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Koyasan, Kii, and Takayama
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October 13 - 25, 2009
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Tour Includes:
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| October 13 (Tue) |
Day One |
Honolulu/Kansai
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| An afternoon flight will take us from Honolulu to Kansai Airport. | ||
| October 14 (Wed) | Day Two |
Kansai
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| We arrive in Kansai in the late afternoon and will head to our hotel for the evening. | ||
| October 15 (Thu) | Day Three |
Kansai
to Koyasan |
| We begin our tour by heading to Koyasan, the
headquarters for Shingon Buddhism and settled by the monk Kukai known
posthumously as Kobo Daishi. This area
is home to 120 temples and one Japan’s most famous graveyards. While there we will visit the Daimon, Danjyo
Garan, Koyasan Reihokan, Kongobuji, and Okunoin. The
Daimon is the great gate entrance to this
temple complex. From there we will head
to the Danjyo Garan a complex centered around the Kompon Daito, a great
Pagoda
in brilliant red, originally built Kobo Daishi.
Next we will go to the Koyasan Reihokan, a
museum that showcases various
treasure collected over the centuries.
The Kongobuji is our next stop and it is the
main temple of Shingon
Buddhism. The last stop will be the
Okunoin, a massive graveyard with numerous mausoleums dedicated to
various
historical figures, like Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Iemitsu, not to
mention
the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi himself, where he is said to be meditating
for all
eternity.
For the evening we will be spending it at one of the temples that lets visitors experience some of temple life. This includes trying shojin ryori, the vegetarian meals that are eaten by the monks daily. |
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| October 16 (Fri) |
Day Four |
Koyasan
to Shirahama Onsen |
| We leave the tranquility of Koya-san and head to the Shirahama via the Ryujin Skyline, a scenic highway in the mountains. When we pass through Minabe we will visit the Minabe Kishu Umeboshi Hall, where we will see the history of umeboshi production as well as various products made from ume. Our last stop will be the Tore Tore Ichiba, Western Japan’s largest seafood market. | ||
| October 17 (Sat) | Day Five |
Shirahama Onsen to
Katsuura Onsen |
| After a relaxing evening we will explore the town before heading to Katsuura. Shirahama has a number of beautiful rock formations, the first we will visit is Sandanbeki, a fifty foot cliff that was used as a lookout for passing ships and swarms of fish. From there we will go to Senjo Jiki, a giant rock formation that looks like a tatami mat floor. Our last stop will be to see Engetsuto or Full Moon Island. This nickname comes from the hollow circle in the center of the island when viewed from the mainland. It looks like the rising moon. From there we head to Kushimoto where we will stop at Hashigui iwa. This giant rock formation is a series of large rocks that are in a straight line giving the impression of a bridge into the ocean. According to legend, Kobo Daishi is said to have started constructing this bridge, but was tricked into stopping before finishing it. | ||
| October 18 (Sun) |
Day Six |
Katsuura
Onsen |
| Today we will visit Nachino Taki and Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine. Nachino Taki is a very tall waterfall, said to rival the beauty of Kegon waterfalls. We will also visit one of the three Kumano grand shrines, dedicated to the Kumano river god. Katsuura is also a noted tuna port and we will stop by to see the second largest tuna catch in Japan. | ||
| October 19 (Mon) |
Day Seven |
Katsuura
Onsen to Takayama |
| We have a
lot of ground to cover today. Luckily we
will be enjoying a relaxing ride on Japan’s rails from Katsuura to the
mountainous town of Takayama. During the
Edo period, the town was unable to pay its taxes in rice and was
allowed to
send instead craftsmen to work on various public work projects. This produced highly skilled artisans who
returned to create many crafts that Takayama is noted for. |
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| October 20 (Tue) |
Day Eight |
Takayama |
| Our first
stop today will be at the Takayama Yatai Kaikan, where several of the
floats
used during their festivals are on display along with replicas of the
remaining
floats. These floats are the pinnacle of
the artisans’ art that was developed in this area and hidden within the
ornately decorated float are katakuri ningyo.
We will then visit the Kusakabe Mingeikan, the
home of the Kusakabe
family that was converted into a museum.
They specialize in the smaller handcrafts that
Takayama is known for.
From there we go to the Shin Hotaka Ropeway. This is a two part ride with the second phase taking place in a double decker cable car. The view from the top is magnificent as it takes in the neighboring mountains and countryside. |
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| October 21 (Wed) |
Day Nine |
Takayama
to Tateyama |
| We move
northward for the town of Tateyama at the base of the Japan Alps. Before we leave we will visit the Takayama
Morning Market, where we can find products made from the river fish
found to
local vegetables. You can also find
various teas and handcrafts that are made locally. Nearby
we will also stop at the Takayama
Jinya. This set of buildings was the
government offices during the Tokugawa period.
They retain their original architecture and
show the various facilities
that were kept at that time.
Along the way to Tateyama we will stop at Shirakawa-go, a collection of 25 buildings saved from destruction due to the nearby dam construction. These buildings are built in the traditional style of Takayama’s distant past when it was known as Hida. These buildings display the unique construction materials and techniques used in the area, as well as demonstrating various 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. 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. |
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| October 22 (Thu) |
Day Ten |
Tateyama
to Tokyo |
| 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 transportation and no less than five different modes of conveyance. It 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. From there we continue onward to Tokyo for the remainder of our stay. | ||
| October 23 (Fri) |
Day
Eleven |
Tokyo
- Free Day |
| This is a free day in Tokyo, where you may relax, explore the city, and do as you please. Your escort will be on hand to assist you with getting to where you might want to go. | ||
| October 24 (Sat) |
Day
Twelve |
Tokyo - Free Day |
| This is a free day in Tokyo, where you may relax, explore the city, and do as you please. Your escort will be on hand to assist you with getting to where you might want to go. | ||
| October 25 (Sun) | Day Thirteen |
Tokyo
to Honolulu |
| Our flight leaves in the early evening so the morning is free to relax or do any last minute shopping. We will leave the hotel in the afternoon for the airport. | ||
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