Experts in Real Japan Travel Japan Small Group, Self-Guided & Tailor-Made Tours Contents INTRODUCTION TO UNIQUE JAPAN TOURS 4 - 5 JAPAN - FOUR DISTINCT SEASONS 6 - 7 JAPAN - GETTING AROUND 8 - 9 ACCOMMODATION 10 - 11 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS 12 - 13 CULTURAL EXPERIENCES 14 - 15 SMALL GROUP TOURS 16 - 17 JAPAN DISCOVERED 18 - 19 SPIRITUAL MOUNTAINS & SAMURAI TRAILS 20 - 21 SELF-GUIDED TOURS 22 - 23 THE GOLDEN ROUTE 24 - 25 TRADITIONAL & TROPICAL JAPAN 26 - 27 FORGOTTEN JAPAN 28 - 29 LOST IN JAPAN 30 - 31 WONDERS OF THE WEST 32 - 33 KUMANO KODO PILGRIMAGE ROUTE 34 - 35 THE NORTHERN TRAIL 36 - 37 HOKKAIDO WINTER ACTION 38 - 39 USEFUL INFORMATION 40 - 41 TRAVEL NOTES 42 Experts in Real Japan Travel Introduction to Unique Japan Tours Our Story Our Tours Our Promise Unique Japan Tours is an independent The types of tours provided range Our aim is to provide you with a greater travel company owned and managed from; Tailored Self-Guided Trips which understanding and clearer vision of the by Darina & Masaki Nakagawa. include attractive accommodation culture, the history, and the everyday Darina, born in Ireland, has been options, transfers, cultural activities, life in rural and urban Japan, than going back and forth to Japan since local guides, and rural retreats; to you would get if planning this trip by Testimonials 1998, where she spent one year at a Small Group Tours, where you yourself. We provide you with local Tokyo University. Hungry for more she travel with like minded people whose guides, contacts, private tours, cultural I would like to thank you so much for the wonderful organisation and planning of returned after graduating with a BA purpose is to experience every element activities, and a completely customised our holiday to Japan recently. It was truly one my family will remember forever. Degree in Business & Japanese from of Japan’s culture and countryside, travel information pack before you The shared experiences you organised and recommended were perfect for us. the University of Ulster, and spent three by having on-hands assistance and go, which includes a detailed travel The hotels, inns and ryokans were fantastic and combined perfectly. The guides UNIQUE JAPAN TOURS TOURS UNIQUE JAPAN more years working at a Japanese TOURS UNIQUE JAPAN leadership throughout the entire itinerary, local information, contact and drivers you organised reflected well upon you and your company. company. It was during this time she journey, allowing you to focus on details for hotels and guides, and (Crawford Family, Australia) took every opportunity available to leave the places visited, rather than on the extensive access maps on how to get Tokyo on the weekends and holiday logistics of getting there. to each place using our recommended seasons to explore the rest of Japan. transport mode. This travel pack will It was absolutely brilliant! We all fell in love with Japan and the Japanese Having realised what a diverse and become your passport for accessing people. I was a bit worried about going on a self-guided tour but we enjoyed attractive place Japan was for outsiders Our Team each place on your itinerary which is the flexibility of it and the travel pack was very accurate. We loved the hotels, (gaijin), with little information on how where the knowledge and information ryokans, and the dinner in Miyajima was splendid. It was very hard to come back to access these places (in English), she We realise, for most people, Japan is a provided by us stands out. to reality and I can’t wait to go back. then began to develop ideas for making once in a lifetime destination. For this INTRODUCTION TO INTRODUCTION TO (McGrath Family, Ireland) INTRODUCTION TO her passion her job! Thus, in 2006, a reason each tour is personally designed new and niche business was born! by one of our passionate Japan travel experts. We all know and love Japan. Darina and her team have spent years We all had a fantastic trip and when anyone asks I reiterate the outstanding Some of us are based in Dublin, where researching and developing exciting service and commitment of Darina and her associates. Without them, this voyage our head office is registered, while and adventurous routes throughout would not have been possible. others live in London, Kyoto and Tokyo. the whole of Japan. Each itinerary is (Duff & Kent Couples, New Zealand and France) This means you can travel around designed to embrace Japan’s highlights Japan knowing that English speaking as well as take in the places less visited. Read more of what our customers have said on their return here: assistance is only a local phone call http://www.uniquejapantours.com/Home/Customer-Feedback away. 4 Ireland tel: +353 (0)1 678 7008 UK tel: +44 (0)20-3239 2519 email: [email protected] www.uniquejapantours.com 5 Four Distinct Seasons Sea of Okhotsk HOKKAIDO Furano