Study Component Schedule

 *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	August 7th	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.	0900	1730	Yes
2	August 8th	Overnight trip: Meotoiwa Goza Beach We head to the famous wedded rocks of Futamigaura, prior to visiting the Ise Grand Shrines, the most important shrines in Japan. From here we sample the delights of Okage Yokosho, an old style neighbourhood where pilgrims would let their hair down so to speak (class distinctions were usually ignored amongst pilgrims, offering men and women of different social class all sorts of possibilities). Many of the shops are centuries old, and we will enjoy a lunch like no other (its a secret for now though!). We next drive through the vast estate of the Ise Shrines and through remote country to Ago Bay and the wonderful Goza Beach which is our destination for tonight. Its a great beach, so building candle lit sandcastles and fireworks on the beach in the evening, but not until after the seafood Banquet. This meal will be one of the best you'll ever experience in Japan.	0730	N/A	No
3	August 9th	Akabane Surf Goza Beach is too good to ignore, so we'll go back for a stroll and/or swim. The beach is uncrowded even on weekends, so on a weekday like this there is acres of sand to enjoy. We then set off along the scenic Pearl Road until we reach Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba. One of the showpieces of Japanese inventiveness, at Mikimoto we also watch female Ama divers working the seabed (without breathing apparatus) and enjoy a superb museum. From Toba we take a bit of a cruise, across the vast Ise Bay to the tip of the Cape Irago in Aichi. The Atsumi peninsula is one of the most difficult places in Aichi to travel to, but it also has as a result, wonderful uncrowded surf beaches such as Akabane Beach.	N/A	2030	No
4	August 10th	Day trip: Today we head to Kyoto, visiting world heritage sites in the former capital. We begin the day with a visit to Kinkaku-ji (the golden pavilion) and beautiful Ryoanji with its cultural superstar rock garden. After lunch we will visit Nijo Castle, the fortified camp built in the heart of Kyoto city to protect the Shogun's interests. This castle contains the Ninomaru palace, an original structure famous for its artworks and security devices such as the "nightingale floors". We finish the day with a visit to Yasaka Jinja and the Gion district, the entertainment heart of Kyoto and where most of the tea houses (such as Ichiriki Ochaya) that are famous for geiko (geisha) are located. There will also be some free time for shopping.	0730	2130	Yes
5	August 11th	Day trip: We drive 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. Weather conditions permitting, we will also make a visit to the beautiful Adera-no-nana-taki waterfalls. 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.	0900	1730	Yes
6	August 12th	2 night trip. We will spend these 3 days exploring Japan's capital, visiting both the historic sites of Edo and the modern sights of the new city. Please bring your passport or ARC for hotel registration. Our accommodation is single room in a hotel. We will make a brief stop at Hamanako, a large saltwater lake in Shizuoka, and then head past Mount Fuji arriving in Tokyo in the early afternoon. We will spend the afternoon in the modern Shibuya and Harajuku areas, with dinner in Harajuku.	0830	N/A	No
7	August 13th	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. After dinner there is free time to explore some of Tokyo's night life.	N/A	N/A	Yes
8	August 14th	On Sunday 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 in either the electronics district of Akihabara to see the amazing array of gadgets and bargains on offer, or in the Ueno area. We return to Okazaki in the evening.	N/A	2030	Yes
9	August 15th	Day trip: We head to Nara where we will visit the interesting NaraNaraKan, before exploring the grounds of historic Kofukuji temple, 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.	0800	1930	Yes
10	August 16th	Day trip: We head to Magome and Tsumago. Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku were post towns on the old Nakasendo highway linking Edo (the capital of the Tokugawa Shogunate, now called Tokyo) and the imperial capital of Kyoto. Magome was the home of the famous Japanese novelist Shimazaki Toson (1872-1943, author of "Before the Dawn") and we will visit a small museum dedicated to him there while we enjoy the village. The main attraction for us though is the chance to hike (downhill) part of the original Nakasendo on our way to fascinating Tsumago. On the way we can enjoy the coolness of the great forests and will stop at the two waterfalls to cool off - please bring a towel. The old village of Tsumago 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. It is also a perfect place to pick up some souvenirs.	0800	1900	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: