2019 KURISUMASU SHOPPIN G, XMAS Lights & foliage Weekender
November 26-December 1st, 2019 6days/4nts fr: $1895 double/triple $2095 single
In Tokyo before the malls and department stores there were shopping streets. These streets were lined with merchants and it was where local folk shopped. On these streets you would find green grocers, butchers, sake and rice sellers as well as local crafts, restaurants and street vendors selling delicious inexpensive food. They anchored the neighborhood and sort of made for lively city life in old school Tokyo.
This tradition continues today, while on a smaller scale, it is still the way of life for many Tokyoites.
But only the beginning as we are in peak foliage season and as such, we have included visits to Tokyo’s top viewing spots, Meiji Shrine, Meiji Jingu Gaien for Ginko Trees Festival, and Rikugien Garden, the number one foliage spot in Tokyo.
There’s more, Tokyo Mid Town Illumination with over 500,00 LED lights, making for a spectacular winter illumination event. Once here, you will most definitely be in the Christmas holiday spirit.
Itinerary/Details
Day 1 – November 26th, 2019 Tuesday – Depart from Honolulu
Hawaiian Airlines #855 Departs Honolulu 1:40 pm – Arrive Narita 6:00 pm + 1
International check in begins 3 hours prior to the departure time. Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines international check-in counters located in Terminal 2, Lobby 4. After check-in, proceed through TSA security check and meet up once again at the departure gate.
Day 2 – November 27th, 2019 Wednesday – Narita-Tokyo
After clearing Passport Control & Customs, meet our local English-speaking guide at the exit. The drive time to our Tokyo hale for the next four nights, the recently renovated Sunshine City Prince Ikebukuro. The drive time is approximately one hour. The lobby of the hotel connects to a huge shopping and entertainment mecca with four towers, including a 240- meter-high skyscraper with an observation deck on the top. Sunshine City is typically open from 10:00am to 8:00pm seven days a week. We are also less than a 10-minute walk from the Ikebukuro JR Station.
There is 24-hour Family Mart convenience store right off the lobby in case you would like to pick up food, snacks, or beverages. Within a 5-minute walk there is also a 24-hour super market, Seiyu.
After checking in, please meet your guide in the lobby as we discover the many shopping and dining venues just steps from our hotel.
Sunshine City Prince Hotel & lobby Family Mart in hotel lobby
Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel free
Day 3 – November 28th, 2019 Thursday – Tokyo (B/L)
After breakfast at our hotel we will head out for a full day of touring. Please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am.
If you've ever dreamed about melt-in-your-mouth, out-of-this-world sushi, then you might have heard of Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world. Most of Tokyo, and even high-end sushi restaurants in Hong Kong and San Francisco, gets their fish from this cultural landmark near the center of Japan's capital city.
Tsukiji sits on some of the most valuable real estate in Tokyo. The inner market, where the early morning takes place, has moved to a new home. The outer market remains and is the typical spot that we visit on tour.
Opened in 1935, Tsukiji sprang to life after the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed most of Tokyo in 1923. It has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. Every morning sightseers start lining up at 3 a.m. to watch the frozen tuna auction. The more expensive fresh tuna auctions – where a single Bluefin once sold for nearly $1.8 million- are privately conducted.
It is our first stop on tour and we will be here for 1.5 hours so that you have ample time to walk around and enjoy the outer market, visit knife-making artisan shops, tasting candies, nuts, and spices, and learning more about seasonal produce
If you’re a foodie, love markets, enjoy photography – or simply like visiting unique places – then you’ll probably love Tsukiji.
After a good stroll around the market, there’s nothing like a sushi breakfast to complete the experience. There are plenty of sushi shops – make sure to choose one where you see locals dining. If you don’t feel like sushi, there are other options including ramen, donburi and more.
If you finish early we encourage you to visit Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple, less than one block away. With an Indian- style exterior, was built in 1617 near Asakusa, but was burnt down in a huge fire that swept through Edo (Tokyo) in 1657. The Temple was then rebuilt on the present site, but destroyed again by the Great Tokyo Earthquake of 1923. The current main building was built in 1934.The main building possesses a distinctive ambience not found in other Japanese temples, due to its variety of architectural styles.
Tsukiji Fish Market
From here we are off to Ameyoko Shopping Street, famous throughout Japan for its wide variety of products.
The name "Ameyoko" is a short form for "Ameya Yokocho" (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there. Alternatively, "Ame" also stands for "America", because a lot of American products used to be available there when the street was the site of a black market in the years following WWII.
