Unseen Japan November 8 to 20, 2021 FACULTY LEADER
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Unseen Japan November 8 to 20, 2021 In the company of art historian Louisa McDonald, embark on an itinerary that was created just for Travel/Study and includes sites that many tourists bypass. After exploring the significant temples, palaces, shrines and gardens of Kyoto, journey to the ancient capital of Nara and the remote Miho Museum, designed by I.M. Pei. We travel by bullet train to Hiroshima, where we experience the juxtaposition of modern and historical Japan and reflect on the day the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on the city. A special highlight of the trip is our visit to Naoshima Island, where modern art fills the vast landscape overlooking the Inland Sea. An added treat is our stay at a traditional Japanese inn in the hot springs resort town of Matsuyama. Those who wish to explore bustling Tokyo may join an optional post-tour extension. FACULTY LEADER Louisa McDonald Louisa McDonald, ’67, MA ’70, PHD ’76, is a professor of art history with an emphasis on Japan at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she has been teaching for 20 years. Since getting her doctoral thesis on gender distinctions in medieval Japanese scroll painting at Stanford, she has broadened her scholarly interests in French Japonisme, modern and contemporary Japanese art, and the relationship between art and war. Her scholarship focuses on Japanese modernism and the construction of national and individual cultural identity. She has written on Japanese war paintings commissioned by the Imperial Japanese army and navy during World War II, questions of truth and propaganda, art as autobiography, and artists’ widows. A co- editor of Art and War in Japan and Its Empire: 1931–1960 (2012), an anthology of art historical essays, she’s currently working on a study of the 20th-century Japanese artist Foujita Tsuguharu. Dr. McDonald has taught in New England and Japan and has traveled extensively throughout Australia, East Asia and Europe. An avid reader of Nordic crime fiction and theology, she is fascinated with the endless variety of human creativity. During our program she will speak about Japanese art, from its ancient origins to its contemporary manifestations in the global art world. • Professor, art history, since 2000, and former chair, art department, 2012–2017, University of Nevada, Las Vegas • Visiting professor, Graduate School of Education, Nagoya University, 2005 • Associate in Research, Edwin O. Reischauer Institute for Japanese Studies, Harvard University, 1982–1998 STANFORD TRAVEL/STUDY | (650) 725-1093 | [email protected] FRANCES C. ARRILLAGA ALUMNI CENTER | 326 GALVEZ STREET | STANFORD, CA 94305 Unseen Japan November 8 to 20, 2021 ITINERARY Monday, November 8 Osaka, Japan / Kyoto After arrival in Osaka, transfer to Kyoto and check in to our comfortable and well-located hotel. The evening is free to relax and rest after our flights. WESTIN MIYAKO KYOTO Tuesday, November 9 Kyoto We start our journey at the Zen rock garden of the Ryoan-ji Temple before we delight in one of Japan’s most enduring sites, Kyoto’s Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion. After lunch at a local restaurant, tour the Imperial Palace, one of the largest vestiges of the emperors’ presence in Kyoto before the capital was moved to Tokyo. Return to our hotel for a welcome reception and dinner. WESTIN MIYAKO KYOTO (B,L,D) Wednesday, November 10 Kyoto Begin the day’s explorations at Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, then take a walking tour along a canal lined with cherry trees and Zen temples. Next is the Nanzen-ji Temple, known for its rock garden and art collections. Enjoy a typical Japanese lunch at a local restaurant before we continue our expedition in Kyoto at the Nijo Castle. This evening have dinner at a local restaurant. WESTIN MIYAKO KYOTO (B,L,D) Thursday, November 11 Kyoto Drive to the Miho Museum, located in a nature preserve in the mountains of Shigaraki and designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei to house the Shumei organization’s collection of Japanese teaware and rare art objects. Return to Kyoto after lunch and wander about the Heian Shinto shrine and adjoining garden. WESTIN MIYAKO KYOTO (B,L) Friday, November 12 Nara / Uji / Kyoto Embark on a full-day excursion by motor coach to Nara, where we marvel at the Kasuga Grand Shrine, famous for its thousands of stone lanterns. Continue to the Todai-ji Temple, one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, to admire its immense bronze statue of Buddha (Daibutsu). After lunch visit the Nara National Museum, then on the way back to Kyoto, stop in Uji to view the Byodo-in Temple with its Phoenix Hall, one of the most acclaimed structures in Japan. We dine independently tonight. WESTIN MIYAKO KYOTO (B,L) Saturday, November 13 Kyoto / Hiroshima This morning travel by bullet train (shinkansen) to Hiroshima on the island of Honshu. After