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INSIDE f HrsrsSuE: I{mister](itogow(I yisits Nlghr on Augusr l0 !o Exchangeand TeachingPro' adveftisejapan as parr of che gramme Alurnn Associarion) Aosholio 2006 ALrsrralla-japanYear of and Ausrralia.lapan Sociery Exchange- a /ear in which (Als) members as spec al s l'4lnlster for Land, lapan borh councries are taking Representa.ivesof the V sir Infrastruc.ure and Trans srcPs to rur$er Promo.e Japan Campalgn, H.E. |-r. Kazuo Porq mutua understandingas well recognirion oi rhe r Kitagawavislted Austra ia for as .o increasethe number of contrlbut ons ro cukura .hree days asr monrh as a rourlsts belween rhe rwo exchange and murual HikinAatMt 3 guest of rhe Australan unoerstanang Detween l'4ore .han 100 rravel D!ring his v sir, 14inG.er age.ls a.d medla from Another hlShiighr ot lhe KitaSawa exchanged views affoss Ausrfa ia atiended evenrnss Progfam was lhe with ihe Minisreffof Smal rhe A!stra ia japan To!rism laiko drum performance by Busness and Tourism, rhe Night Japanhas ld rourism Me bourne based japanese Mln sler for Indusrry, Tour- seminar ac Sydney'sShangrl drum group Taiko R ndo, ism and Resourcesand lhe La Hore, andmore than250 who pedormed a feature l'1lnsler for Transport and joined rhe recepcion rha! p ece from lhe Chi.hibu N ghr Fesriva. Linister Kitatawa also In a specia ,naugurarion look lhe opporrunity to v sir ceremony flinisrer K la8awa Ediror: Sydneywhere he hosted lhe appoliled IETAA lapan RebeccaHonda Austraia - lapan Toursm

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As part of the Vcr kpan of the IETAA Sydney Chapref. as a destinanon ior Ausr.alian camparsn(vlc) In Au$.ahaand Repfeseitanles from CLAiR travelleB and to dsc!$ lhe to conclde wtrh rhe 2006 (Co!ncl of Loctr Auiho.irles role that IETAA membcE can Australia-lapanYear ol for Intemational Relationt. rhe Pay In luftherP.omorirglaPa.. Exchanse,JNTO and lhe VJc lapan Foundarlon. Japak and The atreidlnS JETAA mehbeE Committee held a lapan JNTO tave presentatlons and Put foMard several ideas for P.omotonForum at Sydneys aso loined the recepron. Thc PromotiiS favel ro laPan aid Shcratofor the Parkhote on scminar was desi8nedro hr6h Provided some uselul feedback luly l0 for membeBand suens litht the atraftvenes ol lapan on cur.entP.omorons. PAGE 2 Osefulwebsites

Summer laoan SkvmarkAirlines This site has autumn foliage www.summertaPan.Tokyo based discounr airline, locationsacros lapan. ski lieldsand winrer spons,bur rhe Skymark Anlines now hav€ an islandalso has lots to of{€r in lhe Entlish site including an online summer. From outdoor acrivities bookingfun.tion. SkymarkAirlines such a! hiking and rafting,to hor operat€s PassenS€rseryices on springand cuhural Japan! r€Sionalroutes. mention the local f€srivah - Hokkaidois great placefor a sum- lapan's autumn folia8e - lapan clde www. japan -gu id€.co m/e/ Hello Tokyo laxi e20l4.html www.hello-tokyo.co.ip/€nglish/ Japa.Guide h a musr-visirsite for those planningrnvel to japan.Of Hello Tokyo Taxi offers an English panicularinrerest to those visiting interpretint service to its Japanin the (nonher.) autumnis passent€B.The serurceis accessed th€ excellentsection on the autumn bI th€ tqi driver via mobilephone foliare (koyo) season, which which conn€ctrpa$enteE to a call includes famous viewint spots .enre providint Interpreringser- aooss lapan.Watch rhie site lor vices.The senice may be usedto updates as the koyo season communicatewath the tdi driver or it can be used by pasentere OAomori Prelectural Government CuliuralTourism Promotion Olvision & amontstthemselves fo. businessor Rurubu.com 0apan€seonly) Aomorl Prefdur, Tourkm Federation,

