2021 Historical Spring Break Tour #2 Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe/Himeji/Kurashiki Okayama/Miyajima/ /Hakata MARCH 20h – 28th, 2021

7nts/9days from: $2895 triple $2995 double $3395 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.

There is also a full day in Kyoto, old Japan with its quiet temples, sublime gardens, and colorful shrines followed by visits to Kobe, Himeji, Kurashiki, Okayama, Miyajima, Hiroshima, and Hakata.

Besides daily sightseeing we have included 2-hands-on experiences, bullet train ride, and 2 free days to go off and explore on your own or shop til you drop. Whether it is your first time or a seasoned traveler, this tour hits all the spots.

Itinerary/Details

Day 1 – March 20th, 2021- Saturday – Departure from Honolulu

Hawaiian Airlines #449 Departs Honolulu 1:00 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, 2021- Sunday – Kansai-Kyoto

After clearing Passport Control and Customs, we will be met by our local guide and then board the bus as we make our way to Osaka. The drive time is approximately 1 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 three nights in Osaka are 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, 2021- Monday – Osaka-Kyoto-Osaka (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:00am as we are off to Kyoto for a full day of touring. The drive time is approximately 1.5 hours.

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 day begins with a visit to Kiyomizu Temple, one of the signature World Heritage sites in Kyoto that dates back 1200 years.

Kiyomizu-dera is perhaps the most popular of the temples in Kyoto and a fixture in the minds of the Japanese people. The temple's veranda juts out of the side of a mountain supported by 13-meter-high wooden columns. The main hall with its distinctive hip-shaped roof of cypress bark rests to the rear of the veranda and houses within it a priceless statue of Kannon Bodhisattva, the goddess of mercy. From the veranda, one can appreciate fine views facing west over the city of Kyoto. This is an auspicious place to watch the sunset, which may also explain the romantic associations accorded to the temple.

Several other buildings designated as "national treasures" dot the grounds, as do waterfalls and landmarks which have entered popular lore. Thus, people come to the temple to drink water from the falls by collecting it in tin cups; the water is said to have therapeutic properties and drinking from the three different streams is said to confer health, longevity, and success in studies.

There is also a shrine Jishu-jinja Shrine on the grounds and praying there is said to help one succeed in finding an appropriate love match. People desirous of a romantic partner can be seen walking between two prominent stones with their eyes closed. If one can make the journey alone, this is taken as a sign that the pilgrim will find love. Those who need assistance in making the crossing will require an intermediary to help them find their mate.

From here, a visit to two of Kyoto’s most attractive streets, Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka, a pair of lanes that lead down from Kiyomizu-dera Temple toward Nene-no-Michi Lane. While the rest of Japan has adopted modernity with abandon, the old ways remain in Kyoto. The atmosphere of traditional old Kyoto is alive here.

Lined with beautifully restored traditional shophouses and blissfully free of the overhead power lines that mar the rest of Kyoto, this pair of pedestrian-only lanes that make for some of the most atmospheric strolling in the whole city.

You will find a variety of restaurants and teahouses to refresh yourself as you explore, including the single most atmospheric teashop in the city, Kasagiya. There are also souvenir shops selling Kyoto original goods like dolls and Japanese fans, Japanese restaurants using the reconstructed merchant’s house, and ceramic shops stand side by side along the slope. Enjoy free time here to explore and have lunch on your own.

Now, a hands-on experience, hand fan painting and then off to visit Kyoto’s famed Golden Pavilion. Be it capped by snow in winter or set against a lush green background in summer, nothing is as symbolic of Kyoto as Kinkaku-ji's golden reflection shimmering across the rippled surface of the pond before it.

Kinkaku-ji is 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 entire 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 We now make our way back to Osaka, arrival by 5:30pm. The remainder of the evening is free.

Accommodations: Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka free

Day 4 – March 23rd, 2021- Tuesday – Osaka (B)

After breakfast, enjoy a complete free day to explore, shop, and eat. Osaka's real treasures are in the bustling street life in its arcades, markets, and byways. And Osaka really comes into its own at night, when locals come out for delicious eats and good times.

