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Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing May 29th 2009
Study Component Schedule
|
Study Length
|
Arrival*
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Commence
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Holidays**
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End Studies
|
|
10 weeks
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MAR/17-18
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MAR/19
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APR/10, MAY/03-05
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MAY/28
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8 weeks
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MAR/31-APR/01
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APR/02
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APR/10, MAY/03-05
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MAY/28
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6 weeks
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APR/14-15
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APR/16
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MAY/03-05
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MAY/28
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4 weeks
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APR/28-29
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APR/30
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MAY/03-05
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MAY/28
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2 weeks
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MAY/12-13
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MAY/14
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X
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MAY/28
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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
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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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May 29th
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Day trip: We start with a visit to Okutono Jinya and drink tea in a 300 year old samurai barracks,
and stroll through the moss garden, before heading to one of the key reasons for Japan's emergence as a modern economy.
At Toyota Motor Corporation we walk through their superb
Kaikan, learning about the processes involved
before heading to a Toyota Motor Factory for
a birdseye view of thousands of robots and an exceptionally sophisticated production system. On our return journey we visit historic Daijuji -
the ancestral temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Matsudaira
clan, with its unique pagoda and artworks. Our next destination is another
center of excellence, however instead of the 21st century technologies of
Toyota, the methods used by
Hatcho Miso are ancient and the product
unchanging throughout the centuries.
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0900
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1730
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Yes
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2
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May 30th
|
Overnight trip. Today we head to the Grand Shrines of Ise, the most important Shinto site in
Japan. We begin however with a bit of a detour, heading to the Pacific Ocean and the long surf beaches of the Atsumi Peninsula,
on our way to Cape Irago. We will then board an ocean going ferry and cruise across to the old port of Toba. In Toba we
will visit Mikimoto island, a showpiece of Japanese creativity, where the world's first cultured pearls were coaxed from
the sea.
We can also watch female Ama divers working the seabed (without breathing apparatus) and enjoy a superb museum. From Toba
we take a scenic drive through the national park to the inner shrine (naiku). Rebuilt every 20 years, the Grand Shrines are
associated with the imperial family (the bronze mirror is said to be enshrined here), and are visited by millions of pilgrims
each year. We will also have some free time in Okage Yokocho, with its Edo period architecture and souvenir shops. Our accommodation
this evening will be ryokan style.
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0730
Please bring passport with you for accommodation check-in
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N/A
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No
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3
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May 31st
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We begin with some hiking as we visit the Akame shiju-hattaki waterfalls. There are some 50 waterfalls
in the beautiful valley, as the term "shiju-hattaki" (48) really means "many". From here we go to Iga-Ueno and visit the castle (which has
the highest stone walls in Japan) and Ninja house & museum. A former ninja house was relocated to the castle grounds (originally it
was to be demolished), and with its secret passageways, trapdoors and tricks it gives some idea of how ninja in this area (Iga was
one of the two major schools for ninjutsu) lived. There is also an interesting museum and show. As a former castletown
(Joukamachi), Iga-Ueno also has a good "teramachi" with many fascinating small temples, good souvenir shopping,
and a number of memorials to the poet Basho, the town's most famous son. In the evening we will return to Okazaki via the
massive bridges of the Ise wangan project, over the vast ports of Yokkaichi & Nagoya - the Chubu ports facilitate nearly half of
Japan's seaborne trade.
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N/A
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1930
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No
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4
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June 1st
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Day trip:
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.
On our return journey, weather and time permitting, we will make a quick visit to Showa Mura, a new theme park aimed
at preserving aspects of life in Japan during the Showa Period (1926-1989), including not only the great depression and
subsequent war, and "economic miracle", but detailed displays of how ordinary people live, worked and played.
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0800
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1900
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No
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5
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June 2nd
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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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June 3rd
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Overnight trip:
We drive to Sekigahara, visiting the battlefield where Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated Ishida Mitsunari in 1600 to begin the Edo Period.
From Sekigahara we visit Hikone, visiting the beautiful Genkyuen gardens before entering Hikone Castle, one of only 4 castles in
Japan protected as National Treasures. From here we cross Lake Biwa and make our way to the Enryakuji temple on the peak of Mount
Hiei. One of the most important sites in Japanese Buddhism, this large monastic community provides training for priests, has
interesting architecture and a long history. In good weather, you have an excellent view of Kyoto from the peak.
Late in the afternoon we descend from Hiei into the popular Kawaramachi shopping district, where we will have some free
time before checking into our ryokan in Gion.
After enjoying some Kyoto cuisine, we will visit the Yasaka Jinja shrine, and do a bit of geiko/maiko spotting near the
Ichiriki Ochaya, the most famous teahouse in Kyoto.
|
0730
Please bring passport with you for accommodation check-in
|
N/A
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No
|
|
7
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June 4th
|
In the morning we explore the Higashiyama hills. We start at Nanzenji temple, the most important Zen temple in Japan. From here we hike up to a small
waterfall, before heading through the forest past the small Christian cemetery where Niijima Jo (an ex-samurai who
stowed away on an American ship in 1864, and later founded Doshisha University) and his followers are buried. We emerge from the
forest onto the Path of Philosophy, and will follow this along the canal until we reach Ginkakuji temple.
If the afternoon we will visit Nijo Castle and the Ninomaru palace, built to house and
protect the shogun whenever he visited Kyoto. Famous for its paintings, squeaky "nightingale
floors" and security, this is one of the largest original palaces remaining in Japan. If time permits, we will also visit Nijo Jinya.
We return to Okazaki in the evening.
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N/A
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2000
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No
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8
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June 5th
|
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 visit this shrine every year as it is one of the three major Japanese Inari.
|
0815
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1800
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No
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9
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June 6th
|
Overnight trip. Today we drive deep into the mountains. We visit Magome and Tsumago, two small
villages on the old Nakasendo highway that linked Edo with Kyoto, before heading deep into Nagano. We will spend the rest of
the day and evening in Matsumoto, an old but prosperous town centered on Matsumoto Castle - one of the few castles in Japan designated a
national treasure. In addition to the castle we'll visit the magnificent Japan Ukiyoe Museum, which houses the Sakai
Collection of ukiyoe works before enjoying the hot spring waters of Asama Onsen. Matsumoto is a university town and has plenty of
bars and restaurants. Dinner tonight will probably be in an izakaya, with free time afterwards to explore the town.
|
0730
Please bring passport with you for accommodation check-in
|
N/A
|
No
|
|
10
|
June 7th
|
After breakfast we will leave Matsumoto and drive into the alps, taking a break at Hirayu
Onsen to enjoy a hot soak, and have a look at the waterfalls and thatched houses. We will then descend into the city of Takayama 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. We spend the rest
of the day in the old streets, visiting a sake brewery, the kokubunji temple, and other old temples in the area, and if
time permits, the thatched houses.
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N/A
|
1930
|
No
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+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
