| Discovery Index | Search
|
Day
|
Date
|
Destination(s)/Notes
|
Depart+
|
Return+
|
Lunch+
|
|
1
|
April 18th
|
Day trip: We start the discovery tour driving deep into the forests of the Oku-Mikawa.
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.
|
0815
|
1800
|
No
|
|
2
|
April 19th
|
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.
|
0730
|
1930
|
No
|
|
3
|
April 20th
|
Day trip: Today we explore the Higashiyama hills of
Kyoto. We start with a visit to the
Canal Museum, which documents the canals that
brought water from
Lake Biwa to
Kyoto in the early
Meiji period, enabling power generation and the remergence of the city. From here we enter
Nanzenji, the most important Zen temple in Japan,
hiking up to a small waterfall and grotto. Although we are inside the city of
Kyoto and a metropolitan area stretching all
the way to Osaka, we can now walk through a quiet
forest to the beginning of the
Tetsugaku-no-michi (The Path of Philosophy).
The path of philosophy is beautiful at most times of year, but particularly in the Spring and Fall.
At the end of the path we reach Ginkakuji.
Built by Shogun Ashikaga
Yoshimasa (1436-1490), Ginkakuji has a stunningly
beautiful garden and views across Kyoto.
There will be some time to hunt for souvenirs in the street lined with shops and vendors below the temple. After
Ginkakuji we walk 20 minutes west to
Yoshida-yama, enjoying the views of Kyoto over Kyoto University,
before descending via the hillside
Yoshida-jinja.
Later in the afternoon will have some free time to enjoy the shopping area of Kawaramachi and the arcades, explore the entertainment
area of Gion to see if we can spot any geisha near the
Ichiriki Ochaya, and visit
Yasaka Jinja ("Gion-san").
|
0700
|
2100
|
No
|
|
4
|
April 21st
|
Day trip: Early today we head to
Toyota Motor Company,
to examine the processes and structures that have created the world's largest automobile manufacturer.
We walk through their superb Kaikan before heading off on a factory tour, where we can see the industrial
robots and workers in action in the welding and assembly plants. Lunch is included today.
On our return journey we visit Daijuji temple - the ancestral temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Matsudaira clan, with
its unique pagoda, artworks and other national treasures.
We then resume our study of Japanese industry, but this time instead of complex, high speed mass production, we visit
historic Hatcho Miso - one of the
oldest and most successful Japanese businesses in existence today.
|
0830
|
1830
|
Yes
|
|
5
|
April 22nd
|
Day trip:Today we look at some of Japan's traditional industries, concentrating on handcrafts. Our first stop is
Tokoname, one of the most important kiln towns in Japan.
We visit the preserved house of an Edo period shipping merchant, and will also walk along the pottery path, and have plenty of time for souvenir hunting. Just as ceramics long played (and continue to) a vitally important role in daily life, so does our next destination. At
Kunizakari Sake we enter a 300 year old sake brewery. We learn all about both the traditional and modern methods of making fine sake, and spend a fair bit of time at the business end, sampling the product.
Suitably lubricated, our next destinations is the famous
Yoshihama Ningyou.
Again the work of master craftsmen, this museum is perhaps the best doll museum in the world and
needs to be seen to be believed. Apart from learning about dolls, it also presents a good opportunity
to learn about Japan and its history. Our final destination is 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.
|
0820
|
1930
|
Yes
|
+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.
|
|
|
C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S