You can get just about EVERYTHING here, clothes, bags, cosmetics, fresh fish, dried squid and spices are sold along Ameyoko. It is quite the scene to just walk around through the very crowded and narrow streets. An awesome place to sightsee, shop and eat! We will remain here for 1.5 hr., so you can shop at leisure.
Ameyoko- best spot to find omiyage items
Its noontime and time for lunch at a local restaurant.
This afternoon, off to spend some quality time at Tokyo’s largest Daiso at Alcakit Kinshicho, one of the largest shopping malls in the region, right beside the JR Kinshicho Station. This Daiso takes up an entire floor and when you see it, the only words imaginable will be “Oh my gosh, this place is HUGE!”. Enjoy 2 hours here!
From here we return to our hotel, arrival by 4:30pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.
Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel free
Day 4 – November 29th, 2019 Friday – Tokyo-(B)
After breakfast, a complete free day to shop, sightsee or a little of each. By now you will have noticed that Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo’s most dynamic and down-to-earth neighborhoods. It really doesn’t disappoint.
Ikebukuro is a shopping heaven. The major shopping spots are "Sunshine City", "TOBU", and "SEIBU", all of them are a huge shopping mall with many floors full of stores. There are also big electronics shops like "Big Camera" where electronics is only the beginning of their offerings. As well, the streets are lined with many other stores and dining venues.
If you are searching for anime-related items, Otome Road is unique with many shops. You will find shops featuring manga, Japanese comics that conform to a style developed here in the late 19th century as well as costumes, wigs for cosplay and even some rare anime items.
Another unique spot here is the Sunshine Aquarium, on the rooftop of Sunshine City. Its concept is “Oasis in the Sky”, and you can enjoy this extraordinary space enveloped in water and greens. You can watch well-trained sea lions do some tricks, and penguins and pelicans getting fed. The creative exhibitions are simply fascinating.
On Ikebukuro’s north side, there’s Chinatown, relatively new to the area and popular in that it’s in a downtown location. Compared to the "Big Three" Chinatowns in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki, this one is much smaller but still offers the same kind of authentic Chinese atmosphere you can expect in any other such place around the world.
Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel free
Day 5 – November 30th, 2019 Saturday – Tokyo-(B)
After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:30am as we are off on a full day of shopping, sightseeing and topping it off with a spectacular winter illumination event, Tokyo Mid Town Illumination.
The morning begins with a visit to Sugamo Juzo Shopping Street, one of our “Hidden Japan” spots that most visitors miss out on, but now us.
Sugamo is often referred to as “Grandma’s Harajuku” as this popular shopping street caters to a more elderly crowd, 800-meter-long and filled with about 200 old style shops and restaurant for those who still remember “how it used to be”. Enjoy free time to stroll around this unique area, shop,snack, and mingle with the locals while enjoying the nostalgic feel of what shopping streets felt like 40 or 50 years ago.
The most famous shops in Sugamo are the traditional cake shops and the clothing store Maruji. Maruji is popular for its red underwear that are coveted items among older women. These bright red undershirts and underpants, which are considered lucky, besides being warm and very comfortable. Maruji found it impossible to cater to the demand with just one shop, so now they have four stores at Jizo-dori.
At the traditional cake shops, the most popular item is the shio-daifuku - which is a rice ball with a sweet red bean paste at the center – for which Sugamo is famous.
Two stores that we will be pointing out are Sugi Yohoen which stocks dozens of honeys, jams and juices, plus nihonshu (sake) infused with ginger. You can sample almost everything at the tasting counter.
The other is Chirimen for cute, modern takes on furoshiki cloths and yukata, plus wallets, coffee mugs and other everyday items.
It is the noon time hour and time for lunch at a local restaurant.
After lunch, we are off to visit Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Close-by to the Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll. Being that we are in the peak foliage period, enjoy this colorful viewing spot.
The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine was destroyed during the WWII but was rebuilt shortly thereafter. On weekends, this is a popular spot for wedding ceremonies and being that this is Saturday, expect to enjoy viewing several beautiful wedding processions right in front of your eyes.
Meiji Shrine tori gate entrance, grounds, and popular sights of weddings on weekends
From here, off to Meiji Jingu Gaien, a 300-meter-long avenue for a stroll under the tunnel of golden yellow foliage created by 146 gingko trees. It is considered one of the most beautiful places in Tokyo for autumn foliage with its stunning yellow colors. Today we are going to enjoy time at the Ginkgo Festival, a 300-meter-long ginkgo-lined avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien, celebrated spot for admiring fall foliage.
