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Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing August 18th 2006
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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JUN/06-07
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JUN/08
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AUG/17
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8 weeks
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JUN/20-21
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JUN/22
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AUG/17
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6 weeks
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JUL/04-05
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JUL/06
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AUG/17
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4 weeks
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JUL/18-19
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JUL/20
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AUG/17
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2 weeks
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AUG/01-02
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AUG/03
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AUG/14-15
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AUG/17
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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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AUG/18
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Today we drive into
Nara, visiting historic
Horyuji and Chuguji.
Horyuji
is the oldest surviving Buddhist temple in Japan, World Heritage listed and rebuilt after extensive fires in 670.
Its near neighbour Chuguji (entered from next
to Horyuji's Pavilion of Dreams) has an
imperial connection remaining to this day, and an incredibly
beautiful Buddha, the famous Miroku Bosatsu.
We also visit the Fujinoki tumulus, an ancient imperial tomb, before heading into the mountains to
Muroji. Nestled
deep in the mountains, almost buried inside a large forest,
Muroji is the "Koya-san of women", arguably the most
beautifully located temple in all of Nara, and
also home to fantastic artwork and Enryaku era (780-805) architecture.
Our last stop for the day is the small temple of Onodera.
Set beside a flowing stream, Onodera provides a good
vantage point from which to see the famous Magai
Butsu, a 14 meter high image of
Buddha carved into cliff during the Kamakura Period. If the water isn't too deep, it will be possible to cross the stream for
a close up look.
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0730
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1930
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No
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2
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AUG/19
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We head to the famous wedded rocks of Futamigaura, where pilgrims cleansed themselves 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 along Route 12 (or 32 - see notes) through the vast estates of the shrines and through remote country to Ago Bay and the wonderful Goza Beach, our destination for tonight. Its summer, so that means fireworks. Its a great beach, so sandcastles and candles are also in order, but not until after the seafood Banquet.
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0730 Please bring passport or ARC with you for minshuku check-in
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N/A
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Yes
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3
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AUG/20
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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. A quick cool off, then a visit to the mysterious Toyokawa Inari on our way back home.
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N/A
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2030
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No
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4
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AUG/21
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Early today we head 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. From Toyota we head to the historic village of
Asuke, visiting
Asuke Castle and the thatched roof houses of
Korankei gorge.
Bring a towel, if its a hot day you might want to go for swim in the beautiful river here. On our return journey we visit historic
Daijuji - the ancestral temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu and
the Matsudaira clan, with its unique pagoda, artworks and other national treasures.
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0730
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1830
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Yes
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5
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AUG/22
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Today we head deep into
Gifu, but not before making a quick visit to the famous/infamous
Tagata Jinja and Oagata Jinja near
Komaki in Aichi. From to here we head to
Gujo Hachiman, an old castletown with historic
streetscapes before we make a stop at Hirugano
Kohgen. Our main destination today is the
Shirakawa-go area.
We will spend the rest of the day in the World Heritage listed village of
Ogimachi, enjoying the atmosphere of the thatched roofs, and interesting attractions
such as the Wada House and the
Myozenji Museum. We will return via the Shokawa area and Lake Miboro.
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0730
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1830
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No
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6
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AUG/23
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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").
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0800
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1930
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No
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7
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AUG/24
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Our first destination is the famous/infamous
Tagata Jinja, known to the more uncouth as the
"penis shrine" of course. We then head across the river to
Gifu prefecture and
Kagamigahara, the site of Japan's oldest airfield,
host of the annual airshow, and of most importance to us, the superb
Aerospace
Museum. Although these days we associate Japan with motor vehicles, Japan
also has a long history in designing, testing and manufacturing world class aircraft. From
Kagamigahara we head across the river to
Inuyama Castle, one of only 4 that are designated as
national treasures.
Inuyama Castle is
the only castle in Japan that is also privately owned. We visit the beautiful
Urakuen gardens and historic
Joan tea house - a national treasure
located next to the castle that was built by Oda Uraku, the brother of
Oda Nobunaga.
In the evening enjoy dinner on a river boat while we watch the magical
cormorant fishing.
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0900
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1900
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Yes
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8
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AUG/25
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We drive to Horaiji-san - a
1300 year old temple set amongst the cliffs and if the weather is fine we'll hike up to Oku-no-in for the spectacular views (if the weather is wet we will instead visit one of the increasingly rare senmaida). We finish the day with a visit to the Nagashino Castle Ruins and the
Shitagahara Battlefield and Museum - a turning point in Japanese history where
Oda Nobunaga and
Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the cavalry of the Takeda clan in 1575.
We then fast forward a few centuries as we make our way to the bright lights of Tokyo.
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0800
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N/A
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Yes
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9
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AUG/26
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After breakfast in Tokyo
we head to the Imperial Palace looking at what we can of the walls of the once impregnable Edo Castle of Tokugawa Ieyasu, before heading over to the sometimes controversial Yasukuni Jinja. From here we move to the electronics district of Akihabara (free time for shopping) to see the amazing array of gadgets and bargains on offer, before going to Meiji Jingu. Our evening will involve the shopping areas of Omotesando and Harajuku, winding up in Shinjuku and a quick visit to
Kabuki-cho. A pretty full day basically.
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N/A
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N/A
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No
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10
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AUG/27
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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 Ameyoko Arcade, before we
head over the Rainbow Bridge for the afternoon - you have the choice of either Odaiba or
DisneySea.
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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11
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AUG/28
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We visit the oasis like
Atsuta Jingu, one of Japan's top 3 shrines.
Our next stop is the amazing Tokugawa Art
Museum - one of the best collections of Japanese arts and treasures in the country. This museum is a mecca for
researchers, but also fascinating for anyone with an eye for beauty and an interest in Japan's rich heritage. In the
afternoon we stop by the brilliant Commemorative Museum
of Industry and Technology, showcasing Japan's "monozukuri" know-how, before seeing (and sampling!) some of that
"know-how" practical application during the last stop of the day, the always enjoyable
Asahi Beer Brewery Tour.
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0845
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1800
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Yes
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12
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AUG/29
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The ancient Nakasendo highway linking Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto is the focus of our last
day. We start with the small post town of Magome,
walking through the old juku and visiting the honjin, which is now the
Toson Memorial. After this we will hike along part of
the Nakasendo, enjoying the coolness of the great
forests and stopping at the two waterfalls before entering the preserved post town of
Tsumago - which includes a real honjin and a
streetscape that feels like you have stepped back in time. From
Tsumago we head to
Obara Washi and make fans from Japanese washi paper
(ultra useful in the summer heat). Apart from learning a lot about traditional Japanese paper making, they make good
souvenirs.
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0845
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1830
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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 - 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
