DAY
1 DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Leaving the United States, we will cross the International
Dateline as we fly to Japan. Enjoy full service on your scheduled
flight to Tokyo.
DAY
2 ARRIVE TOKYO (3 NIGHTS)
You will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred
to your hotel in Tokyo.
DAY
3 TOKYO
This morning we will take a city bus tour
to show you some of the highlights of this fascinating city.
We will see the Tokyo Tower, the
Imperial Palace and the Asakusa
Kannon Temple, which is the oldest temple in
the city. We will also visit the Nakamise Arcade
where we find the colorful market stalls. Locals and visitors
alike all shop here. This afternoon we will have some free
time to shop in this area.
• Your first concert performance will be
today.
DAY
4 DAY TRIP TO NIKKO
Today we will visit the shrine of Ieyasu
Tokugawa, a Japanese warlord who was pronounced to
be a god by the Imperial Court after his death in 1616. The
Toshogu (or shrine) is worthy of such a prestigious figure;
15,000 people labored for two years to build the mausoleum
and shrine. It takes on an ethereal appearance as its 2,489,000
sheets of gold leaf shimmer in the sun. After ample time in
Nikko we return to Tokyo for the evening.
DAY
5 TOKYO – KYOTO (3 NIGHTS)
This morning we will leave the city of Tokyo and
travel by Bullet Train to Nagoya for lunch.
In Nagoya we will visit the Nagoya Castle,
originally built by the first Tokugawa shogun, as well as
one of Japan's most important Shinto shrines, Atsuta
Jingu.
DAY
6 KYOTO
This morning our day commences with a visit to
the Kinkaku-ji Temple or the Golden Pavilion.
We will also be visiting the Nijo Castle and
the Imperial Palace. There will also be some
free time to explore more of this city later in the day.
• Your second performance will be today.
DAY
7 DAY TRIP TO NARA
The one-time capital of Japan, Nara fell out of political
significance when the capital was moved to Kyoto in 748. However,
many structures have survived the damages of war as a result
of Nara’s quiet and peaceful atmosphere. There are more
shrines and temples here than can be seen in one day, but
we will begin in the Nara Koen (park) where
1000 tame deer roam the temples and shrines. They are believed
to be divine messengers and will eat the deer crackers sold
at stalls in the park right out of your hand. One shrine of
significance that we will visit is the Todaiji.
Completed in 752 at the request of Emporer Shomu, this structure
was to function as a central monastery for other Buddhist
monasteries in provinces throughout Japan. Emperor Shomu planned
to use religion to unite Japan. If time permits, we will explore
the narrow backstreets where shops sell unique crafts.
DAY
8 KYOTO – OSAKA (2 NIGHTS)
This morning we leave Kyoto for Osaka. En route we will visit
Himeji Castle. Built between 1601 and 1614,
this building represents the highest achievement in Japanese
castle architecture. We continue to Osaka where we will visit
the National Bunraku Theater for a Bunraku
Puppet Show.
• Your third concert performance will be
today.
DAY
9 DAY TRIP TO HIROSHIMA
Hiroshima will forever be remembered as the first city to
suffer atomic destruction. On August 6, 1945, a bomb dropped
on Hiroshima claimed 200,000 victims and wiped out half the
city. Only one structure still stands as a reminder of that
fateful day. Today we will visit the old Industrial
Promotional Hall, renamed the A-Bomb Dome, whose
charred and partially shattered structure stands in sharp
contrast to the modern prosperity of Hiroshima. We also visit
the sobering Peace Memorial Museum which
will help us understand the reality of the bomb’s 12,632
degrees Fahrenheit surface heat.
DAY
10 DEPARTURE FROM OSAKA
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to
an end as your guide accompanies you to the airport, for the
return journey home.
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