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As pan of the Austalia.lapanYear of E chanSeC/OE) promorions,special pnvilete plansare beinSoffer€d to Aust.aliansvisitint japan beMeen September I and December31, 2006.The focusof thesesDecial Dlans are sithtseeinSspotr where visiroE can enjoy beautiful aucumnfoliate, natural hot springs,andlapanee cuhure and cuisine.During the excllsiveoffer p€riod,visitors to Tok/o, Nikko, Kyoto, Nan, Takayama,Sendai and Shimanecan enjoydiscounis ar selecredhciliries. The Toklo Ciry Vi€w obteNadond€ck at RoppontiHills, Toei l'4ovieLand, and the AdachiMlseum ot An are amongth€ f:ciliriesoflerint specalserurces dunnt the promononperiod. To 'e(eive the discountsvisirors should present the Yearof ExchanSe exdusiveofler web (oLponar the paftic,pa(in8hc,hues. Funherinformadon and web couponsavailable at www.lnto.to.ip/ryd/yo€/index.html TobuSightseeing ServiceCentre welcones I0.000ih visitor On July 18,th€ Tobu SithtseeintSeryice Cenrre at Asakusa*adon welcomedits 10.0006visiror. The centrewhichope.ed in Ocrob€r2004 provides information in Englishabour sithrseeint auracrions a.cess€d via the Tobu Railwaylines and sellsspecial Nikko/Khutawa-Onsen discounr rail passesfor inrernarional 'i' visitors.The Arakusa ce.tre war designatedan informarioncenrre by JNTO in April 2005. Locadon:Groundfloor ofTobu A,sakusastation Open: Daily 8:00- l4:30 (closed Dec 30-jan 3)

Dis.ount rail Dds onlin€ rales From Autust 22 severalof the Tobu Railwa),'sNikko and Kinltawa spe.ialdiscount rdil passesfor internationalvisiroB will be availablefor purchasebI cr€ditcard via rhe interner Paymenrfo. the pas€srs made onlinewith purchaseBrhen collectingrhe passesf.om th€ Tobu SithtseeingSeruice Cenre at Asakusastatjon on the dayof ravel. Ticke$available for purchaseonline All Nikko Pass,World HeritaSe Fass,Kinutawa Theme Park Pass. l.,lore at www.tobuland.comforeian/

JAPAN TRAVEL NEvvS SPRING -ZOO6 PAGE 3 /a;.- \ ,'2 Hikingof I'lt Tokoo {nj0g the 00[imn totioge ondnuioe inT0kU0- I I Mt Takao(alt 599m).har beenw€ll knownd e sacredmountain since Yakuo-in, a Buddhinrempl€ of the Chian Schootof the ShinSon I Sect,was es$blished in 7,14near the top ofthe mou.rain. Pamousfor its naturalforesrs, fora and wild birds, Mr Takao hs sev€rathik- I I ing.oursesincludint six walkingcourses for naturestudy. The mountainand its rurroundingareas are designatedd a Quasi-NationalI I Parkand their accessibilityby tmin from centnl Totgo makesthe area a poputardestination. I I ACCESS I | . Tokyo station to Trkaosen-guchi station I I Take the JR Chuo Line to Takaostation (890 yen). Specialrapid seryicestak€ | hour and run eve.y | 5 minotes.Rapid seruicestake I I hou. and | 0 minutesand run deq/ I 0 minutes.Chante at Takaosation to the K€io Takao Line (private line) and travel to Takaoen- I guchi(120 yen). Taker 3 minutes. I I I 2. Shiniuku to Takrord-guchi station N I Take the K€io & Keio Takao Lines to Takaosan-tuchi(370 yen). Takes 47 minur6. Discounr return tick€t (valid for 2 dayt betwe€n I ShiniukuStation and the top of lYt Takaoon KeioLine and cable car or chairlift:1320 yen (we€kdayt, 1480 yen (weekends & holidays).I I I T:ke the eble car or chairlift from Takaosan-to.hito rhe summit oI lYt Takao.Coslt 470 yen one way, mO yen round rip. I I PLACES I OF INTEREST I Takeosan ]'lonkey Garden and \/vild Grasr Garden Open daily I Tel.0426-6 | -2381. A shon walkfrom cablecar Sancho Station. Admission: adults 400 yen. children 200 yen. Open:lYarch-April | 0:00- ! I 6:30,f|ay-Nor 9:30-| 5:30,D€{.-Feb. 9130- | 6:00 I I Mt. Tekao Summit : 20 min. walk from Yakuo-inTempte j sup€rbview of ML Fuji and Tokyo Ba),.Open dait

