Japan is a land of delicate art and bustling commerce, of rich traditions
and dizzying modernity, a jumble of sights, sounds, and tastes that for
visitors are truly foreign—and truly fascinating. This well-crafted
tour features the highlights of Tokyo and Kyoto. It engages you in local
life and takes you off the beaten path to the lovely historic cities of
Takayama and Kanazawa.
September 14: Depart U.S. for Tokyo, Japan
September 15: Arrive Tokyo
After arriving in Japan’s financial, commercial, and political capital
this evening, transfer to your hotel where you learn about the journey
ahead at a briefing with your tour director.
September 16: Tokyo
Spend the morning touring this amazing city that comprises 23 wards
and covers a staggering 840 miles. Visit some of Tokyo’s top sights, including Shinto Meiji Shrine, a
peaceful enclave of temples and gardens, and historic Imperial Palace,
surrounded by moats and ramparts and home of the Imperial Family. Next visit Tokyo’s oldest temple, Buddhist Asakusa Kannon, followed by
the Nakamise Shopping Arcade. The afternoon is at leisure; in the evening
enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
September 17: Tokyo
Your day begins with a motorcoach tour of Ginza, Tokyo’s famed shopping,
dining, and entertainment district boasting the most expensive real
estate in all of Japan. Visit the gallery of preeminent calligrapher
Koshun Masunaga, learn about this ancient art, and browse the
collection. The remainder of the day is at leisure to visit some of
Ginza’s department stores, boutiques, or galleries or to set off in a
new direction.
September 18: Tokyo/Mt. Fuji-Hakone Izu National Park/Suwa
Japan’s pastoral side is on tap as you leave Tokyo for Mt.
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Here sits imposing Mt. Fuji, a dormant
volcano (it last erupted in 1707) with a perfectly symmetrical cone
that rises to 12,388 feet. The mountain’s majesty is breathtaking, as
artists and writers have attested for centuries. Take a coach ride
where, weather permitting, you’ll enjoy breathtaking panoramic views,
then descend for a relaxing cruise on scenic Ashi Lake. Travel to the town of Suwa and spend the night at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn where you take off your shoes upon entering and sleep on a futon.
September 19: Suwa/Takayama
Travel to lovely Takayama in the Japanese Alps, considered one of the
country’s most attractive towns with its 16th-century castle and
old-style buildings. Explore narrow streets in
the San-machi-suji district where, in feudal times, merchants lived
amidst the authentically preserved small inns, teahouses, and sake
breweries. Enjoy a sake tasting, then have free time
to visit local shops that sell the region’s unique lacquerware and
prized carvings of yew wood.
September 20: Takayama/Shirakawago/Kanazawa
Pay an early visit to the riverside Miyagaiua Morning Market, selling
flowers, fruit, and vegetables—a blaze of dazzling colors and exotic
foodstuffs. Then leave Takayama for the UNESCO World Heritage site of
Shirakawago Gasshozukuri Village. Comprising buildings relocated from
authentic villages nearby that were razed for a dam, the village is
also a vibrant community whose residents work together to preserve the
unique traditional architecture known as Gassho style. Next visit Miboro, the largest dam constructed using rock-fill
technology—just stones and clay. Late afternoon reach the castle
town of Kanazawa, an alluring coastal city that survived the ravages of
World War II.
September 21: Kanazawa
Your tour of this culturally-rich city features renowned Kenrokuen Garden, a
national landmark whose origins date to 1676. See Ishikawa Gate,
the only remaining section of the town’s original castle; the Gold Leaf
Museum, celebrating the art and craft of gold leaf technology; and the
Higashi Chayagai teahouse and geisha area. Your last stop is the
Nagamachi Samurai district, where the ruling family’s samurai warriors lived.
September 22: Kanazawa/Kyoto
This morning visit the Kutani Ceramics Museum,
celebrating this quintessential Japanese art form, and the Asakusa
Isokichi Art Museum. Then board the train for Kyoto, once Japan’s
Imperial Capital and now the country’s cultural and artistic capital.
With more than 1,600 temples, hundreds of shrines, artful gardens, and
well-preserved wooden architecture, Kyoto embodies Japan’s rich culture
and complex history.
September 23: Kyoto
Today’s tour reveals the highlights of Kyoto, which was spared
destruction during World War II. Highlights include 16th-century
Ryoan-ji Temple, where you will see the dry garden of sand and rocks (kare-sansui),
a marvel of classic Japanese design, and Kinkaku-ji, the lakeside
Temple of the Golden Pavilion set on pillars suspended over the water. Then visit ostentatious Nijo Castle (c. 1603), where the shogun asserted control over the city and its people. Attend a
traditional Japanese tea ceremony, an historic, ritualized ceremony of
form, grace, and spirituality.
September 24: Kyoto
Today is free to explore as you wish. Possibilities abound in Kyoto, or join an optional excursion to Nara, Japan’s ancient capital.
September 25: Kyoto
See the sights today from a slightly different perspective as you embark
on a cycling tour through the grounds of the Imperial Palace and its
garden, Kyoto-gyoen, and the Gion district where geishas gather. Disembark to stroll through Miyakwacho, where the geishas live, and
Machiya, a neighborhood of traditional townhouses. Your afternoon is at
leisure. In the evening enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
September 26: Depart Kyoto for U.S.
Travel by train to Osaka and board your return flight to the United States.
Prices start at $4,495, air and land inclusive.
The trip will be accompanied by faculty member from Colby, Colgate University, or Hamilton College.
 Request a brochure. |
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