part of the reason
is that most of the old streetscapes of Kyoto are now concrete and plastic, and the other part of the reason is that
Kyoto's historic buildings tend to resemble those of Takayama. This is because much of Kyoto was built by carpenters
from this region, using their labor as an alternative to paying taxes with rice. Before we return to Okazaki, we
will make a quick visit to the historic Kokubunji temple.
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N/A
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2130
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No
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|
4
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January 26th
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Day trip:
Today is more relaxed recovery day. We make our way to Tokoname, one of the most famous pottery
districts in Japan, and after visiting the preserved home of an interesting Edo Period shipping
industry family, make our way to the Watanabe workshop. Here we will have the opportunity to make
ceramics with a master potter, practising our Japanese as we do so. Yamasa will then airfreight
the complete ceramic masterpiece(?) to you after it is fired in the kilns a few weeks later. After a very leisurely lunch,
we visit an old sake brewery to learn all about how to make sake (and then have a few samples) at Kunizakari,
and then head to the fantastic (but also somewhat bizarre) park in Anjo called Denpark. Apart from enjoying the
extensive gardens and the microbrewery, visiting a place such as Denpark gives a useful insight into how Japanese
people perceive the mysterious gaikoku.
|
0815
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1800
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Yes
|
|
5
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January 27th
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Day trip. We head to the ancient capital of
Nara, visiting the "NaraKan" explaining in detail many
aspects of the World Heritage sites in the area. Our first stop is historic
Kofukuji, before walking through
Nara Koen with its sacred deer to
the ancient shrine of Kasuga Taisha.
From here we head across to Nigatsudo and
the wonderful Todaiji, the largest wooden
structure in the world and home to Nara's famous daibutsu. If the weather is wet we'll visit the
Isuien Garden & the Neiraku Museum.
If it is dry we'll drive to the top of
Wakasayama which gives us a fantastic view of the
Yamato plain stretching from the outskirts of
Osaka northwards to the southern outskirts of
Kyoto, before returning via the scenic drive through the
World Heritage listed primaeval forest of Kasuga
Taisha.
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0730
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1930
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No
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6
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January 28th
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Day trip: Today we first head to Shiga Prefecture where our first destination is Taga Taisha. This
important Taisha enshrines the parent gods of Amaterasu. Its usually a bit difficult to get to without a vehicle.
Apart from gods, its also a nice (though cold) walk, breaking the journey before
we cross the waters of Lake Biwa and head up to the mountain monastery complex of Hiei-zan and Enryakuji. Through the
centuries, the Japanese have considered this monastery to be one of the spiritual centers of their culture. From Hiei-zan
we descend into the valley, visiting the famous Ginkakuji temple before making our way to the heart of Kyoto's modern city.
We will have some free time to enjoy the shopping area of Kawaramachi and the arcades, visit the Gion district to have a look
for geisha and at the Ichiriki Ochaya, and visit the Yasaka Jinja.
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0730
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2130
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No
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7
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January 29th
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Day trip: Nagoya. Today we will spend a bit more time indoors.
Our first stop is the Tokugawa Art Museum - Home to many of the family heirlooms of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family.
The Owari family ruled their fief from the ultra
strategic Nagoya Castle right throughout the Edo period (1603-1868). There are so many pieces of art that only a fraction
can be shown at the same time; as a result the collection is constantly changing as exhibits are rotated. Although Nagoya was
heavily bombed during WWII due to its importance as an aircraft manufacturing center, the museum and its collection
survived. Some of the most fascinating objects are those inherited directly from Ieyasu himself. In addition to the
ceramics, sculpture, lacquerware etc, the family also managed to preserve items such as most of the existing sections
of the Illustrated Tale of Genji. (12th century). All in all, it is one very impressive art collection. We will also visit the extensive garden.
After a leisurely lunch, we are off to the massive Asahi Brewery.
One of the largest breweries open for tours, the Asahi Brewing company keeps millions of beer drinkers happy throughout
central Japan. The objective of the tour is to find out why. We observe the beer making process, watch the workers
coordinate the production and distribution and then taste the results. If you are very curious, we recommend that
you conduct a thorough investigation of the taste of each Asahi beer.
