| Discovery Index | Search
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Day
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Date
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Destination(s)/Notes
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Depart+
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Return+
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Lunch+
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1
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August 22nd
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Day trip: We start the discovery tour driving deep into the forests of the Oku-Mikawa.
Our first destination is very remote, a
Senmaida, consisting of more than
1000 small rice fields in an painstakingly constructed terrace. We will then hike through verdant forests to Horaiji, a 1300 year old temple that also
has a brilliantly preserved Toshogu shrine in a grove of 350 year old cedar trees towering above us.
From Horai we will visit the Nagashino battlefield & its museum, learning about the famous battle that occurred here in
1575, before heading down to a remote valley with a beautiful 7 tiered waterfall - the "aterananataki". Please bring a towel if
you wish to cool off. If time permits, we will visit
the mysterious Toyokawa Inari shrine, dedicated to a fox-riding god called Toyokawa Dakinishinten. The legend of
Dakinishinten dates from the 15th century, and was believed by samurai warriors such as Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa
Ieyasu. Millions of people visiting this shrine every year as it is one of the three major Japanese Inari gods.
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0815
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1800
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No
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2
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August 23rd
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Overnight trip: We head to the famous wedded rocks of
Futamigaura, where pilgrims cleansed
themselves prior to visiting the
Ise Grand Shrines, the most important shrines in Japan. From here we sample the delights
of Okage Yokosho, an old style neighbourhood where pilgrims would let their hair down so to speak (class distinctions were
usually ignored amongst pilgrims, offering men and women of different social class all sorts of possibilities). Many of the
shops are centuries old, and we will enjoy a lunch like no other (its a secret for now though!). We next drive along Route
12 through the vast estates of the shrines and through remote country to
Ago Bay and the wonderful
Goza Beach, our destination for
tonight. Its summer, so that means fireworks. Its a great beach, so sandcastles and candles are also in order, but not until
after the seafood Banquet.
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0730
Please bring passport with you for minshuku check-in
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N/A
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Yes
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3
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August 24th
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Goza Beach
is too good to ignore, so we'll go back for a stroll and/or swim. The beach is
uncrowded even on weekends, so on a weekday like this there is acres of sand to enjoy. We then set off along the scenic
Pearl Road until we reach
Mikimoto Pearl Island in
Toba. One of the showpieces of Japanese inventiveness, at Mikimoto we
also watch female Ama divers working the seabed (without breathing apparatus) and enjoy a superb museum. From
Toba we take
a bit of a cruise, across the vast Ise Bay to the tip of
Cape Irago in Aichi.
The Atsumi peninsula is one of the most
difficult places in Aichi to travel to, but it also has as a result, wonderful uncrowded surf beaches such as
Akabane Beach.
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N/A
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2030
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No
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4
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August 25th
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Day trip. We head to the ancient capital of
Nara, visiting the "NaraKan" explaining in detail many aspects
of the World Heritage sites in the area. Our first stop is historic
Kofukuji, before walking through
Nara Koen with its sacred deer to
the ancient shrine of Kasuga Taisha.
From here we head across to Nigatsudo and
the wonderful 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, before returning via the scenic drive through the
World Heritage listed primaeval forest of Kasuga Taisha.
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0730
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1930
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No
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5
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August 26th
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Day trip:
Early today we head to
Okutono Jinya and drink tea in a 300 year old samurai barracks with a beautiful Japanese garden,
before heading to one of the key reasons for Japan's emergence as a modern economy. At
Toyota Motor Company
we walk through their superb Kaikan, learning about the processes involved before heading to a
Toyota Motor Factory
for a birdseye view. On our return journey we visit historic
Hatcho Miso - one of the oldest and most successful Japanese businesses in existence
today. In the evening we will conduct a short rehearsal preparing for the
Mikoshi festival.
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0830
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1830
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Yes
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6
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August 27th
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Overnight Trip: We head past Mount Fuji on our way to
Tokyo, making brief stops at the vast
Hamanako lagoon and Mount Fuji enroute.
We visit Imperial Palace
where we can visit several famous historic sites, including the walls of the once impregnable Edo Castle, and the east gardens.
From here we move to the Ginza area, with some free time to explore the shopping district, Sony Building, New Design
Paradise, the Apple Store etc. From Ginza our next
stop is the historic Hamarikyuu Gardens, before
taking a cruise up the Sumida river to Asakusa, exploring
Sensoji temple
and the lively shopping precinct. We will spend the evening in the trendy Harajuku & Shinjuku areas. A pretty full day basically.
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0700
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N/A
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No
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7
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August 28th
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After breakfast we start with a visit to
the observation towers of Tokyo's ultra-modern Metropolitan Government Building to get a bird's eye view of the city - on
clear days we can see Mount Fuji. After breakfast we are off to
Ueno-koen, an oasis of greenery in
the concrete jungle, that also has several interesting sites to visit such as the Toshogu, Benten shrine and the
Shitamachi Museum.
We then have some free time for shopping and people watching in Ameyoko Arcade, before heading over to the electronics
district of Akihabara (also includes free time for
shopping) to see the amazing array of gadgets and bargains on offer.
From here we leave central Tokyo and make our way through Yokohama to Kamakura - the seaside former capital of Japan.
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N/A
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N/A
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No
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8
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August 29th
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In Kamakura we will visit the Daibutsu (great Buddha) and explore the historic sites of the town including a beautiful zen temple,
before making our way down the coast (stopping for a swim on the Shonan beaches) to Enoshima. This island has some interesting caves and an important Benten
shrine. From the Shonan coast we will make our back to Okazaki, where we will be joining a BBQ party.
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N/A
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1900
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Yes
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9
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August 30th
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Day trip: We head to Magome and Tsumago. Magome-juku and Tsumago-juku were post towns on the
old Nakasendo highway linking Edo (the capital of the Tokugawa Shogunate, now called Tokyo) and the imperial capital of
Kyoto. Magome was the home of the famous Japanese novelist Shimazaki Toson (1872-1943, author of "Before the Dawn") and
we will visit a small museum dedicated to him there while we enjoy the village. The main attraction for us though is the
chance to hike (downhill) part of the original Nakasendo on our way to fascinating Tsumago.
On the way we can enjoy the coolness of the great forests and will stop at the two waterfalls to cool off - please bring a towel.
The old village of Tsumago was bypassed
when the railroad was built in the Meiji Period and as a result is almost perfectly preserved, with no overhead electric
cables etc blighting the landscape. We will be able to enter the Honjin and a superb museum. It is also a
perfect place to pick up some souvenirs.
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0845
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1830
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No
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10
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August 31st
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Day trip: Today we first head to Shiga Prefecture where our first destination is Taga Taisha. This
important Taisha enshrines the parent gods of Amaterasu. Apart from gods, its also a nice walk, breaking the journey before
we cross the waters of Lake Biwa and head up to the mountain monastery complex of Hiei-zan and Enryakuji. Through the
centuries, the Japanese have considered this to be one of the spiritual centers of their culture. From Hiei-zan we descend
into the valley, visiting the famous Ginkakuji temple before making our way to the heart of Kyoto's modern city. We will
have some free time to enjoy the shopping area of Kawaramachi and the arcades.
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0730
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2130
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No
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C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S
