H.U.O.A. Study Tour ( October 03 – October 14, 2019 ) Rd Thursday, Oct 03 Honolulu - Okinawa Via Osaka/ Kansai______9:00A.M
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758 Kapahulu Avenue, Suite # 220 *** Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 Phone No: (808) 739-9010 ** Fax No: (808) 735-0142 ** TAR#4988 Email address: [email protected] H.U.O.A. Study Tour ( October 03 – October 14, 2019 ) rd Thursday, Oct 03 Honolulu - Okinawa via Osaka/ Kansai________ 9:00a.m. Please meet TOMOMI SHIMABUKURO, your tour coordinator at the JAPAN AIRLINES check-in area located in Lobby #5 of the Honolulu International Airport. She will give your “E – ticket” & luggage tags. Due to tight airport security, you will be checking in individually or as a family. 11:55a.m. Depart on Japan Airlines Flt. #791 bound for Osaka Kansai International Airport in Japan. In-flight meals: LUNCH: In-flight meals: LUNCH: Main entrée’ of Beef or Chicken, Salad, Miso Soup, and Seasonal Ice Cream Prior to arrival: Croissant Sandwich with Yogurt Throughout the flight, you can enjoy JAL's SKY TIME drink (real “Yuzu” Citrus Juice), other soft drinks, assorted beers, wines, sake, coffee, tea, and green tea are complimentary. Complimentary In-flight Movies in English, Japanese, Chinese, & Korean. Over 40 Music channels, with the option to make your own Playlist, and limited games too. Earphones are free. th Friday, Oct 04 Welcome to Japan (Osaka - Okinawa) ____ 4:15p.m. Arrival at Osaka Kansai International Airport. Upon arrival, immigration and customs procedures are required. After customs, please take the elevator to the 2nd Floor of the JAL Domestic counter to check-in, which is located on the right-hand side. After check-in for your Okinawa flight is done, you will have some time to eat dinner or snack. The 2nd floor has a lot of restaurants & take-out foods. 6:15p.m. Please go thru Security to get to your departure gate. Liquid drinks are allowed, please show your drinks to the security agent, they have a liquid analyzer machine to check the contents. 8:20p.m. Depart Osaka/Kansai on Japan Trans Ocean Flt. #09 bound for Naha, Okinawa. No meals will be served on the domestic flight. 10:20p.m. Arrive Naha, Okinawa. At Naha Airport, please pickup your own baggage. We will proceed straight to our awaiting chartered bus to HOTEL PALM ROYAL NAHA in Naha, which is located near Kokusai Dori and near the entrance to the famous Heiwa Dori, open market. The hotel is less than 15 minutes away from the Monorail, Yui Rail – Makishi Station. Coin laundry facility on the 2nd floor. Bring your own fabric softener (laundry detergent is dispensed through the washing machine). Please be advised that it will take about 3 hours or more to wash & dry. Ice Machine on the 2nd floor. Newly built onsen bath on the 2nd floor, men and women are separated. Saturday, Oct 05th Naha – Shuri Castle – Himeyuri no To________ 6:30-8:45a.m. Breakfast at the hotel located on the 1st floor near the elevator. 9:00a.m. Bus departs for SHURI CASTLE. Shuri was the ancient capitol of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Visiting “SHUREI NO MON” (Gate of Courtesy). In 1972 this gate was designated as a prefectural cultural asset. The main entrance to Shuri Castle is Kan Kai Mon (Gate of Joy). We will walk on the Ishi-datami (cobblestone road and stone stairs) and pass thru three more gates before entering the main castle complex. This was the residence and seat of government of the Sho Dynasty, which ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1406 to 1879. This beautiful castle was reconstructed over many years and completed in November 1992. Shurei no Mon Shuri Castle Courtyard Yubido’s Makunouchi Bento 11:00a.m. We will then visit HIMEYURI NO TO (Star Lily Memorial). The monument was erected in remembrance of the female high school students who supported the Japanese military as nurses but were killed during the Battle of Okinawa. We will also tour the HIMEYURI PEACE MUSEUM. 12:30p.m. Makunouchi Bento Lunch at YUBIDO, the restaurant/gift shop located across the museum. 1:30p.m. Last stop of the day, CHUKO AWAMORI FACTORY. The only distillery in Okinawa that creates its own unique earthware jars. Other awamori brands to be found in bottles are nicely flavored “Chuko” and the smooth one” Jinpu”. The factory has a video with English subtitles of how Okinawan Awamori is made. You will be given an opportunity to taste different types of awamori and umeshu (plum wine). 4:00p.m. Return to hotel. Rest of the day is free at your leisure. Tomomi will take anyone who is interested in going to Heiwa Doori, Machiguwa (open market selling vegetables, fresh fish, fresh pork, Okinawa tsukemono, & konbu (dried kelp), etc. ( B, L ) th Sunday, Oct 06 Naha - Northern Okinawa – Naha _ 6:30 - 8:15a.m Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will go to the northern part of Okinawa called “ YANBARU”. 