| Discovery Index | Search
Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing February 6th 2009
Study Component Schedule
(Please note this tour, and/or the study component, can be commenced in Sapporo)
(Please note Okazaki group classes are not held between Dec. 26th and Jan. 8th during the Winter session)
|
Study Length
|
Arrival*
|
Commence
|
Holidays**
|
End Studies
|
|
8 weeks
|
NOV/25-26
|
NOV/27
|
DEC/26-JAN/08
|
FEB/05
|
|
6 weeks
|
DEC/09-10
|
DEC/11
|
DEC/26-JAN/08
|
FEB/05
|
|
4 weeks
|
JAN/06-07
|
JAN/08
|
x
|
FEB/05
|
|
2 weeks
|
JAN/20-21
|
JAN/22
|
x
|
FEB/05
|
*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)
|
Day
|
Date
|
Destination(s)/Notes
|
Depart+
|
Return+
|
Lunch+
|
|
1
|
February 6th
|
4 night trip: We leave Okazaki and head to the airport, where we take a domestic flight to
Sapporo City in
Hokkaido. Please bring your passport or alien registration card as photo ID, and plenty of warm clothing.
When we arrive at Shin-Chitose airport, we'll take a train into the city and check into our accommodations. We then meet the
members of the tour party from the
HCJS.
We begin the tour by exploring the
Odori Koen site of the
Sapporo Snow Festival. This vast
central park contains most of the massive sculptures on display during the snow festival, and is the site of the
International Snow Statue Competition.
While in the area we also have the opportunity to visit the
Sapporo Clock Tower, and obtain an overview of the city from the
Sapporo TV Tower. Dinner tonight is an all you can eat, all you can drink marathon inside the "Genghis Khan" hall of the
Sapporo Beer Garden (relax, its indoors). After we stagger out, those who wish to enjoy the ice slides and
kamakura (snow houses) can have some fun. We then head to
Susukino, the main nightlife district of
Sapporo City, and
the 3rd site of the festival. In
Susukino instead of snow, the artists work with ice, and the sound of the chainsaws is part of the
fun of the Susukino Ice Carving event. We should finish this evening around 9pm. Those who wish to stay out and experience
the nightlife, or grab an (additional) bite to eat in places such as
Sapporo
Ramen Yokocho etc are welcome to do so.
|
0730
|
N/A
|
No
|
|
2
|
February 7th
|
After breakfast we head to the "Satorando" site of the
Sapporo Snow Festival. This site
replaced the popular
Makomanai site in 2006,
when it was decided to cease using the military base as a festival venue. Satorando is community run and includes not only
massive sculptures, but also giant slides, a snow maze, an ice bar and many other attractions. From Satorando our next
destination is across town as we make our way to the
Okurayama Ski Jump. This
facility was built for the 1972 Winter Olympics, and from the
top of the ski jump
you can enjoy a panoramic view of
Sapporo City. There are often athletes
in training, so you can see ski jumping as well (we use the same chairlift as competitors). At the base of the hill is the
Winter Sports Museum, a very enjoyable
and "hands on" museum where you can experience many winter sports including cross country skiing, the bobsled, biathlon and try your reflexes as an ice hockey goalkeeper.
We next head to the
Ishiya Chocolate factory and bakery, the makers of
"shiroi koibito", perhaps the most famous chocolate confectionary in
Hokkaido, before heading to
Otaru. It will be nightfall by the time
we reach Otaru, however the famous Otaru canal section is illuminated in the evenings and the shops and restaurants are open.
Tonight we will be enjoying a seafood banquet (there are alternatives available for those with dietary requirements) in the
Otaru Beer brewery.
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
No
|
|
3
|
February 8th
|
This is our final day in
Sapporo City, so after breakfast there
will be some free time in the morning.
The Sapporo Snow Festival is
still in full swing, so those who wish to return to
Odori Koen for additional photos etc will have time
to do so. Those who wish to do some shopping can visit the "Sapporo Factory" shopping complex near the TV tower.
We depart Sapporo City around 2pm for
Noboribetsu, the most famous hot spring resort in Hokkaido, and "Hell Valley", where we will have the chance to see
Hokkaido Brown Bears. Our accommodation tonight is in
the Lake Toyako area.
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
No
|
|
4
|
February 9th
|
We begin the day with a visit to Lake Toyako, a famous lake that never freezes due to thermal vents and an active volcano.
We will visit (conditions permitting) the active volcano "Showa Shinzan", a new mountain that emerged from a wheat field about 60 years ago,
before making our way along the coast to historic
Hakodate city. In the evening we will take the ropeway (a large cable car) up to the summit of
Mount Hakodate, to enjoy the spectacular views over the city and harbor. This view is one of the main attractions of Hakodate and
is famous through Japan. After dinner we will explore the historic Motomachi district and the illuminated waterfront areas
around the beautifully restored Kanemori buildings, before returning to the hotel.
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
No
|
|
5
|
February 10th
|
Our first stop today is the Hakodate's Asaichi, a morning market.
(It opens around 5am, though the pre-breakfast visit is optional). From the Asaichi we make our way by streetcar to
the Goryokaku fortress & museum. This star shaped fort was the site of the final battle between the remnants of
forces loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate and the imperial army, during the civil war accompanying the Meiji Restoration in 1868-69.
