October 27 - November 5, 2009
Price TBD
(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 27 (Tue) Day One Honolulu/Osaka An afternoon flight takes us to Osaka. October 28 (Wed) Day Two Osaka/Naha We arrive in the afternoon and pass through customs and immigrations before connecting to our flight to Okinawa.  Upon arrival we will drive to our hotel in Okinawa City. October 29 (Thu) 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.  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 30 (Fri) Day Four Gyokusendo and Nanbu Senseki We begin our exploration of main island of Okinawa 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 picture taking.  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 31 (Sat) Day Five Cultural Day Today we will be taking two Okinawan culture classes.  The first will be in the morning and will be a Shisa Dog decorating class.  The Shisa Dog is an icon synonymous with Okinawa.  This one hour class will teach how to decorate a shisa.  The second class will be in the afternoon and will teach Okinawan  Eisa dance.  Song and dance are an integral part of Okinawan culture, that occurs at every Okinawan gathering.  This class is also only one hour, 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. November 1 (Sun) Day Six Naha 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.  On our way back to our hotel we will stop at the Okinawan Prefectural Museum.  This museum was re-opened just last fall in its new home.  This museum houses exhibits on many facets of Okinawan life from its indigenous flora and fauna to a variety of exhibits on Okinawan culture.  The museum itself is now housed in a building specifically built for it and is in the style of an Okinawan castle. November 2 (Mon) Day Seven Motobu We head north today for the peninsula of Motobu.  Our day will be spent at Ocean Expo Memorial Park.  Built for the 1975 World Expo, today it is 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.  The center cultivates over 80,000 varieties of orchids.  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. November 3 (Tue) Day Eight 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 visit the Orion Beer Factory, Okinawa's own beer, for a tour of their facility.  Next we will stop at the Nago City Museum.  This museum focuses on the daily life of ordinary Okinawans prior to modern times.   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. November 4 (Wed) Day Nine Free Day Before we head home 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 earlier, here is your opportunity.  You may spend the rest of the day visiting with relatives, shopping, or just relaxing.  If you require assistance, your escort will be available to lend a hand.  Tonight we will have our farewell diinner. November 5 (Thu) Day Ten Return Home We leave the hotel in the late morning to catch our afternoon flight to mainland Japan.  From there we have a few hours before our flight back to Honolulu.

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