Adding to the event’s popularity are temporary stalls selling noted products from different regions of Japan as well food and drinks.
Next on our list is a visit to Shibuya Crossing and shopping area, rumored to be the world’s busiest, this intersection in front of Shibuya Station is famously known as ‘The Scramble’. It’s an awesome spectacle of giant video screens and neon, guaranteed to give you a 'Wow – I'm in Tokyo!' feeling. People come from all directions at once – sometimes over a thousand with every light change – yet still manage to dodge each other with a practiced, nonchalant agility.
It's a brief stop, just so you can experience the crossing and stop by for a photo at the Hachiko Dog statute, Tokyo's most famous pooch, Hachikō. This Akita dog came to Shibuya Station every day to meet his master, a professor, returning from work. After the professor died in 1925, Hachikō continued to come to the station daily until his own death nearly 10 years later. The story became legend and a small statue was erected in the dog’s memory in front of Shibuya Station.
Lastly, on our day, but not the least, a visit at Tokyo Mid Town Illumination, one of the most popular winter events in Tokyo during the Christmas holiday season.
The spectacular light-up show, “Starlight Garden” is the biggest highlight. The theme of the illumination is “The Universe”, featuring approximately 190,000 LED lights with over 100 balloon lights which express the movement of outer space and show the dramatic light-up view. In 2018, a special effect was added by using approximately 450,000 soap bubble blown around the Starlight Garden and made the scenery even more spectacular and dreamy.
From here, back to our hotel, arrival by 6:30pm and the remainder of the evening is free.
Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel free
Day 6 – December 1st, 2019 Sunday – Tokyo-Narita(B)
After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am. Its out last day, but still much to see and do before our flight home later this evening.
The morning begins with a visit to Rikugien Gardens, the #1 most popular fall foliage viewing spot in Tokyo. Built around 1700 for the 5th Tokugawa Shogun, Rikugien literally means “six poem garden” and reproduces 88 scenes from waka poems. The garden is a good example of an Edo Period strolling garden featuring a large central pond surrounded by manmade hills and forested areas, all connected by trails. The garden has also been designated as a national scenic beauty spot.
Our visit here today is at the best time of the year, autumn, when numerous maple trees turn the garden into a prime fall foliage viewing spot. The views are particularly beautiful around the stream that runs by the Tsutsuji no Chaya teahouse, around the Togetsukyo Bride and from the Fujishirotoge viewpoint. Enjoy free time here to take in the beautiful colors.
From here, we are off to Asakusa, the traditional, low-rise, down, and dirty Tokyo of yesteryear. Although on the surface it’s ye olde Japan, this was the first part of the capital to have significant western influence. It was even the site of Japan’s first cinema.
Attractions in the area include one of Tokyo’s most historic temples – Sensoji, and the impressive Kaminarimon Gate that marks the entranceway to the temple. Also, you can’t miss Phillip Stark’s ‘Golden Poo’ on the roof of the nearby Asahi Breweries headquarters.
Sensoji Temple dates to 645, but with the original destroyed in the air raids of 1945, today’s building is a 1958 reconstruction. At the top of the steps, as a mark of respect, clap twice and bow your head. It’s also customary to make a small offering by tossing coins into the wooden rack.
The Five Storied Pagoda was built in 1973 and amongst others; it stands in honor of comedians! Standing 54 meters high, reinforced with concrete and steel, and like all pagodas, running down the center is a giant pillar of Japanese Cypress tree wood.
Once through the gate you’ll be in Nakamise Shopping Arcade. The street is lined with colorful, lively stalls selling traditional knick- knacks, festival foods and rice crackers. There are over 50 shops along this shopping street. No worry, we will have time to shop and taste some of the food treats along the way.
Enjoy free time here to explore, shop and have lunch on your own.
This afternoon, a visit to the antenna shops in Yurakucho. Local governments have created these shops to promote their regions through food, souvenirs, and tourist information. Represented regions include Hokkaido, Kansai, Akita, Aomori, and Okinawa. Enjoy free time here to shop and lunch on your own.
In addition to the antenna shops two of Japan’s more popular shops, Loft and Muiji are steps away. The 2nd floor at Muiji has a wonderful cafeteria dining area, perfect for lunch.
We now make our way closer to Narita for our flight home this evening, but we still have left a little time for some last-minute shopping at Aeon Mall Narita. It’s also a great place to pick up a freshly made bento to take along to the airport,
Hawaiian Airlines #822 Departs Narita 9:00 pm – Arrive Honolulu 8:50 am