Unfortunately it was not the last civil war in Japan. We will then visit the Motomachi District,
We then return to Hakodate station around 1800. This completes the Hokkaido section of the Discovery tour. Those
leaving the tour here have the option of returning to Sapporo by train, or staying an additional night in Hakodate.
Bookings can be arranged if required.
In the evening those continuing the tour will fly together with guide to Nagoya, and transfer to Okazaki accommodations.
Dinner is included.
|
N/A
|
1800
|
No
|
|
6
|
February 11th
|
Today is a relaxed day, without the walking and the cold of the previous five days.
We begin with a visit 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 of sophisticated assembly lines and the automated robot lines in the welding plant. We will also enjoy
lunch here.
On our return journey we visit Okutono Jinya and
drink tea in a old samurai barracks with a beautiful Japanese garden. Next we head to historic
Daijuji - the
ancestral temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Matsudaira clan, with its unique pagoda and artworks.
|
0915
|
1630
|
Yes
|
|
7
|
February 12th
|
We drive into Gifu prefecture for a full day of skiing and snowboarding
(or for the less energetic, playing in the snow) at the large but
uncrowded snow resort of "Dynaland" (website /
profile) in the Hirugano highlands.
The tour fee includes an optional lesson, all-areas lift pass, as well as equipment rental (ie boots, snowboards, skis,
stocks/poles). Clothing rental is not included, so if you need assistance with cold weather wear please consult with the
Admissions Office in advance, especially if you may require large sizes.
|
0700
|
2030
|
No
|
|
8
|
February 13th
|
Our first destination today is the Toyokawa Inari, one of the 3 largest Inari shrines in Japan and 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. There are a few surprises in store, so bring your camera.
From Toyokawa we head north into the Toyokawa valley on our way to
Horaiji temple, a remote mountain top monastery established 1300 years ago. The temple has some interesting architecture, and
(weather permitting) brilliant views. The warriors Takeda Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu also had associations with the temple, and a Toshogu
shrine was dedicated to Ieyasu in the mid-17th century. This Toshogu is one of the best in Japan, and is surrounded by a grove of
enormous cedar trees, most of which were planted at the time of the construction of the shrine. The 400km (250 mile) Tokaido hiking route
traverses the shrine grounds, and from a nearby vantage point you can see down into the shrine to get a good overview of its layout.
From Horaiji we head to a even more remote area, where we can walk through an enormous senmaida complex, one of the few remaining
senmaida being fully utilized for wet rice production.
From the Senmaida we head to Yuya Onsen for a hot outdoor bath, and a quick visit (weather conditions permitting) to the beautiful
Adera-no-nana-taki waterfalls.
|
0900
Please bring passport with you for accommodation check-in
|
1730
|
Yes
|
|
9
|
February 14th
|
Today we drive into Gifu Prefecture, stopping at Kawashima Aqua to visit the large new freshwater fish aquarium & its gardens. This multistoried aquarium is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and includes not only fish but other denizens of the Nagara River valley habitat. We then head to Gujo Hachiman. This small town is mostly famous for its "iron" Obon dances during the summer, but equally interesting for its heritage value. Its extremely cool. The late English born writer Alan Booth, a long term resident of Japan, appropriately described Gujo Hachiman in his book "Looking for the Lost" as as being "like an Edo-era stage set", and the kind of town foreigners dreamed about - albeit one where you half expected a Japanese film director to leap out and scream "Lights! Camera! Sutaaaaato!" You can be the judge...... We will visit the mountaintop castle, and then walk through the narrow streets and laneways looking at some fine temples, shrines and shops. Gujo is a town famous for its folk dancing, but also for an unusual craft. Many restaurants in Japan have (inedible) food displays in their front windows to attract customers, and Gujo is one of the main producers of these "food" samples. One of the shops we will visit is a workshop (sampuru koubou) that produces and sells the plastic food models that you often see outside restaurants throughout Japan. Made primarily from wax, plastic etc, we will have the opportunity to make our own food samples - its a very unusual souvenir. Before we begin our return journey, we will make a visit to the Otaki Shonyudo Cave complex. Apart from the interesting cave formations, this is the site of an unusual and fascinating destination - the highest underground waterfall in Japan.
|
0800
|
1900
|
No
|
|
10
|
February 15th
|
World Heritage in Kyoto
Today we explore several World Heritage sites in commencing with a visit to Kiyomizudera, before we head across town to Kinkaku-ji (the "golden pavilion") and nearby Ryoanji, with its superstar rock garden. We will then head to Nijo Castle with its exquisite artworks, nightingale floors and historic sites. Late in the afternoon we will visit the temple of Hongan-ji, which has many important cultural properties representative of the Momoyama culture including its Goeido and Amidado, the oldest Noh stage in Japan and an incredibly beautiful garden. There will be some time to hunt for souvenirs in Kawaramachi, and the opportunity to spend some of the evening in of Gion, seeing if we can spot any geiko near the Ichiriki Ochaya, and visiting Yasaka Jinja.
We return to Okazaki in the evening.
|
0800
|
2130
|
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.
|
|
|
C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S
