2022 Historical Japan Spring Break Tour #2 Osaka/Kyoto/Okayama/Kurashiki Hiroshima/Miyajima and Fukuoka MARCH 20th – 27th, 2022

6nts/8days from: $2795 triple $2895 double $3295 single Cancel for any reason up to 60 days prior-FULL REFUND! Maximum Tour size is 24 tour members!

Japan has a rich history that stretches back thousands of years and the country's ancestors have left their imprint everywhere. It is a world apart – a cultural Galápagos where a unique civilization blossomed, and today thrives in delicious contrasts of traditional and modern. The Japanese spirit is strong, warm, and incredibly welcoming.

We begin in Osaka, Japan's third-largest city where things have always moved a bit faster. It packs more color than most cities with its dazzling neon and vivid storefronts. Above all, it is a city that loves to eat: its unofficial slogan is kuidaore ('eat until you drop'). At night, Osaka shines as it seems that everyone is out for a good meal and a good time.

From here, off to Okayama, an important transportation hub and the capital of Okayama Prefecture. The city developed as a castle town during the Edo Period and became a significant regional power.

And then, Hiroshima, mostly known for the horrific split second on August 6, 1945, when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack. Today it is a modern, cosmopolitan city with excellent cuisine and a bustling nightlife.

Our tour ends in Fukuoka, one of Japan’s oldest cities, on the northern tip of Kyushu Island. It is western Japan’s most happening city and gateway to the country.

Besides the many historical sites, we have included a hands-on-experience, a dyeing experience, two bullet train rides, Kojima Jeans Street, day trip to Kyoto, Miyajima, and Kurashiki, two historic preservation districts, a complete free day in Hakata and much more. Whether it is your first time or a seasoned traveler, this tour hits all the spots.

Itinerary/Details

Day 1 – March 20th, 2022- Sunday – Departure from Honolulu

Hawaiian Airlines #827 Departs Honolulu 1:10 pm – Arrive Kansai 6:45 pm +1

Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines check-in counters, Terminal 2, Lobby 4, a minimum of 3 hours prior to the departure time.

A complimentary meal will be served in-flight.

Day 2 – March 21st, 2022- Monday – Kansai-Osaka

After clearing customs, we will be met by our local guide and then Osaka. The drive time is approximately one-hour.

Welcome to Osaka, Japan’s 3rd most populous city and the working heart of Kansai. Famous for its down- to-earth citizens and the colorful Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect) they speak, it is a good counterpart to the refined atmosphere of Kyoto. Primarily, Osaka is famous for good eating: the phrase kuidaore (eat 'til you drop) was coined to describe Osakans' love for good food. Osaka is also a good place to experience a modern Japanese city. It is only surpassed by Tokyo as a showcase of the Japanese urban phenomenon.

Accommodations for our first three nights on tour is at the Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka, set in a modern high-rise building. Enjoy incredible views of the city and its surrounding from your room.

The hotel is ideally located just a few minutes’ walk to Shinsaibashi, Osaka’s most famous entertainment district and Dotonbori, where you can sample many of Osaka’s most famous dishes.

Famous Blade Runner Neon Shinsaibashi Shopping Dotonbori Street

Accommodations: Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka free

Day 3 – March 22nd, 2022- Tuesday – Osaka (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am as we are off on a half day of touring.

The morning begins with a visit to Osaka Castle, one of Osaka’s most popular landmark sights.

Travel back in time almost 400 years to feudal Japan on the chaos and violence of an epic conflict—the final one of the samurai era. In 1614 and 1615 hundreds of thousands of samurai—blasting guns, shooting arrows, and wielding swords—unleashed their force on the Osaka castle, inaugurating the downfall of the Toyotomi clan and sealing Tokugawa Ieyasu's position as Japan's undisputed master. Explore the fury of samurai warfare—from gory beheadings to fierce sword fights.

For days Ieyasu's forces barraged the castle's walls with fire from 300 cannons, causing fear and confusion. In January 1615 Hideyori finally signed a treaty, ending what became known as the Winter Siege, or Fuyu no Jin. But the truce fell apart, and the Summer Siege, or Natsu no Jin, began.

Magnificent Osaka Castle has been destroyed – and restored – several times, with its most extensive refurbishment completed in 1997. As you walk around you can still marvel at its massive stone walls, gold- leaf trim, copper roof, and panoramic views. There is also a fascinating on-site museum that chronicles its tumultuous history.

