October 18 - 27, 2007
$2,500 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

October 18 (Thur) Honolulu/Osaka Our flight leaves in the late morning for Osaka. October 19 (Fri) Osaka/Okinawa We will arrive in Osaka in the late afternoon, where we will have a few hours to pass through customs and immigrations. We will then catch an evening flight to Okinawa. Once we arrive in Naha, we have a forty five minute drive to our hotel in Okinawa City, where a light dinner is waiting for us. October 20 (Sat) Free Day After a long couple of days traveling, our first day will be free to recover from jetlag. A buffet breakfast will be served daily at the hotel beginning at 7 am. In the morning we will do some shopping at a wholesale market. You will find items ranging from Okinawan Konbu to awamori to Okinawan cookies. If you are looking for Okinawan musical instruments, we can visit the factories as well. You may spend the rest of the day visiting with relatives, shopping, or just relaxing. If you require any assistance, your escort will be available to lend a hand. October 21 (Sun) Gyokusendo and Nanbu Senseki We begin our exploration of the Okinawan culture with a visit to the Gyokusendo Kingdom Village. This attraction is built over Japan�'s largest subterranean cave network. Above the cave are various craftsmen at work making, bingata, an Okinawan cloth, sanshin, the Okinawan shamisen, and glass making. The glass made here is distinctive for its unique cracking. There is also an alcohol bottling display that is noted for its habu or snake sake. If you wish, a white boa is available for those who wish to have their picture taken with it. There will also be a brief Eisa dance performance. From Gyokusendo we continue on to the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Museum and Heiwa no Ishiji. These two sites are adjacent to each other. Heiwa no Ishiji is a memorial to all who died during the Battle of Okinawa from all sides of the battle, Okinawan, Japanese, and American. The layout of the memorial is based on the rising sun on the day the battle began. The museum presents artifacts from the Battle of Okinawa through the American occupation to Reversion in 1972. Our last stop will be Himeyuri no to and the Himeyuri Peace Museum. During the Battle of Okinawa 219 high school students and 18 teachers were pressed into service as nurses to tend to the wounded. As the war drew to a close, they were released from service and forced to find shelter on their own. Himeyuri no to marks their last hiding place. Only five survived the battle. The museum shines a light on their experience holding artifacts, survivor accounts, hospital recreations, and more. October 22 (Mon) Naha City - Shuri Castle We return south to explore the rich heritage of the Ryukyu Kingdom Era. We will visit Shuri Castle, Tamaudun, Shikinaen, and Ryusen. Shuri Castle was the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1492 until 1872. The current structure was rebuilt after suffering severe damage during World War II, when it served as a base of operations for the Japanese. Archaeological work continues beneath the current structures. Tamaudun is the Okinawan Royal Mausoleum, housing nearly all of the remains of the Ryukyu Kings. This structure is one of the few that survived the war mostly intact. A photo exhibit reveal the contents of the tombs and their elaborate burial urns. Our next stop is Ryusen, a Bingata factory. Bingata is a cloth that is noted for its elaborate hand painted designs. From here we head to Naha to do some shopping on Kokusai and Heiwa Streets. Together they form an arcade where all kinds of goods may be found. For the adventurous, you may visit the Tsuboya area behind the streets that specializes in Okinawan pottery. October 23 (Tue) Culture Day Today we will be taking two Okinawan culture classes. The first will begin at 9:30 am and will be a Shisa Dog making class. The Shisa Dog is an icon synonymous with Okinawa. This two hour class will teach how to make one out of clay. The second class will be at 1:30 pm and will teach an Okinawan dance. Song and dance are an integral part of Okinawan culture, that occurs at every Okinawan gathering. This class is also only two hours, after this you are free until 7:00 pm when dinner will be served. If you require assistance with meeting your family, please let us know. October 24 (Wed) Motobu We head north today for the peninsula of Motobu. Our first stop is Nakijin Castle, a world heritage site. This ruin is contemporaneous with Shuri Castle and was the capital of Hokuzan, the northern kingdom prior to Okinawan unification in 1429. From there we head to the Ocean Expo Memorial Park. This facility is actually home to three distinct attractions, of which we shall visit two. The first is Churaumi, the newest of the three and home to Asia�fs largest aquarium. Opened in 2002, its large tank holds three whale sharks. In addition it has exhibits on turtles, dolphins, manatees, manta rays, and sharks. The second attraction is a collection of Okinawan homes depicting life prior to the 20th century. They are examples of the different social classes existing at the time and various structures also common in Okinawan villages. From there we will visit Goya Park. This facility is a working Goya processing plant with an example of the hydroponic growing technique used for the goya or bitter melon. October 25 (Thr) Yanbaru Our day will be spent traveling to the northern most reaches of Okinawa. We will stop at Kijoka, the only place where you can purchase bashofu in Okinawa. There are three types of cloth native to Okinawa, bingata, kasuri, and bashofu. Bashofu is unique as it is made from banana leaves. From there we go to Hedo Misaki, the northern most point in Okinawa that was a the location that Okinawans traveled to, in order to ask to be returned to Japan. This journey was made annually from the end of World War II and Reversion. Then we will see the view from Kayauchi Banta, a beautiful lookout. Our next two stops are Nago City Museum, which focuses on the daily life of ordinary Okinawans prior to modern times, and the Orion Beer Factory, Okinawa�'s own brand of beer. On our way south we wiill stop at Kin Village, home of Toyama Kyuzo. He was the immigrant leader who lead the first group of Okinawans to Hawaii in 1900. His statue in Kin points toward Hawaii. He believed that emigration was important for Okinawa which was a poorer part of Japan at the time. Emigrants would leave, so they could work and send money back home. Hawaii was but one destination that emigrants went to. Other locations include South America, the mainland United States, and Canada. October 26 (Fri) Free Day As with our first day in Okinawa, we will do some shopping at a wholesale market. If you did not have a chance to pick up omiyage or missed a chance to get something last time, here is your opportunity. You may spend the rest of the day visiting with relatives, shopping, or just relaxing. If you require any assistance, your escort will be available to lend a hand. Tonight we will have our farewell dinner. October 27 (Sat) Return Home We leave the hotel in the late morning to catch our afternoon fight to mainland Japan. From there we have a few hours before our flight back to Honolulu.

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