Sapporo Japan is an all-year-round destination but remember, temperatures can vary considerably throughout the year Japanese people celebrate various holiday seasons throughout the year depending on which island you visit. Notably the northern island of Hokkaido gets harsher winters yet cooler which should be considered when planning your trip. During these Tohoku summers while the main islands from central Honshu westwards to Shikoku and Kyushu, enjoy milder winters periods, disruptions to travel may occur due to high demand. and hotter summers. See page 40 for the full list. Sea of Japan HONSHU Nikko Spring (March-May) Summer (June-August) Winter (December-February) Nagano Kanazawa Favoured by many is Japan’s spring Summer begins for the southern The days start getting colder from mid- Matsumoto Kanto Takayama Narita International Airport time. Temperatures around Honshu, islanders around May but for the main December on the mainland (Honshu) Narita (Tokyo / NRT) Haneda Tokyo Shikoku, and Kyushu begin to get islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, while Hokkaido in the north will be Yokohama Tokyo International Airport Kansai warmer while further north in Hokkaido the real heat arrives in July and remains well and truly ready for their winter Kyoto Kamakura (Haneda / HND) Hakone the mountains will still have their until late August and sometimes into sports season. Despite putting up with Chugoku Osaka blanket of snow on, until late April/ September. The rainy season differs blankets of snow in the north, expect Okayama Nara Hiroshima early May. The world famous sakura every year but is often around late very different temperatures in Tokyo, Mt Koya (cherry blossom trees) start to bloom June going into July. Hokkaido is at Kyoto, or further west and south, Chubu Centrair Fukuoka International Airport (Nagoya / NGO) in the south from late March, so if its most colourful in the Summer with particularly the southern Ryukyu islands. you plan your trip for April, you should miles of vivid tulip & lavender fields So, to avoid the cold, travel south. Or, Pacific Ocean SHIKOKU be guaranteed to see them at some and agricultural crops, making this a if you prefer to embrace the harsher Kansai International Kumamoto Airport (Osaka / KIX) stage. Due to the popularity of sakura dream destination for nature lovers who temperatures, you could combine a Nagasaki both with foreigners and Japanese wish to escape the humidity from the ski or snow board holiday in Hokkaido KYUSHU themselves, who enjoy hanami (sakura concrete jungles of Tokyo and Osaka. or Nagano, with culture and onsens in Kagoshima picnics), places such as Kyoto and parts Kyushu. This will certainly give you a of Tokyo are often crowded. To avoid diverse flavor of what Japan can offer. Ibusuki Japan JAPAN - FOUR DISTINCT SEASONS - FOUR DISTINCT SEASONS JAPAN crowds and peak season prices, then Autumn (September-November) - FOUR DISTINCT SEASONS JAPAN May is a better option. Autumn is considered one of the Yaku Isl. best times to travel to Japan. The leaves begin to change colours from their luscious greens to rich reds and bright yellows. From late September, the temperatures begin to cool down Amami Ooshima after the hot and humid latter months making this season one of the most comfortable ones to travel in. Okinawa 6 Ireland tel: +353 (0)1 678 7008 UK tel: +44 (0)20-3239 2519 email: [email protected] www.uniquejapantours.com 7 Getting around Japans impressive transport system is one you won’t forget. Depending on your itinerary, we try to include a variety for people to experience such as; the super speedy shinkansen (bullet train), local buses, private transfers, domestic flights, and ferries. No matter which method we chose for you, you can be assured of comfort, reliability, and punctuality, allowing you to relax and enjoy the rides! Trains using the Japan Rail Pass What is the Japan Rail Pass? Public Bus & Chartered Coaches Private Transfers Rent-A-Car Internal Flights & Ferries The train is the best way to get around The JRP offers unlimited travel around When you enter the mountainous Many of our tours will include private If feeling confident and adventurous In order to cover as much of Japan as but fares can add up. If you are Japan for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive regions of Japan, the train is not always transfers where we feel are necessary. we sometimes recommend you to possible, within your given timeframe intending to travel around for one week day periods on any Japan Rail trains’ the best option. In these cases, we The quality of vehicle varies, depending rent your own car, especially in the and budget, we often include an or more, the Japan Rail Pass is a good (some restrictions apply) to visitors recommend travelling by public buses on your budget and location, but you more rural areas.