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Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing December 21st 2007
Study Component Schedule
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Study Length
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Arrival*
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Commence
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Holidays**
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End Studies
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10 weeks
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OCT/09-10
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OCT/11
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OCT/19, NOV/03, NOV/30
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DEC/20
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8 weeks
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OCT/23-24
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OCT/25
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NOV/03, NOV/30
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DEC/20
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6 weeks
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NOV/06-07
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NOV/08
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NOV/30
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DEC/20
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4 weeks
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NOV/20-21
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NOV/22
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NOV/30
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DEC/20
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2 weeks
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DEC/04-05
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DEC/06
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x
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DEC/20
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*Arrival - there is a Nagoya airport pickup on the days indicated.
**Public/Institute holidays affecting classes are listed here in full.
Proposed Schedule (this may change, please refer to notes below)
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Day
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Date
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Destination(s) - Click for info
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Depart+
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Return+
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Lunch+
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1
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DEC/21
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Our theme today is "monozukuri" - the art of making things. We begin with a visit to
Okutono Jinya and
drink tea in a old samurai barracks with a beautiful Japanese garden, before heading to one of the key reasons for Japan's
emergence as a modern economy. At Toyota Motor we walk through their superb
Kaikan, learning about the processes involved
before heading to a Toyota Motor Factory for
a birdseye view. On our return journey we visit historic
Hatcho Miso - one of the oldest and most
successful Japanese businesses in existence today.
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0800
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1730
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Yes
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2
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DEC/22
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Forests & Snowscapes: We begin an overnight trip into the remote mountainous region
leading to the southern alps. Our first stop is 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 are visiting this shrine every year as it is one of the three major
Japanese Inari gods.
From the Inari shrine we drive northwards up the Toyokawa valley then climb into the hills on our way to the 1300 year old
temple complex of Horaiji, with its wonderful views (fog permitting). At Horaiji we will also visit a well preserved
Toshogu shrine in a grove of majestic 350 year cedars.
Our next destination is very remote, a Senmaida, consisting of more than 1000
small rice fields in an painstakingly constructed terrace. From here we head even deeper into the mountains, visiting an old sake brewery enroute,
before slipping into Nagano prefecture via the Niino pass as we head towards beautiful Tenryu Gorge. Weather conditions permitting, we'll
get into a flat bottomed river boat and shoot the rapids. From Tenryu, we make our way to Komagane, to enjoy hot onsen spring baths,
country cooking & hospitality, and a visit to the local boutique beer brewery. (Please bring your passport or ARC with you for accommodation check in).
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0730
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N/A
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No
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3
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DEC/23
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Forests & Snowscapes After breakfast, we will take a bus into the national park to a ropeway,
(the 2nd longest in the world) taking us from 1662 meters above sea level to 2612 meters (5450 to 8568 feet) where we enter
the pristine environment of the Senjojiki cirque, a glacial caldera high in the alps. Its very cold, so wear warm clothing.
If the weather holds, we may be able to see the cone of Mount Fuji.
Descending from the caldera, we make a brief visit to historic Kozen-ji temple which has beautiful architecture. After lunch we will make a short
visit to the Mars whisky distillery, then drive to the old post town of Tsumago. This old town was bypassed when the railroad was built in the
Meiji Period and as a result is almost perfectly preserved, with no overhead electric cables etc blighting the landscape. We will be able to
enter the Honjin and a superb museum. The small village is also a perfect place to pick up some souvenirs.
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N/A
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1830
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No
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4
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DEC/24
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Today we head into Nagoya experiencing the morning rush hour.
The plan today is experience trains, including the shinkansen, a crowded commuter train, and
the chikatetsu. You will have the opportunity to learn how to use the machines to buy tickets
(with the exception of the shinkansen), including fare adjustment, read timetables, and get some
close up photos of a Nozomi or two.
Our first stop is the superb
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology.
This wonderful museum showcases the textile industry inventions of Japan's rapid industrial
revolution, particularly those made by the "king of inventors" Toyoda Sakichi and his nephew Toyoda Kiichiro - the founder
of Toyota Motor Corporation. From TCMIT we head across town
to the wonderful Tokugawa Art Musuem, with its superb collection of Japanese art.
Our last stop is another factory, the always enjoyable Asahi Beer,
and enjoy a little extra Christmas cheer with some free beer tasting.
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0800
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1830
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Yes
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5
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DEC/25
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On our last day the group can choose between spending the day skiing/ snowboarding at Dynaland in Gifu (weather & snowfield
conditions permitting) or Nara. If skiing is the option, the tour fee will include equipment rental and day pass, and we would need to depart at 6:30am.
If Nara is preferred,
we head to the ancient capital visiting
Kofukuji, and walking through
Nara Koen with its sacred deer to Kasuga Taisha. From here we head across to Nigatsudo and the world heritage listed 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.
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0745
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1930
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No
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+Departure from/Return to Okazaki times given using 24 hour clock (ie 0800 = 8am, 1830 = 6.30pm)
+Lunch - No/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.
Departure point is either your student accommodation, or in the case of students doing Homestays or living off campus, from
Aoi Hall.
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 total program fee if payment is completed more than ten weeks before program commencement. This
discount is refunded to participants after they arrive at Yamasa.
Notes:
In the week before a tour commences, an informal briefing will be held for the participants, usually on the Monday preceding the
tour start date. If the number of students
participating is 6 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