Osaka Castle snacks & souvenirs view from top of castle perch

From here, a visit to Kuromon Market, one of the main food markets in Osaka. With more than 190 years of history and tradition, this very popular market is known by locals as "Gastronome" and "Osaka' s Kitchen".

All kinds of fresh food items are available at this market, fully satisfying the hunger of the people of Naniwa (Naniwa is the old name for this area).

Eat-in shops for sushi or fresh seafood over rice, also grilled fish, shellfish, meat, and other food being served in or outside of shops give off mouth-watering aromas. At 600 meters long with over 170 stalls, Kuromon Market offers not only fresh fish and food items, but a complete range of household goods and yes even appliances.

Now, a return to our hotel, arrival by 1:30pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free. Our local guide will be available for a walking tour of Shinsaibashi for those who may not be familiar with the area.

Accommodations: Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka free

Day 4 – March 23rd, 2022- Wednesday –Osaka-Kyoto-Osaka (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off on a full day of touring Kyoto. The drive time is approximately one hour.

Kyoto is a town of 1.5 million, a place beloved not for its go-all-night sleeplessness but its quiescence: In pockets of Kyoto, you can see Japan as it was centuries ago, as if modernity itself were a simple inconvenience, something to be adapted or ignored as chosen. This is, after all, where everything we think of as Japanese—its court culture, its art, its artisanry, and, oh yes, much of its spectacular cuisine—was born or perfected.

Once here, our touring begins with a visit Kinkaku-ji, one of Japan's best-known sights. The original building was built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. His son converted it into a temple.

In 1950 a young monk consummated his obsession with the temple by burning it to the ground. The monk's story was fictionalized in Mishima Yukio's The Golden Pavilion. In 1955 a full reconstruction was completed that exactly followed the original design, but the gold-foil covering was extended to the lower floors.

The temple is set in three stories. The 1st floor is Shinden-zukuri, the palace style. It is named Ho-sui-in. The 2nd floor is Buke-zukuri, the style of the samurai house and is called Cho-on-do. The 3rd floor is Karayo style or Zen temple style. It is called Kukkyo-cho.

Both the 2nd and 3rd floors are covered with gold-leaf on Japanese lacquer. The roof, upon which the Chinese phoenix settles, is thatched with shingles.

The temple is surrounded by a beautiful garden with a pond in the front called the Mirror Pond. The stones in the pond give a representation of the Buddhist era.

Golden Temple & grounds

Next, on the outskirts of Kyoto, the Sagano Bamboo Forest, a natural forest of bamboo. Come, take a stroll through one of Kyoto’s most famous scenes, the iconic Bamboo Forest. View the towering green stalks of this versatile plant sway in the wind, creaking eerily as they collide and twist. Standing amid the bamboo is like being in another world. Make sure to have your camera on hand.

Close by, time to explore and have lunch on your own in the Arashiyama Area, a popular destination since the Heian Period when nobles came to enjoy its natural setting. Its main street offers a variety of small shops and restaurants as well as the famed Togetsukyo Bridge, built during the Heian Period and reconstructed in the 1930’s. The combination of the bridge with the forested mountainside as a background, makes for great photography.

Our last stop on today’s touring is at Tenryuji Temple, ranked first among Kyoto's top five Zen temples. This UNESCO World Heritage site was originally built in 1339. Its buildings were repeatedly lost in fires and wars over the centuries.

Unlike the temple buildings, Tenryuji's garden survived the centuries in its original form. Created by the famous garden designer Muso Soseki, this beautiful, landscaped garden features a central pond surrounded by rocks, pine trees and the forested mountains.

Not to be missed is the Cloud Dragon on the temples’ ceiling painted in 1997 by the renowned nihonga artist Kayama Matazo. The Cloud Dragon is rendered in the happo nirami style, in which the dragon appears to be looking directly at the viewer from wherever it is seen.

We now make our way back to Osaka, arrival by 5:00pm. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.

Accommodations: Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka free

Day 5 – March 24th, 2022- Thursday –Osaka-Okayama (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:15am as we are off by bullet train to Okayama. Please prepare a small overnight bag for the next two days. Our bags will be sent separately by truck and meet us in Fukuoka. The morning begins with a short drive to the Shin Osaka Station as we board Nozomi 7 at 9:23am and arrive at the Okayama Station at 10:12am. We will be met by a new bus and driver for the drive to Okayama. The drive time is approximately 1.5 hours.

