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Option A - Tour Dates for tour commencing November 12th 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/31-SEP/01
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SEP/02
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SEP/20, SEP/23, NOV/03
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NOV/11
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8 weeks
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SEP/14-15
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SEP/16
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SEP/20, SEP/23, NOV/03
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NOV/11
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6 weeks
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SEP/28-29
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SEP/30
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SEP/20, SEP/23, NOV/03
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NOV/11
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4 weeks
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OCT/12-OCT/13
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OCT/14
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NOV/03
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NOV/11
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2 weeks
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OCT/26-OCT/27
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OCT/28
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x
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NOV/11
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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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NOV/12
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First we head to Okutono Jinya and drink tea in a samurai built house, 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. To see the opposite extreme of modern manufacturing, we then visit remote Asuke village with its thatched houses and craft based cottage industries set in a picturesque gorge. In the late afternoon/evening we drive to Osaka, and enjoy the nightlife in the
Dotonburi Arcade, Amerika Mura areas.
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0820
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N/A
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Yes
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2
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NOV/13
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After some free time to enjoy some of Osaka's superb shopping and urban delights, we take in Osaka Castle with its interesting musuem before heading west to Kobe. Here we'll walk through historic Kitano-cho before heading to Nankin-machi and sampling Kobe's nightlife. If the weather is kind, we'll have the chance to wander down to "Mosaic" to find a cafe, have a drink and do a little bit of people watching while enjoying Kobe's lights reflecting on the calm waters of the harbor.
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N/A
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N/A
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No
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3
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NOV/14
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Theme: World Heritage. We drive west to the magnificent Himeji Castle, easily the best preserved and most impressive castle in Japan, and the various sites in the area. In the afternoon we enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage listed Horyuji and Choguji temples - the first a massive Buddhist complex with the oldest wooden buildings in the world, unique architecture and many beautiful artworks. Choguji is a smaller adjoining imperial site with one of the most beautiful Buddhist statues anywhere in the world.
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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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NOV/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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1830
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Yes
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5
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NOV/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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0730
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2030
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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.
Return = N/A means an overnight stay, 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