Close by to our hotel is Amerikamura with its American-style boutiques and shops, international bars, and low prices. The area is a popular hangout spot for trendy youths who like Western fashion and pop culture. Rather than the big-name brands, Amemura has indie boutiques and thrift stores that give it its quirky and lively reputation. Flea markets are sometimes set up on weekends and there are often street performances. This makes this a fun place to visit and hang out to experience the fusion of Japanese and Western culture.

There’s also Kuromon Market, with more than 190 years of history and tradition, this popular area 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).

Despite its sometime touristy feel, the 150 or so shops here still give you the sense of a local neighborhood market. Local folks in the area come here to so their shopping, buy their produce and fish, new clothes, shoes, and a variety of household items and gadgets.

Just about a block away is Doguyasuji Shopping Street, a 150-meter-long shopping arcade lined with specialty shops selling cookware, kitchen utensils and restaurant supplies. This arcade with its variety of appliances, tableware and cooking accessories provides an interesting counterpoint to Kuromon Market and can also be a good spot for picking up some unique souvenirs.

Accommodations: Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka free

Day 5 – March 24th, 2021- Wednesday – Osaka-Kobe-Himeji (B/L)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am as we bid good-bye to Osaka and travel to Kobe and Himeji.

Once in Kobe, a visit to Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum. Located in Kobe’s brewery district, enjoy a tour of facilities and tasting. This brewery is inside an old sake and unlike a modern museum, the interior has the unique smell and look of an old-world brewery, which the building is.

Now lunch time, enjoy a Kobe beef lunch at a local restaurant.

From here, a short drive to Himeji, home to Japan’s largest and most beautiful castle.

This afternoon we will be visiting and Kokoen Garden.

Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle due to its elegant, white exterior, in resemblance to a bird taking flight. It is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical architecture, comprised of 83 building. The castle is both a national treasure and a world heritage site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country's twelve original castles. Extensive renovations over several years were completed and the castle re-opened to the public in early 2015.

Himeji Castle views from the top original stone walls

Next, a visit to a beautiful garden park, Kokoen Gardens, located next to Himeji Castle. This is a recent addition, opened in 1992 to commemorate the centenary of Himeji City. It is divided into nine separate walled gardens designed in various styles reflective of -period architecture.

Kokoen Garden

Close-by, our hotel for the evening, Hotel Nikko Himeji, adjacent to the Himeji JR Station and less than a two-minute walk to the covered shopping arcade, Miyuki dori. This long shopping street runs all the way from Himeji Station to the square in front of the castle.

Along the way you will find plenty of shops and a plethora of cozy cafés. One that comes particularly recommended is Hamamoto coffee, an old style “kissaten” where many elderly locals, some of them somewhat eccentric, gather during the morning hours, so it is a great place for people watching. The coffee they serve deserves a mention too, as it consists of a carefully chosen selection of beans from all over the world, ground and carefully hand-dipped in the traditional way.

A must do, walk up to the viewing platform that offers incredible views of Himeji Castle in the distance.

Arrival will be by 4:30pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.

Accommodations: Hotel Nikko Himeji free

Day 6 – March 25th, 2021- Thursday – Himeji-Kurashiki-Okayama (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we make our way to Okayama. Please prepare an overnight bag for the next 2 days as our larger pieces will be sent along to Hakata.

The morning begins with a drive to Okayama, approximately 2-hour drive including a rest stop along the way.

Our touring begins with a visit to 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.

Now, off 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, a visit to Okayama Korakuen Garden, one of Japan’s three most celebrated gardens, created roughly 300 years ago by the area’s daimyo, a symbol of the power of the samurai. It is located just beside , 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

Now, off to our hotel for the evening, Hotel Granvia Okayama, conveniently located in front of JR Okayama Station. Our arrival will be by 4:30pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.

On the west side of the station is Hokencho Shopping Arcade made up of five blocks of stores and stalls offering everything from household items to movie memorabilia. Along with the fish market, grocery, and flower shop there are also several boutiques and cafes.