We begin our touring with a visit to Katsuyama Historical Preservation District, a historic town with white- walled kura (storehouses) and merchant houses with stone walls and lattice grating.

Katsuyama town prospered in the Edo period as a post town where travelers would stay for a night on the way to Izumo Shrine. Today, it has become a popular destination for its historical flair. Old sake breweries and samurai residences are still preserved and other old buildings, such as warehouses are refashioned into cafes and galleries. The town is famous for its noren (Japanese curtains) that are used to divide rooms or doors. Colorful noren decorate the traditional shops throughout Katsuyama town and they are also a popular souvenir.

Enjoy free time to explore and have lunch on your own.

From here, a fun hands-on handkerchief dyeing experience before making our way to our hotel for the evening, Hotel Granvia Okayama, ideally situated at the Okayama Station. Our arrival will be by 5:00pm and the remainder of the evening is free. You will find a wide variety of shops and dining options.

Accommodations: Hotel Granvia Okayama free

Day 6 – March 25th, 2022- Friday – Okayama-Kurashiki-Hiroshima (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off on a full day of touring.

The morning begins with a visit to Kurakuen Garden, one of Japan’s three most celebrated gardens. It was created roughly 300 years ago by the area’s daimyo, a symbol of the power of the samurai. It is located just beside Okayama Castle, which can be seen from the garden as "borrowed scenery".

Korakuen is a spacious garden that incorporates the typical features of a Japanese landscaped garden, including a large pond, streams, walking paths and a hill that serves as a lookout point. Rather unique for a Japanese garden, however, are Korakuen's spacious lawns. Also found in the garden are groves of plum, cherry and maple trees, tea and rice fields, an archery range, and a crane aviary.

Enjoy free time here to walk around and enjoy the scenery.

Okayama Korakuen Garden

From here we make our way to Kurashiki, the drive time just under one hour. Once here we begin with a visit to Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, where you can enjoy free time to stroll her backstreets. It is a tiny but immaculately preserved section of its old rice-merchant quarter, which prospered in the Edo period. There are about 300 old houses and granaries. The oldest is about 300 years old. Old Kurashiki today consists of dozens of characteristic whitewashed, black-tiled kura, or rice granaries, centered around a willow-lined transport canal. Many have been converted into museums, shops, teahouses, and inns, injecting contemporary vitality into these relics of traditional Japan. It is considered one of the picturesque merchants’ quarter in Japan.

The quaint charm of those times has been retained with white wooden houses with traditional black tiles & no electrical poles on the roads! Some families who have lived here for generations are still there!

It is a “must see traditional neighborhood” where you will have time to enjoy the atmosphere, have lunch on your own and do some small kine shopping.

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

Now, off to visit Kojima Jeans Street, where Japan made jeans were born and an ultra-funky shopping experience awaits. Indigo lovers from all over the world come here for each denim pieces’ unique concept and character. It is known as the “holy land” of Japan-made jeans.

Welcome to the world of indigo-blue, stylish, and high-quality jeans sold here in over 30 different stores. Each store has each unique concept, selling vintage denim, one-of-a-kind jeans, exclusives for women and even denim loungewear. Other than that, clothes and leather products which go great with jeans are waiting for you to try on. We will spend one hour here for you can explore on your own.

From here, we make our way to Hiroshima, the drive time is approximately 2.5 hours with a rest stop. The arrival at our hotel, Hotel Granvia Hiroshima will be by 6:00pm. Our hotel is ideally situated, right at the Hiroshima Station. You will find a wide variety of shop and dining options.

Accommodations: Hotel Granvia Horoshima free

Day 7 – March 26th, 2022- Saturday – Hiroshima-Miyajima-Fukuoka (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am for another full day of touring.

Our touring day begins with a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and A-Bomb Dome.

With six beautiful rivers flowing through it, Hiroshima is called the City of Water. The origins of the city date back to 1589 when Mori Terumoto, a feudal lord, built Hiroshima Castle at the large delta of the Ota- gawa River. Because the delta resembled a large island, the area was called "Hiroshima", or 'wide island' in Japanese.

Although many only know it for the horrific split second on August 6, 1945, when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, it is now a modern, cosmopolitan city with excellent cuisine and a bustling nightlife.

We will be visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, located in the center of Hiroshima City. It is difficult to imagine that this triangle shaped piece of land bordered by two rivers was once a busy commercial and residential downtown area. The atomic bomb eliminated everything in the town. After World War II, a group led by a Japanese architect Kenzo Tange designed the park to turn the land into the Peace Memorial Park It was completed in 1954.

