DAY 1 HONOLULU / OSAKA
Our tour begins in Honolulu where we
catch our flight to Osaka.
DAY 2 OSAKA / MATSUYAMA
Upon arrival in Osaka, we will clear
immigration and customs formalities before
we fly on to Matsuyama, the capital of
Ehime Prefecture. From there we will
continue on to Dogo Onsen, the oldest
onsen in Japan. Shotoku Taishi, a sixthcentury
prince, is the first human known to
have definitely dipped at Dogo, making it
one of the most frequented springs in the
country.
A “must see” is the Dogo Onsen
Honkan, a traditional wooden building that
dates from 1894 and houses a number of
baths. The adjacent Yushiden, built in 1988
as a bath reserved for the imperial family,
offers tours as well. (D)
DAY 3 MATSUYAMA
In the morning, we will first visit Ishiteji,
one of the 88 temples in Shikkoku. This
is the 51st temple and the most famous. Next
we visit the Mingei Iyo Kasuri Kaikan, a
fabric factory where we can see traditional
material made.
And in the afternoon we will see
Matsuyama Castle, built by Yoshiakira
Kato, a samurai who was awarded for his
service to Ieyasu Tokugawa a 200,000 koku
parcel. The castle took 25 years to complete
and is one of three multi-wing castles in
Japan. (B/D)
DAY 4 MATSUYAMA / KOCHI
Today we spend the morning travelling
by train to our next destination, Koichi.
After we arrive, the rest of the day is free to
explore or relax as you wish. (B)
DAY 5 KOCHI
Katsurahama is our first stop today,
where we will find the statue of local hero
Sakamoto Ryoma, whose political ideas
helped lay the groundwork for the Meiji
Restoration of 1868. Then we will visit
Nishijima Engei Danchi, a nursery
specializing in tropical fruits and flowers.
We will have the chance to sample its
delicious watermelon and melons. (B/D)
DAY 6 KOCHI/NAKAMURA/OBOKE
We are off to Nakamura by train this
morning, where we will see the longest river
in Shikoku and the cleanest river in all of
Japan, Shimanto no Ao.
We will take a boat tour of the river
where we can see firsthand the natural
beauty of the river. Our boatman rows the
yakatabune, a boat with a roof, while we
have a snack of ebi as we enjoy a quiet ride
up the river, which is also home to “Ayu”, a
kind of river trout. At the end of the day we
come to our lodging at Oboke Onsen. (B/
D)
|
|
DAY 7 OBOKE / KOTOHIRA MARUGAME
It is a day of learning as we head for Kotohira-gu Shrine, also known as Kompira-san.
It is a major shrine and one
of the most popular in this country for hundreds of years. Then we will take
a udon making class, where we learn the specialty of the prefecture. We move
on to Marugame
for the night. (B/D)
DAY 8 TAKAMATSU EXCURSION
Over 80% of Japan’s fans are made in Marugame, so we will be taking a
fan making class to learn the secret of this
ancient craft. Then we will go to Takamatsuto see Ritsurin Park, which lies
at the foot of Mount Shuin. This 185 acre park is the largest and most beautiful
garden in Japan
founded in the 17th century. (B/D)
DAY 9 MARUGAME / TOKUSHIMA
A train will take us to Tokushima today where we will spend our last two nights.
This afternoon, we will enjoy seeing Awa Odori. “The dancing fool and
the watching fool are both fools, so why not dance!” is a popular Awa
Odori proverb. The women’s dances use graceful movements, while the
men’s dances are aggressive and lively. (B)
DAY 10 TOKUSHIMA
The morning will be spent seeing the big whirlpools in the Naruto Channel which
lies between Magosaki in Naruto and Kadosaki on Awaji Island. The Naruto
Straits are only 1,300 meters (m) wide and the intense tide flowing into
the Straits can exceed 15 to 20 kilometers per hour creating whirlpools up
to 20 m. in diameter lasting as long as 50 seconds. Whirlpools are generated,
washed away, and then generated again obeying the whims of the tide. We will
walk Uzu no Michi, a walkway under the Naruto Ohashi bridge to get a close
look at nature in action. (B/D)
DAY 11 TOKUSHIMA / OSAKA / HONOLULU
Our flight back to Hawaii leaves in the evening and therefore one of the rooms
will be kept for all of our luggage while we do just a little more shopping.
On our way to Kansai Airport we will cross Akashikaikyo Bridge, Japan’s
largest suspension bridge. We arrive in Honolulu where we pass through customs
on the same day we left Japan. (B) |