I I SixWdkinr Trdils for Nature Study(Ple6€ rec llt Takao map) I Route No. | : The nature of l.lt. Takao I I I (yiaYakuo-in Temple) 3.8 km,90 min.walk I I Rout€ No.2 : The forest of lYt Takao I I KasumidaiHill Kasumda'H'll I (looptnil) 0.9km,30 min.wlk i I I The plantsof l,lr. Takao I KasumidaiHill I (via I sourhhill) 2.4km. 5s mm.wd( I I RouteNo.4: Forets andAnimals Gat€..-.---'--- - Joshin-mon Mt.Takao Summir I I (vianonh hill) 1.5km,45 min.wdk I I Route No.5 : Peopleand Nature I Centeredaround a lookourpoint on ML Takao,0.9 km, 30 min,watk I Route No.6 | Foresrsand Water I Foot of llr Talao ------I I (via BiwadakiFall ) 3.3km, 90 min. mlk I I I I (vial,lr Inari) 3.1km, 80 min.wdk I I I Ht. Jlnba Hikinr Courie I 03 km,25 min. 3.5km. I hr. lJ km,35 min. 3 km,50 min. I km,40 min. I Yakuo-inTemple - Lookout - Kobotoke Prs -fh Katenobu- t'lyo-o pas - I lkm,20 min. 4 km,50 min. 55 min.bus ride I l'1rlinba - WadaPbss -Jinba-Kog€n-shira-Hachioji StationorJR Hachioiistation- ShinjukuSta. I (Not€: ML alt.857m., sup€rb viM from i Jinba, the summit) I Hachioji City ofii.ial iite ; www.citv.hachioii,tokyo.ip/HP-englirhtithte€einAhi€ht.html I I I For funher e.quiries, Pfeasecontad TakaoViritor C€ntr. +Al 426-6+7872. M^ps are availableat K€io Talaosan{uchi station. I * For informationsheeB on hikintroures I in Nikkoand Hakone pleale contadlNTo. I

The Visit JapanCampaign Q/ An initatveol thelapanese 8ove.nmeit. the VistJapanCampa tn (VlC) aimsto attrtrct 0 milhonvsiro* pe./ea.!oJapm byrhe ycaf 20 0 A! preseir lapa. rece les jus. over 5 m llion v s tofs In 2005 Aunraha bccame a target market for the VlC.INTO sup- A!stra[a SquareTower po.ts thB campa,snand encoufagcsyou to vlsrt the VJCs lapan 264George St. Sydiey NSw 2000Au$nha Wecomes YoL webste whch has rcccnrl/ been lncorpotuted Tel: 02 925 3024 Fix:02-9251303 Into thelapanT.aYe nfo..om webs te Ema [email protected] Fo. generaLInfo.mation, maps and brochures for raveL io japan www.japantravelinfo.com Y Roro. coitaftJNTO. Vis t rhe new ook. easyto nav8atelNTO webs te. A?AII lopan Ryokon A$o

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O.r l.l-l5 KawagoeFestival, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture Thisyear 5 Edostye floatswrllbe paradedthrcuth rhestreers of KawaSoe- a.iry dubbedLitrle Edo'for its rradinona srreets.With morethan 3 50 /earsof histo ry, thisfesfival was desSnared s ai lmportantnrant bte lo k cutu rat aset tn 2005.

O.t 17 Nikko Toshotu Grand Autumn Fertival, Nikko City Heldat oneofNrkko s famolsWo.ld He.itagesires, the mah aEracrlonofthis festivalis thetrand proce$roi ofmen dressedin samuraicostumescalled the Paradeof 1.000samura warriors. Dec 2-3 Chichibu Night Festival(Chichibu Yomatsu.i), Chichibu Shrine, Chichibo City, Saitama Pr€f€

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Oct l4- 15 Nada FiAhting Fertival(Nada no Kenka I'latsuri), Mattubara Hachiman Shrine, Himeii City Menin loindorhsclash portabLe shrhes wirh thetr opponeils. The routh andt!mble sp.it ofrhe fithrint menis saidto pleasethegods. o.t 72 Festivalofthe Aaes (Jidai Matsuri), Heian Jingu,Kyoto City One of Kyoto\ largesrfestNals.

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Oct 7-9 NagasakiKun.hi Festival,Suwa Shrine, NatasakiCity An autumnfestiva ofdances wirh a h storyof370 vea6. Oct I Health & Sports Day (nationalholiday) Oct I -10 TakayamaAutumn Fertival,SakurayamaHachiman Shrine,Takayama One oflapai\ ih.ee mo$ beauliI!LIesriyals. Nov 3 Culture Day (national holiday) Nov l2 - 26 Sumo Grand Tournament, Fukuoka Kokusai Centre, Fukuoka City Nov l5 Shi.hi8ot.n(Children! shrine vkirin8 day) Nov 23 Labour ThankrEivin8Day (national holiday) Dec 23 Ehpero.'s Airthday (natjonal holiday)