November 7 - 19, 2011
Price: TBA
(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 Seven Dinner
• Admission to all sights, attractions, and tours as indicated by itinerary

A late morning flight takes us from Honolulu to Osaka.

We arrive in the early evening in Osaka.  After passing through immigration and customs formalities we will catch a bus to Awaji Island, our home for the next two nights.

After a long day of travel, we will have a leisurely morning enjoying the grounds of the hotel we are staying at.  Its garden was designed by architect, Tadao Ando.  We will also visit the his Water Temple and the Naruto Whirlpools which are formed in the Naruto Straits, the fastest current in Japan.

Today we leave Awaji Island for Shodo Island.  We step foot on Shikoku, where we will be catching a ferry ride at Takamatsu.  The day will be spent enjoying the Shikoku coastline and sailing to Shodo Island, the second largest island in the Inland Sea.  Upon arrival we will see Angel Road, a path that appears at low tide connecting two smaller islands to Shodo island and visit a somen factory.

Our first stop will be a visit to the Kankakei followed by a visit to the Olive Park.  The gorge is considered one of Japan's top three gorges.  This island was also the first place in Japan where olives were successfully cultivated.  From there we will visit the island's movie village, where the movie, Twenty Four Eyes, was filmed.  The novel of the film was based on was written by a native of the island and dealt with living in Japan in the first half of the 20th century.  This island is also a major shoyu production center and we will visit one of the factories.

We return to Shikoku to the port of Takamatsu.  We will be making our way west to Imabari.  Along the way we will stop at Takamatsu Shikoku Mura and the Noguchi Isamu Museum.  Shikoku Mura is an open air museum that features buildings from all over Shikoku from many different time periods.  Noguchi Isamu was an architect and artist famous for his outdoor works and sculptures, several of which can be found in Honolulu.  When we arrive at Imabari, we will visit the Imabari International Hotel to see a garden designed by Shunmyo Masuno.

Today we cross the Shimanami Gaido that connects Shikoku to Honshu.  It is a series of bridges that connects several small islands together and to the two large islands of Japan.  We begin with a stop at Oshima to see its beautiful rose garden.  From there we cross to Omishima to see Oyamazumi Shrine with its vast collection of samurai swords and armor.  Approximately 80% of Japan's arms that are national treasures can be found here.  We will also visit the a sea salt factory.  From there we stop at Ikushima to visit its Citrus Park.  We will also visit the museum dedicated to painter Ikuo Hirayama.  Our last stop is Mukai Jima to visit its Orchid Center with its 30 varieties of orchids and thousands of flowers.  Our home for the next two nights will be a small island just off of Honshu, Sensui Island.

We head to Honshu for the day to visit Kure, where we will visit the Yamato Museum.  It is dedicated to the World War II warship, that was for a time the largest battleship in the world, as well as the naval complex at Kure at that time.  We then go to Takehara, which has preserved a section of its city's Edo-era architecture.  Among those buildings is Taketsuru Shuzo, the family brewery of the founder of Nikka Whiskey in Hokkaido.  Our last stop will be in Onomichi to shop at a local shopping arcade.

In the morning we will head to Honshu to hop on a ferry for Manabe Island.  This small island is noted for preserving the feel of old Japan.  Here we will have a chance to try the local cuisine which is based on the catch of the day.  When we return to the mainland, we will head for Kurashiki.

Our first stop of the day will be Korakuen, one of Japan's Three most beautiful gardens.  Across from the garden is Takenaka Yumeiji.  In the afternoon we will stop at the Ohara Museum, a small private museum noted for its excellent collection of 20th Century art ranging from Picasso to Andy Warhol.  It also has a fine collection of Japanese paintings, its most notable representative being Kojima Torajiro, a friend of the museum's founder, Ohara Magosaburo, who paid Kojima to acquire many of the fine pieces on display.  We end the day in Kurashiki Bikan, a historical district that has been well preserved from its time as an administrative center during the Edo period. 

We venture back into the Inland Sea for Naoshima.  This island is a magnificent showcase of art and architecture.  Here we will spend our time walking the small island taking in the buildings and the art museums.  There are three main art museums on the island.  The first we will visit is the Chichu Art Museum for its fine art collection and outstanding architectural design.  And then we head to the newest museum, the Lee Ufan Museum, which opened in June of 2010.  Our last stop will be  Benesse House, which focuses more on modern art.  All three museums were designed by architect Tadao Ando.

Naoshima to Osaka

We will enjoy a leisurely morning taking in the rest of the island.  We will visit six art house projects, homes that have been converted into art showcases.  In the afternoon we will ferry back to Uno, where we will catch a bus to Osaka.

The day is free to relax and do any last minute packing.  An evening flight will return us back to Hawaii.