lunch at a local restaurant, head to the striking Atomic Bomb Dome as well as the Peace STANFORD TRAVEL/STUDY | (650) 725-1093 | [email protected] FRANCES C. ARRILLAGA ALUMNI CENTER | 326 GALVEZ STREET | STANFORD, CA 94305 Unseen Japan November 8 to 20, 2021 Memorial Park and Museum, portions of which were designed by renowned architect Kenzo Tange and sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Enjoy the evening at leisure. HOTEL GRANVIA HIROSHIMA (B,L) Sunday, November 14 Miyajima Go by ferry this morning to the sacred island of Miyajima to visit the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage-designated National Treasure. This bright pavilion complex appears to float on the edge of the Seto Inland Sea. The rest of the afternoon and evening are free for independent pursuits. HOTEL GRANVIA HIROSHIMA (B,L) Monday, November 15 Hiroshima / Matsuyama Today we board a high-speed ferry to Matsuyama, a bustling port town on the island of Shikoku in the Seto Inland Sea. After lunch devote the afternoon to sightseeing, including the Matsuyama Castle and the Ishite-ji Temple, a Shingon temple that has been designated a National Treasure of Japan. Late this afternoon we check in to our traditional ryokan accommodations and enjoy dinner at our hotel. YAMATOYA HONTEN RYOKAN (B,L,D) Tuesday, November 16 Matsuyama / Uwajima / Uchiko This morning drive to the historic feudal town of Uwajima to roam the Tensha-en Garden, with its more than 20 varieties of bamboo. Then we head to the Date Museum to take in its collection of Edo period armor, paintings and other samurai antiquities. After lunch visit the small town of Uchiko and explore a number of well-preserved Edo- and Meiji-era dwellings and storehouses. This evening return to Matsuyama for dinner and to relax at our ryokan accommodations. YAMATOYA HONTEN RYOKAN (B,L,D) Wednesday, November 17 Matsuyama / Kurashiki Depart this morning by express train to Okayama. Then cover the short distance to the river port city of Kurashiki by motor coach. Kurashiki’s well-preserved 18th-century merchant quarter is now home to shops, museums and teahouses. On our walking tour, venture to the Museum of Folkcraft and the Ohara Museum of Art, with its displays of Western impressionist works and traditional textiles, woodblocks and ceramics. Dine independently this evening. KURASHIKI KOKUSAI HOTEL (B,L) Thursday, November 18 Kurashiki / Takamatsu / Naoshima Island This morning travel back across the Seto Inland Sea to Takamatsu. Visit the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum and tour the Shikoku Mura Village, which displays structures and objects of rural life on Shikoku. Afterward we stop at Ritsurin Garden, considered one of the most STANFORD TRAVEL/STUDY | (650) 725-1093 | [email protected] FRANCES C. ARRILLAGA ALUMNI CENTER | 326 GALVEZ STREET | STANFORD, CA 94305 Unseen Japan November 8 to 20, 2021 outstanding landscape gardens in Japan. This afternoon take a ferry to Naoshima, a small island in the Seto Inland Sea. BENESSE HOUSE (B,L,D) Friday, November 19 Naoshima Island Spend today independently exploring Naoshima, a community devoted to cutting-edge contemporary art, with two striking museums, interactive installations and outdoor sculptures. Naoshima is a place of discovery, with a unique symbiotic relationship between natural scenic beauty and art. Stroll among the installations and at the Chichu Art Museum before gathering this evening for a festive farewell reception and dinner. BENESSE HOUSE (B,L,D) Saturday, November 20 Osaka / Home Transfer by ferry and train to the airport for flights home. (B) OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION: TOKYO November 20 to 23 After we bid farewell to the main group, transfer to Tokyo by ferry and bullet train, where our hotel is within walking distance of the Imperial Palace and the Ginza District. Tour the magnificent Meiji Shrine, the Hama-Rikyu Gardens and two of Tokyo’s prestigious museums: the Edo-Tokyo Museum and the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park . Enjoy free time to explore the city independently, diving into the heart of this ancient and modern wonder. Details and pricing will be provided to confirmed participants. INFORMATION Covid-19 and Travel With travel requirements and local Covid-19 conditions changing weekly, travel protocols for specific destinations will be shared with confirmed travelers closer to departure. To read more about Travel/Study’s approach to ensuring traveler health and safety, visit our Covid-19 Travel page. Size This trip requires a minimum of 15 participants and is limited to 34. Travel/Study is committed to providing a low-density experience on all programs and will implement protocols to do so, including social distancing on transportation as well as during lectures, meals and excursions. Single accommodations are limited. Cost* $10,295 per person, double occupancy $12,595 per person, single occupancy *Stanford Alumni Association nonmembers add $300 per person.