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Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing October 5th 2004
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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AUG/03-04
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AUG/05
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AUG/12-13, SEP/20, SEP/23
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OCT/14
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8 weeks
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AUG/17-18
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AUG/19
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SEP/20, SEP/23
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OCT/14
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6 weeks
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AUG/31-SEP/01
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SEP/02
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SEP/20, SEP/23
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OCT/14
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4 weeks
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SEP/14-15
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SEP/16
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SEP/23
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OCT/14
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2 weeks
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SEP/28-29
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SEP/30
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x
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OCT/14
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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)
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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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OCT/15
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We first visit
Takisanji with its stunning
Kamakura period
architecture and magnificent
gate built in 1267 by Mitsunobu Fujiwara,
also taking time to get a close look at the beautiful
Toshogu built by the 3rd and most
powerful shogun of the Edo period
Tokugawa Iemitsu. We then drive to the old post town of Goyu,
a station on the old Tokaido linking Kyoto with Edo, made famous in Ukiyoe prints such as those by the artist
Utagawa Hiroshige.
Here we can walk along a preserved pine tree lined
stretch of the old road, stopping by a 300 year old inn and the small town's fascinating shiryokan.
In the afternoon we visit Horaiji-san - a
1300 year old temple set amongst the cliffs and if the weather is fine we'll hike up to Oku-no-in for the spectacular views (if the weather is wet we will instead visit one of the increasingly rare senmaida). We finish the day with a visit to the Nagashino Castle Ruins and the
Shitagahara Battlefield and Museum - a turning point in Japanese history where
Oda Nobunaga and
Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the cavalry of the Takeda clan in 1575.
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0820
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1800
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Yes
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2
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OCT/16
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We journey through Shiga to majestic Lake Biwa. On the way we briefly visit the Battlefield of Sekigahara as we make our way through the strategic Sekigahara pass to Hikone Castle, which is one of only four castles in Japan designated a national treasure and stroll through the beautiful
Genkyu-en. In this old castle town we'll enjoy a gourmet Omi Beef lunch (let us know in advance if you are vegetarian etc - there are lots of other gourment options), and then travel by boat across the placid waters of Lake Biwa to the pilgramage mecca of Chikubu island. From Hikone we shall drive along the southern shore to the preserved merchant houses and canals of Omi Hachiman, visiting the old canal area and a fascinating folk museum, before ascending the steps to historic
Choumeiji.
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0700
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1930
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No
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3
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OCT/17
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We head deep into
Gifu to visit the
world heritage listed villages of
Shirakawa-go. In Ogimachi we will enter a number of "gassho-zukuri" thatched houses, several of which are four stories high. The Doburoku Matsuri is particularly good fun.
From Ogimachi we will head into the mountain city of Takayama, visiting the old quarter with its Edo period streetscape and numerous sake breweries, traditional shops and Kokubunji temple. One of the most interesting destinations you can enter in Japan is the Takayama Jinya - the almost perfectly preserved adminstrative post from which the governers appointed by the
Tokugawa Shogunate to rule the Hida province (the capital of which was Takayama) managed the resources of the region - often with an iron fist (the torture chamber is particularly interesting!)
Leaving
Takayama we head south to Gujo Hachiman, a small town mostly famous for its "iron" Obon dances during the summer, but equally interesting for its heritage value. Its a cool town. The late English born writer Alan Booth, a long term resident of Japan was described
Gujo Hachiman as the kind of town foreigners dreamed about, albeit one where you half expected a Japanese film director to leap out and scream "Lights! Camera! Sutaaaaato!" You be the judge......
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0700
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1930
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No
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4
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OCT/18
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Today takes us to the city of
Kyoto, where we will sample a cross section of its unique history, art and culture. Capital of Japan for 1000 years,
Kyoto is a large city, but quite different to Tokyo in its scale, pace and refinement. Our first stop is historic Nijo Castle, with its beautiful artwork, imposing defenses, and squeaky nightingale floorboards designed to warn of intruders. It was from this massive fortress that the
Tokugawa Shogunate kept a firm grip on the imperial capital throughout their reign. The palace within the castle includes some beautiful artwork by the Kano school, the "nightingale floors" designed to warn of intruders, hidden passages concealing guards and several rooms of immense historical interest - especially the rooms where
Tokugawa Ieyasu met
Hideyori, the illfated heir of
Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the leadup to the
Battles of Osaka in 1615, and of course the room where the last shogun resigned more than two and half centuries later. On a much smaller scale, though in many ways more fascinating, is the equally cleverly designed Nijo Jinya - an inn (still privately owned, by the same family who built it in the Edo Period) designed for visiting dignatories with secret passages, hidden rooms and many other secrets to be enjoyed. After lunch we take in the famous rock garden of
Ryoanji and the
Heian Jingu. Our last destinations today are
Kiyomizudera, perched on the edge of the Higashiyama hills with its wonderful stage and inside it, the popular (especially with women)
Jishu Shrine.
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0700
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1930
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Yes
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5
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OCT/19
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Early today we head to Okutono Jinya and drink tea in an 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 we walk through their superb Kaikan, learning about the processes involved before heading to a Toyota Motor Factory for a birdseye view. Later in the afternoon we head to Asuke with its hilltop
castle and thatched houses, old temples in beautiful Korankei gorge. Our last destination for the day is historic Daijuji - the ancestral temple of the Tokugawa family with many cultural assets and beautiful artwork - you will be able to walk in the footsteps of shoguns.
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0800
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1900
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Yes
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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.
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