Accommodations: Hotel Granvia Okayama free

Day 7 – March 26th, 2021- Friday – Okayama-Miyajima-Hiroshima (B/D)

After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:00am as we journey to Hiroshima. The drive time is approximately 3-hours including a rest stop along the way.

Once here, we are 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 (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 " 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.

After lunch on your own and some free shopping time we will ferry back to Hiroshima. 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.

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

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

Arrival at our hotel will be approximately 5:00pm. After a short break to freshen up, please meet your guide as we are off to dinner, just a minute from our hotel.

Accommodations tonight are at The New Hiroden Hotel, just 5 minutes from Hiroshima Station. Our dinner this evening is okonomiyaki, a popular pan-fried food that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese). This variability is reflected in the dish's name; "okonomi" literally means "to one's liking". The dish is available all over Japan, but is most popular in the west, particularly the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka.

Okonomiyaki is sometimes translated into English as "As-you-like-it Pancake". However, this may be misleading. Though it does consist of batter cooked on a griddle, okonomiyaki has nothing of the sweetness or fluffiness of pancakes, not to mention that it is usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam, or kimchi. A more accurate comparison, which is also made, is between okonomiyaki and pizza.

Enjoy watching the steps of your okonomiyaki being created in front of you

After dinner, we will walk back to our hotel, but if you are up for a walk, the Hiroshima JR Station is close by and some shops may still be open.

Accommodations: New Hiroden Hotel free

Day 8 – March 27th, 2021- Saturday – Hiroshima-Hajata (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:00am as we are off on yet another exciting touring day.

We will walk over to the Hiroshima Station to catch the bullet train to the Hakata Station, Hikari 531, departing at 9:05am with an arrival at 10:11am. On arrival, our bus and driver will meet us for the touring day.

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.

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

Our touring day begins with a visit to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Fukuoka, where more than 2 million people visit during the first three days of New Year. In this shrine, Sugawara-no Michizane, an excellent poet, particularly in Chinese poetry in the late 9th century, is enshrined as the god of academic achievements. During the entrance exam season, young people from all parts of Japan preparing for these examinations and their parents come to the shrine to pray for success and academic achievement.

The entire length of the approach is lined with shops that cater to the shrine's visitors. The shrine is rather large, stretching about 250 meters from one end to the other. After passing through the torii gate at the entrance, visitors will come across a pond that was built in the shape of the Japanese character for "heart". A path leads across two arched bridges and islands which represent the past, present, and future. Enjoy free time to explore and have lunch on your own.

Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

From here we are off to Canal City Shopping Complex for free time to enjoy lunch on own and have a bit of shopping time. With 250 stores, restaurants, movie theatres, it is among the largest and most elaborate shopping malls in Japan.

While Fukuoka ramen can be sampled at hundreds of vendors throughout the city, the best place to experience this local specialty is here at Canal City’s Ramen Stadium. It is an entire floor loaded with ramen kitchens selling regional variations, including the local favorite, Hakata Ramen.

Canal City Mall Ramen Stadium at Canal City

Now, off to enjoy a hands-on doll-coloring experience at the Hakata Doll Hall Shogetsudo, with over 600 items on display, ranging from works by young artists to master craftsmen. Hakata Doll is one of most beautiful and famous arts and crafts in Japan, well-known throughout the world. If you are looking for a unique souvenir from Fukuoka, look no further than the daintiness of a Hakata Doll. Nothing can beat the beauty and fine tenderness formed from techniques that have been handed down for over 500 years.

Dolls for sale at the shop hands-on doll coloring experience Now, off to our hotel for the evening, Hotel Clio Court Hakata, adjacent to the JR Hakata Station. 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. Our arrival will be by 4:45pm.

Accommodations: Hotel Clio Court Hakata free

Day 9 – March 28th, 2021- Sunday – Hakata-Fukuoka (B)

After breakfast, enjoy a complete free day to explore on your own, catch up on shopping or maybe, a little of each.

We have a late check-out from the rooms so that you can have a leisurely day, come back to rest, or repack. Please meet your guide in the lobby by 5:00pm for the short drive to the airport.

Hawaiian Airlines #828 Departs Fukuoka 8:40 pm – Arrive Honolulu 9:30 am