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Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing January 11th 2008
Study Component Schedule
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Study Length
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Arrival*
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Commence
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Holidays**
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End Studies
|
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10 weeks
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OCT/23-24
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OCT/25
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DEC/31, JAN/01-04
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JAN/10
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8 weeks
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NOV/06-07
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NOV/08
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DEC/31, JAN/01-04
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JAN/10
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6 weeks
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NOV/20-21
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NOV/22
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DEC/31, JAN/01-04
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JAN/10
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4 weeks
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DEC/04-05
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DEC/06
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DEC/31, JAN/01-04
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JAN/10
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2 weeks
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DEC/18-19
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DEC/20
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DEC/31, JAN/01-04
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JAN/10
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*Arrival - there is a free Nagoya airport pickup on the days indicated.
**Public/Institute holidays affecting classes are listed here in full.
Proposed Schedule (this may change, please refer to notes below)
|
Day
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Date
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Destination(s) - Click for info
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Depart+
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Return+
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Lunch+
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1
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JAN/11
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Early today we head to historic Daijuji - the
ancestral temple of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Matsudaira clan, with its unique pagoda and artworks,
before heading to one of the key reasons for Japan's emergence as a modern economy. At Toyota Motor we walk through their
superb exhibition hall,
learning about the processes involved before heading to a
Toyota Motor Factory
for a birdseye view.
On our return journey we visit Okutono Jinya and drink
tea in a old samurai barracks with a beautiful Japanese garden, In the evening we head
through the Japan alps and make our way to
Nagano.
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0820
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N/A
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Yes
|
|
2
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JAN/12
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In Nagano City our
first destination is the famous Zenkouji, one of the
major pilgrimage centers in Japan and home to the "Key to Paradise".
From Nagano City we'll head to
Jigokudani Onsen and fascinating
Yudanaka Snow Monkeys - enjoying
the walk through the snowy forest on the way. We stop for a soak in a nice outdoor onsen before making our way to
Matsushiro.
|
N/A
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N/A
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No
|
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3
|
JAN/13
|
In the historic castle town of
Matsushiro we enter the Sanada residence and the incredible underground
WWII Imperial Headquarters carved out of the rocks beneath the mountains by forced labour (primarily Koreans who endured severe hardships) during the 10 months leading up to Japan's unconditional surrender in August 1945. We still do not know how many people died digging the headquarters, and during the long walk through the underground tunnels its hard to come to grips with how many more lives would have been lost had the war continued. From Matsushiro we move to
Matsumoto, an old but prosperous town centered on
Matsumoto Castle - one of the few castles in
Japan designated a national treasure. In addition to the castle we'll visit the magnificent
Japan Ukiyoe Museum, and enjoy another
onsen soak at Asama Onsen near
Matsumoto, where we'll stay overnight.
|
N/A
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N/A
|
No
|
|
4
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JAN/14
|
Time to go skiing or snowboarding (or for the less energetic, playing in the snow).
We climb from Matsumoto to
Lake Shirakaba, then head to either
Echo Valley or
Pilatus for a day in the snow. The choice of resort
will depend on the conditions - Pilatus is noted for
its snow monsters, but can be hard to
get to if the weather closes in. When we finish we return to the
Lake Shirakaba, going for a walk across the ice (optional) before
entering the Suzuran-no-yuu onsen for a final hot soak.
|
N/A
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2030
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No
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|
5
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JAN/15
|
On our last day we head to the ancient capital of Nara, visiting
Kofukuji, and walking through
Nara Koen with its sacred deer to Kasuga Taisha. From here we head across to Nigatsudo and the world heritage listed Todaiji, the largest wooden structure in the world and home to Nara's famous daibutsu. If the weather is wet we'll visit the Isuien Garden & the Neiraku Museum. If it is dry we'll drive to the top of Wakasayama which gives us a fantastic view of the Yamato plain stretching from the outskirts of
Osaka northwards to the southern outskirts of
Kyoto.
|
0730
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1930
|
No
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+Departure from/Return to Okazaki times given using 24 hour clock (ie 0800 = 8am, 1830 = 6.30pm)
+Lunch - Yes/No indicates whether lunch is included or not.
Return = N/A means an overnight stay, usually in a ryokan or minshuku, where evening meal/breakfast is always included.
Discounts: As this is an off-season tour (the usual number of participants is 5 or less), it is possible to obtain
a discount of 5000 yen off the program fee (in addition to the accommodation discounts offered through the "early bird" pass) if payment is completed more than ten weeks before program commencement.
Notes:
In the week before a tour commences, a briefing will be held for the participants. If the number of students
participating is 9 students or less (which is usually the case in the off season), then the actual destinations, or the
order in which they are visited, can often be altered to reflect the specific interests of the group members.
Please also note that the schedule may need to be changed in the event of inclement weather/typhoons etc, or the unforeseen closure
of any given destination. Appropriate alternative destinations are chosen only after consultation with you.
To help ensure that students can budget for expenses accurately, Institute staff will either purchase food (usually
bento and drinks) for you to eat or find a reasonably priced restaurant (maximum cost 1000 yen - with Yamasa paying for the
remainder of your food bill) if due to traffic/weather conditions we are delayed by more than one hour on the days we
return to Okazaki accommodation.
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C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S