8:30a.m Bus departs for MORI NO GARASU (RYUKYU GLASS FACTORY), here you will experience how to blow and make your own glass cups. Ryukyu Glass 11:15a.m. Bus departs for CHURAUMI AQUARIUM in Motobu. Churaumi means beautiful ocean in Okinawan dialect. This aquarium features the world’s largest acrylic panel, which is sure to dazzle you with exotic and colorful fishes, whale sharks and manta rays. Be sure to ask the aquarium staff for a re-entry stamp before you leave the aquarium. Dolphin Show (1:00p.m.) at Okichan theatre, which is a few minutes by foot from the aquarium. Lunch at your own expense. Near the aquarium is the Oceanview Restaurant “INOH” which serves buffet style Okinawan Food with assorted dessert & drinks (1512 yen per person or senior citizen 65yrs old or over is 1183yen per person). Or try “OCEAN BLUE CAFE” located on the 1st floor of the aquarium near the window of the Kuroshio Tank, serving Spaghetti Napolitano, Taco Rice, Taco Sandwich & drinks. There is also a snack bar located in the “Park Center” near the Okichan Theater & Dolphin Lagoon serving Okinawan Soba, Curry Rice, Taco Rice, American Dog & more. 2:30p.m. Meet the group at the”CENTRAL GATE SNACK BAR”. We will go as a group to the bus parking area. 2:35p.m. Last stop, will be to KOURI ISLAND, part of Nakajin Village. Kouri Island and Yagaji Island are connected with a bridge (2020 meters long or 1.4 miles long). KOURI OCEAN TOWER has a panoramic view that is fascinating. Original sweets made from specialty produce of Kouri Island. Kouri Ocean Tower's original character goods are on sale. Within the shop, you can observe where the pumpkin sweets Cabonee are sold exclusively on Kouri Island. Famous Pineapple Charcoal Soap too. Bridge connected to Kouri Island Cabonee Manju Pineapple Charcoal Soap 4:30p.m. Bus departs for NAHA with a stop 5-4-4- break at NAKAGUSUKU SERVICE AREA. 6:30p.m. Bus arrives back at HOTEL PALM ROYAL NAHA. Evening is free. ( B ) Monday. Oct 07th Naha – Kin Town – Uruma City – Naha_______ 7:00 - 8:15a.m. Breakfast at the hotel. 8:30a.m. Bus departs for KIN TOWN. Will make a brief restroom stop at IGEI SERVICE AREA before arriving into KIN TOWN. KIN TOWN is well known because of KYUZO TOYAMA, the father of Okinawan immigration. He was a pioneer of migration overseas from Kin Town (previously Kin Village) to Hawaii, North America, Philippines, and central-south America from the Meiji to Taisho period, and developed a foundation for many people who are currently successful in those areas. Kyuzo Toyama was passionate about migration policy and sent migrants from Okinawa prefecture to Hawaii for the first time in 1899 (Meiji 32). He himself also led and went to Hawaii on the second round in 1903 and since then has sent many migrants to North and South America, and Hawaii. A stop at Kin’s limestone caverns, measuring 270 m in length and located 30 m below the ground, home to over 13,000 bottles of Awamori “TATSU” from Kin Shuzo Distillery Company. This natural environment, which is moist and stays at a constant temperature of 18°C, has been used as Japan’s first vintage sake cellar since 1988. Lunch en route. Bus departs for the east side of Okinawa overlooking the Pacific Ocean to Henza Island in Uruma City, OKINAWA KAICHU ROAD is a road on the sea whose length is 4.7 kilometers (almost 3 miles) the largest of the kind in Asia. It is a beautiful scenic and naturalistic drive. We will make a restroom stop and you will have some shopping time at UMI no EKI “AYAHASHIKAN” near the beginning of the road to Henza. Last stop, continue on to MIYAGI ISLAND to the “NUCHI MASU FACTORY” (sea salt of Okinawa). Nuchi masu (salt) contains 21 kinds of minerals, which was registered in the Guinness World Records in 2000 for its significant mineral richness. 5:30p.m. Bus arrives back to HOTEL PALM ROYAL NAHA. The rest of the day is at your leisure. ( B ) Tuesday. Oct 08th Naha – Shintoshin Naha – Naha___________ 7:00 - 8:30a.m. Breakfast at the hotel 9:00a.m. We will visit the OKINAWA PREFECTURAL BUILDING (KEN-CHO) and the Congress building. 11:30a.m. Lunch on your expense at the “Ken-Cho” employee cafeteria. They serve Okinawa Soba, Sooki (Spare Rib) Soba, Goya Champuru (Bittermelon & Tofu), Curry Rice, Katsu Curry (curry rice with pork cutlet over the rice), Yushidofu (fresh hot tofu), and other Okinawan specialities. After lunch, visit OKINAWA PREFECTURAL MUSEUM in a new developed area of Naha City called “ Shin Toshin” (new town). The museum opened on the first of Nov 2007.