Our last stop is Atsuta Jingu. This shrine receives some 9 million people a year, and is immensely popular with the people
of Nagoya. It is as old as the country of Japan itself - according to the Kojiki, Atsuta shrine was founded in the 2nd
century. It was established as a sanctuary consecrated to a sword called Kusanagi-no-tsurugi. This sword is one of the
three imperial regalia (a mirror and a set of jewels are housed elsewhere) of the Japanese royal family. According to
mythology the sword was handed down to the imperial family by the goddess Amaterasu-Omikami. The precinct of Atsuta shrine
has a total area of about 200,000 square meters (about 45 acres) and is fairly quiet due to the dense forests surrounding
the shrine. Many of the valuable camphor trees are more than 1,000 years old.
|
0845
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1730
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Yes
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8
|
January 30th
|
2 night trip:
Today we drive deep into the forested valleys of the Oku-Mikawa area.
Our first destination is very remote, a
Senmaida, consisting of more than
1000 small rice fields in an painstakingly constructed terrace. We will then hike through verdant forests to Horaiji, a 1300 year old temple that also
has a brilliantly preserved Toshogu shrine in a grove of 350 year old cedar trees towering above us.
From Horai we will visit the Nagashino battlefield & its museum, learning about the famous battle that occurred here in 1575, before heading down the valley to the
the mysterious Toyokawa Inari shrine, dedicated to a fox-riding god called Toyokawa Dakinishinten. The legend of
Dakinishinten dates from the 15th century, and was believed by samurai warriors such as Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa
Ieyasu. Millions of people visiting this shrine every year as it is one of the three major Japanese Inari gods.
From here we fast forward as we head past Mount Fuji on our way to
Tokyo.
|
0900
Please bring passport with you for accommodation check-in
|
N/A
|
Yes
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|
9
|
January 31st
|
We start with a visit to
the observation towers of Tokyo's ultra-modern Metropolitan Government Building to get a bird's eye view of the city - on
clear days we can see Mount Fuji. We then head across town to visit the sometimes controversial
Yasukuni Jinja,
before making our way to the Imperial Palace
where we can visit several famous historic sites, the walls of the once impregnable Edo Castle, and the east gardens.
From here we move to the Ginza area, with some free time to explore the shopping district, Sony Building, New Design
Paradise, the Apple Store etc. From Ginza our next
stop is the historic Hamarikyuu Gardens, before
taking a cruise up the Sumida river to Asakusa, exploring Sensoji temple
and the lively shopping precinct. A pretty full day basically.
|
N/A
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N/A
|
No
|
|
10
|
February 1st
|
After breakfast we are off to
Ueno-koen, an oasis of greenery in
the concrete jungle, that also has several interesting sites to visit such as the Toshogu, Benten shrine and the
Shitamachi Museum.
We then have some free time for shopping and people watching in Ameyoko Arcade, before heading over to the electronics
district of Akihabara (also includes free time for
shopping) to see the amazing array of gadgets and bargains on offer.
Our afternoon will involve a visit to the Meiji
Jingu and the popular youth and shopping areas of Omotesando and
Harajuku.
We return to Okazaki in the evening.
|
N/A
|
2100
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No
|
+Departure from/Return to Okazaki times given using 24 hour clock (ie 0800 = 8am, 1830 = 6.30pm)
+Lunch - Yes/No indicates whether lunch is included or not.
Return = N/A means an overnight stay, usually in a ryokan or minshuku, where evening meal/breakfast is always included.
Discounts: As this is an off-season tour (the usual number of participants is 5 or less), it is possible to obtain
a discount of 5000 yen off the program fee (in addition to the accommodation discounts offered through the "early bird" pass) if payment is completed more than ten weeks before program commencement.
Notes:
In the week before a tour commences, a briefing will be held for the participants. If the number of students
participating is 9 students or less (which is usually the case in the off season), then the actual destinations, or the
order in which they are visited, can often be altered to reflect the specific interests of the group members.
Please also note that the schedule may need to be changed in the event of inclement weather/typhoons etc, or the unforeseen closure
of any given destination. Appropriate alternative destinations are chosen only after consultation with you.
To help ensure that students can budget for expenses accurately, Institute staff will either purchase food (usually
bento and drinks) for you to eat or find a reasonably priced restaurant (maximum cost 1000 yen - with Yamasa paying for the
remainder of your food bill) if due to traffic/weather conditions we are delayed by more than one hour on the days we
return to Okazaki accommodation.
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C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S