There are many buildings and monuments which commemorate people who lost their lives at that time and represent the people's prayers for peace, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Memorial Cenotaph, and the Statue of the A-Bomb Children, etc. By imagining the contrast between the misery of the atomic bomb attack and the beauty and tranquility in the park while visiting spots in the park, you will be moved to appreciate how precious peace is.

Next, a stop at the A-Bomb Dome, a symbol of peace which most people have at least seen at one time in a picture. The building, which was designed by a Czech architect in 1915, had been used as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Hiroshima citizens back then loved so much European modern-style buildings of the time. In 1912, the National Confectionery Exposition was held in this place. From that exposition, Baumkuchen, which represented German cake, was manufactured, and sold in Japan for the first time. Since the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall was located only around 160 meters from the hypocenter, the building was blown up, and all those inside the building died. However, the building was not destroyed completely because the blast of the atomic bomb, which was vaporized in the air, prevented it from totally collapsing. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and has been representing people's prayers for a lasting peace.

A-Bomb Dome Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

From here, a drive to the Miyajima ferry station. The drive time is approximately 45-minutes. Once here, off on a short 10-minute ferry ride to Miyajima Island, one of the most scenic spots in Japan. It has long been regarded as an Island of Gods on the beautiful Seto Inland Sea. It is a romantic and historical island where Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage site, is located, along with the Virgin Forest of Mt. Misen, and numerous preserved shrines, temples, and historical monuments.

Its star attraction is the oft-photographed vermilion torii (shrine gate) of Itsukushima-jinja, which seems to float on the waves at high tide – a scene that has traditionally been ranked as one of the three best views in Japan.

From the ferry station, we will walk along Omote-Sando, the main street from the port to Itsukushima Shrine. There are many souvenir shops on both sides of the street. You will have time to enjoy souvenir shopping for a Shamoji (a rice scoop) or the well-known Momiji manju, a bun with a bean-jam filling made from maple leaves as well and other crafts.

We will now visit the cultural heritage site, called the "Itsukushima Shinto Shrine" that is dedicated to the God protecting people from sea disasters and wars. It is said that this shrine was constructed around 593; however, after the warlord Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181) rebuilt it in 1168, it became the magnificent vermilion-lacquered building it is today. The most interesting feature of this shrine is the Torii (a kind of gate symbolizing a shrine) and the Shaden (shrine pavilion) in the sea, which are both submerged at full tide, but at low tide the sea water recedes completely, and it is possible to walk out to the gate.

Ferry to Miyajima vermilion torii in the water Itsukushima Shinto Shrine & approach

After lunch on your own and some free shopping time we make our way back to Hiroshima to catch our second bullet train ride, Nozomi 31 that departs Hiroshima Station at 4:06pm and arrives at Hakata Station at 5:06pm.

Accommodations for this evening is at the Hotel Clio Court Hakata, adjacent to the JR Hakata Station. It is all about location, hard to find a more convenient spot, just steps from so many dining and shopping options. After checking in, the remainder of the evening is free.

Hotel Clio Court Hakata Hakata JR Station

Accommodations: Hotel Clio Court Hakata free

Day 8 – March 27th, 2022- Sunday – Hakata-Fukuoka Airport (B)

Welcome to Fukuoka, Kyushu’s largest city and Japan’s sixth largest. It is made up of two former towns, the Fukuoka castle town on the west bank of the Naka-gawa and Hakata on the east. The two towns merged in 1889 as Fukuoka, though the name Hakata is still widely in use. As an example, it is Fukuoka Airport but Hakata Station.

After breakfast, enjoy a complete free last day. We have arranged for a late check-out from your rooms. Please meet your guide in the lobby by 5:00pm for the short drive to the Fukuoka Airport.

Whatever you call it; this youthful, user-friendly metropolis has a cosmopolitan charm, peppered with the flavors of its Asian neighbors. Hakata traces its trading history back some 2000 years, which continues today with visitors from Seoul and Shanghai. Among Japanese, the city is famed for its 'Hakata bijin' (beautiful women), SoftBank Hawks’ baseball team and hearty Hakata ramen.

If Fukuoka does not burst with sights like Tokyo or Kyoto, its friendly atmosphere, warm weather, and contemporary attractions – art, architecture, shopping, and cuisine – make up for it.

Hawaiian Airlines #828 Departs Fukuoka 8:40 pm – Arrives in Honolulu 9:20 am