September 29 - October 7, 2007
$2,750 per person
(based on double occupancy)

Tour Includes:
• Tour Escort from Hawaii
• Hotel Accommodations as indicated
• Airfare from Honolulu to Japan roundtrip
• Ground Transportation as needed
• Daily Breakfast and dinner
• Admission to all sights, attractions, and tours as indicated by itinerary

September 29 (Sat) Honolulu/Nagoya A late morning flight will take us from Honolulu to Nagoya. September 30 (Sun) Nagoya/Takayama Since we cross the International Dateline, we will arrive in Nagoya on the following day. Upon arrival, we will pass through immigration and customs before heading to Takayama. October 1 (Mon) Takayama Takayama is in a mountainous region of Japan. This climate made it very poor in rice production during the Edo period, so instead of sending rice for taxes, Takayama sent artisans to work on public projects. This practice lead to Takayama developing highly skilled craftsmen, who in turn produced beautiful works of art. Today, this can best be seen in Takayama’s biannual festivals that parade the pinnacle of these artisans’ art, the floats ornately decorated and hiding within katakuri ningyo, dolls that move by strings and cogs. One of the first places that we will stop is Takayama Yatai Kaikan, where several of the floats used during their festivals are on display along with replicas of the remaining twelve floats. From there we will walk the Takayama Morning Market where we can find products from the river fish found in the area to the vegetable specialties. From there we head to Hida no Sato, a collection of buildings from Takayama’s distant past when it was known as Hida. These buildings display the unique construction used in the area, as well as demonstrating particular skills used in the mountainous region. Buildings were adapted to deal with the cold, with roofs of thick bundled straw to those of wooden slats held down by stones. October 2 (Tues) Takayama/Kanazawa We leave the mountain retreat of Takayama for the city of Kanazawa. Along the way we shall stop in Shirakawa-go, a collection of 25 buildings saved from destruction due to nearby dam construction. These buildings are built in the traditional style similar to those seen at Hida no Sato. However, traditional craftsmen have set up shop and we can see them practice their craft and purchase products, everything ranging from pottery to woodwork to textiles. Unlike Takayama, Kanazawa was rich with rice during the Edo period, considered second only to the Tokugawa holdings. The Maeda clan invested heavily in artisans and craftsmen and put them to work creating amazing works. One of the most impressive is Kenrokuen, a park begun in 1676 by Maeda Tsunanori. Sitting just outside the remains of Kanazawa Castle, this 25-acre garden is considered one of the top three great gardens of Japan. It was named for possessing the six attributes desirable in gardens. October 3 (Wed) Kanzawa/Shinano Omachi Today we embark on our journey through the Kurobe Alpine route. The Japan Alps were named by English missionary Walter Weston and aside from Mount Fuji, the tallest peaks in Japan can be found here. This particular route can only be traversed by the use of public transportations and no less than five different modes of conveyance. t is only thirty-seven kilometers in distance, but we will travel nearly two kilometers high into the mountains. This will require us to ride a bus, a trolley bus, a cable car, a ropeway, and a short walk on the Kurobe dam. Careful attention was paid during its construction so as to preserve the natural beauty of the scenery. Along the way we will see a man-made lake, Japan’s highest waterfall, the majestic scenery and more. October 4 (Thurs) Shinano Omachi/Tokyo We leave the Japan Alps and head to Tokyo. Our first stop will be in Matsumoto, where we will visit Matsumoto Castle, one of the oldest castles in Japan. Built in 1504, its inner tower is the tallest and oldest surviving castle tower of its kind in Japan. From there we will stop at Daio Wasabi Farm. This is Japan’s largest wasabi farm with over 30 acres dedicated to the cultivation of this Japanese seasoning. You can see how it is grown, as well as see the variety of products made from wasabi. Our next stop will be Katsunuma to see Japan’s wine country. This is area is the largest producer of wine in Japan. October 5 (Fri) Tokyo City Tour Tokyo the capital city of Japan since the Meiji revolution in the late 19th century is Japan’s only metropolis consisting of 23 wards each considered a city in its own right. Our tour of the city begins with a visit to Tokyo Tower, this iconic Japanese structure is Japan’s take on France’s Eiffel Tower. It is a functioning television and radio tower and is taller than its inspiration. From there we head to the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The next stop will be a drive by Harajuku, the young people’s town and the National Diet Building. We drive by the Imperial Palace and stop at the Imperial Palace East Garden. Formerly the main entrance to the palace, it has been converted into a serene garden. We will end our tour with a visit to Asakusa and Nakamise Dori. Asakusa is famous for the giant lantern that hangs at its gate. Nakamise Dori is the street that leads up to the temple and is filled with tiny shops selling various knick-knacks. We will end the day either at Ameyoko cho, a food wholesale district or Akihabara, Japan’s electric town. October 6 (Sat) Tokyo Free Day This is our last day before we head home and it is free to do as you please.  You may hop on the Tokyo rails and explore the city or return to some of the shopping areas that you visited earlier.  Your escort will be available to give you suggestions or assist you in finding places of interest. October 7 (Sun) Tokyo/Hawaii Our final day is free to relax and prepare to come home. The flight leaves Tokyo in the evening, so we will head to the airport in the late afternoon. We may do a little more shopping before we come home, perhaps stopping at Tsukiji Fish Market or a local shopping center on the way back to the airport. Because we will cross the International Dateline we will arrive back in the morning of the day that we departed.

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