Royal Adventure Travel

2012

Summer in Japan

3229 Koapaka St. Honolulu, HI 96819

Day 1- Monday, June 4                    HONOLULU

We leave Honolulu via air with meal served on board.  Due to crossing the International Date Line, you will lose one day.

Day 2 – Tuesday, June 5                 NARITA / OSAKA                                         (D)

We arrive at Narita International Airport in the early evening.  After clearance of customs and immigration formalities we take a connecting flight to Osaka Itami Airport.  We then transfer to our hotel in Osaka City by motorcoach.  Tonight dinner is on our own.  Our guide and escort will assist you in selecting suitable places to enjoy your first dinner in Japan. 

Day 3 – Wednesday, June 6           OSAKA / NARA / KYOTO                     (B)

Breakfast at our hotel.  This morning we visit Osaka Castle, which was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1582 and was his place of rule until he died. There were five towers with the main one being nine stories tall.  The elegant castle houses a museum  covering the warring period and the artifacts related to it.  We will also visit the Kaiyukan Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world.  Then, we proceed to Nara for a visit to Todaiji Temple with its huge bronze image of Buddha; the Kasuga Grand Shrine, one of the major Shinto shrines, and the Nara Deer Park.  The friendly sacred deer roam freely in the park.  After the tour of Nara, we proceed to Kyoto.  Tonight you get a chance to explore the various cuisines of Japan as you have dinner on your own.  You will be aided by your escort and guide on your food adventures throughout the trip whenever you are on your own.  Our accommodation is conveniently located in the heart of Kyoto for 2 nights.   

Day 4 – Thursday, June 7    KYOTO                                              (B)

Breakfast at our hotel. We will embark on a city tour of Kyoto by motorcoach, visiting Nijyo Castle, best known for its so called nightingale floors which was designed to make squeaking bird-like sounds when walked upon, a warning of possible intruders.  This castle was created by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.  Then it is on to the Heian Shrine with one of the most beautifully landscaped gardens in Japan.  In summer the irises, hydrangeas and water lilies are in full bloom.  Other notable places we visit are the Kinkakuji Temple also known as the Golden Pavilion; and the Toei Uzumasa Eigamura, the birthplace of Japanese cinema – where history is kept alive.  If you are lucky you may be able to see samurai movies being shot on outdoor Edo-period sets.  The remainder of the day is at you may opt to explore Kyoto with the help of your escort and guide.  Dinner is on your own with the help of your escort and guide. Accommodations tonight at the same hotel

Day 6 – Saturday, June 9     HAKONE / KAMAKURA / TOKYO                  (B)

Breakfast at our hotel.  This morning, we leave Hakone for Kamakura, driving along the Shonan Coast Driveway.  Upon arrival at Kamakura we will embark on our tour to visit Daibutsu, a gigantic statue of the Great Buddha in a sitting position.  Kamakura, once capital of Japan during the period of the first Shogunate, gives you a flavor of Old Japan.  We then head for Tokyo where our destination is Asakusa's main attraction Sensoji Temple, a very popular Buddhist temple, built in the 7th century. The temple is approached via Nakamise Boulevard, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries.    This is one of the most popular picture spots.  We will then proceed to our hotel.  Please join our escort and guide for an orientation walking tour of our environs shortly after arrival.  Let your escort and guide present you with many choices as you go out to enjoy dinner on your own tonight.  Accommodations will be at a centrally located hotel for 3 nights.

Day 7 – Sunday, June 10     TOKYO                                                            (B)

Breakfast at our hotel.  We depart our hotel by private motorcoach to Mikata, just outside of Tokyo.  From there we embark on the fantasy world of manga (Japanese style comics) and anime (animation) at the Ghibli Museum.  It was co-founded by one of the best known names in the field, Hayao Miyazaki along with his mentor Isao Takahata.  Miyazaki has collaborated with Disney to produce several animated cartoon films in recent years.  Sprited Away, which has won many awards worldwide is one of the films produced by the Miyazaki – Disney joint venture.  Afternoon will be spent shopping and exploring Tokyo further.  We’ll check out Harajuku visiting interesting Takeshita-dori and Harajuku Station where many young people gather and engage in cosplay ("costume play"), dressed up in crazy costumes to resemble anime characters, punk musicians, etc.  We can also go to Akihabara (short: Akiba), a district in central Tokyo, famous for its many electronics shops. In recent years, it has also gained fame as a center of the gaming, manga and animation culture. Your escort and guide can help you with advice on activities.  We return to our Tokyo hotel.  Dinner is on your own with the help of the escort and guide. 

Day 8 – Monday, June 11                 TOKYO                                                 (B)

Breakfast at our hotel. Today we have a special treat, a visit to Tokyo DisneySea, “where adventure and imagination set sail”.  It is one of Disney’s newest parks.  The park features attractions inspired from the seas of the world.  The Park features seven themed lands, laid out roughly in a circle around a central hub—although in this case, the hub is its own themed area (that being Mysterious Island with Mt. Prometheus). Tokyo DisneySea is an amazing place that really has to be seen and experienced to be believed. We will be traveling to DisneySea by train or hotel shuttle (when available)---a unique experience.  When we return to Tokyo we will have dinner on our own with the help of the escort and guide.

Day 9 – Tuesday, June 12               TOKYO                                              (B)

Breakfast at our hotel.  Early-risers can take advantage of an early morning optional tour by subway to shop at the  Tsukiji Fish Outer Market, one of the world's largest fish markets, handling over 2,000 tons of marine products per day. We will be taking the early morning train to the Market, an exciting place bustling with activity as locals and restaurateurs shop for the finest ingredients for their meals.  You will be able to shop for marine products and other specialties such as green tea, candies, and even good quality kitchen utensils.  We will then return to our hotel for breakfast.  Today we will be visiting Tokyo by rail.  This morning we go to Ryogoku to visit the renown Edo Tokyo Museum where you will see re-creations of Old Edo and post-Meiji Tokyo exhibited in a massive, futuristic building.  The museum shop has unique products representative of the Edo period which are not available in other stores. Ryogoku Kokugikan, the venue for the famous Grand Sumo Tournament, is also located here.  Of the 6 tournaments held each year, the January, May and September tournaments take place at the Kokugikan venue. A visit to the "Sumo Museum" on the 1st floor is very informative.  There are some sumo practice stables around Kokugikan, so there is a chance that you might see sumo wrestlers out and about. There are also some restaurants where we can try the sumo wrestler's staple meal called "chankonabe", which is a one-pot stew made with broth, meat, fish and vegetables. Sumo wrestlers consume many helpings of chankonabe in order to put on weight and build up strength. After lunch in the area we continue on to Shibuya where Hachiko, the faithful dog, still waits for her master outside the train station.  Hachiko will mark our meeting spot as she does for the many that come to Shibuya making it the busiest intersection in Tokyo.  Shibuya is considered the major shopping district with Tokyoites  Dinner is on your own and accommodations at the same hotel.                     

Day 10 - Wednesday, June 13        TOKYO / HONOLULU                                (B)

Breakfast at our hotel.  The day is free until your departure from the hotel to the airport.

For those who are interested after breakfast we have an optional walking tour  to the Observation Platform in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building to get a bird's-eye view of the city.  You can then join your escort and guide for some last minute shopping in Shinjuku or Shibuya.  We leave our hotel in the afternoon for Narita International Airport by motorcoach.  We depart Narita for Honolulu via air.  We arrive at Honolulu International Airport the same day. We gain one day crossing the International Date Line.

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