March 21 - 29, 2008
$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

March 21 (Fri) Day One Honolulu/Osaka Our flight leaves in the late morning for Osaka. March 22 (Sat) Day Two Osaka/Naha 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. March 23 (Sun) Day Three 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.  You may spend the day visiting with relatives, shopping, or just relaxing.  If you require any assistance, your escort will be available to lend a hand.  If you are looking for any particular item or goods, please let your escort know in advance. March 24 (Mon) Day Four 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.  The first is Churaumi, the newest of the three and home to Asia’s 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, Okinawa Kyodo Mura, 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.  The last attraction is the Tropical Dream Center, which sits on the site of the 1975 Ocean Expo.  The center cultivates over 80,000 varieties of orchids.  There is also a lookout where you can see the island where World War II journalist Ernie Pyle died.  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. March 25 (Tue) Day Five Naha We return south to explore the rich heritage of the Ryukyu Kingdom Era.  In the morning we will visit the Okinawan Prefectural Museum, Shuri Castle, and Tamaudun.  The Okinawan Prefectural Museum reopened in the Fall of 2007.  It is home to a wide collections of Okinawan artifacts on local flora, fauna, and most importantly culture.  This new home for the museum was actually built in the form of a gusuku or an Okinawan castle.  A different type of Okinawan Castle is Shuri Castle, 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.  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. March 26 (Wed) Day Six Yanbaru Our day will be spent traveling to the northern most reaches of Okinawa.  Our first stop will be Kouri-jima, a small island that is now connected to the main island by bridge.  This island is the location of Okinawa’s Adam and Eve story. From there 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.  Kijoka is noted for having saved this Okinawan handcraft. As we head back down we will stop in Nago to see the Nago City Museum, which focuses on the daily life of ordinary Okinawans prior to modern times.  It is a small three story facility that recalls the lifestyle of the common Okinawan.   Next is 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. Our last stop will be the Southeast Botanical Gardens.  These gardens make special floral displays and even have a small animal enclosure where we can see animals native to Okinawa. March 27 (Thur) Day Seven Gyokusendo and Nanbu Senseki We begin our day 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. March 28 (Fri) Day Eight Cultural 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. March 29 (Sat) Day Nine 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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