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Beretania Street, Suite C - 211B, Honolulu, HI 96813 The Great North Hokkaido Traveling Dates: Aug 11 – 21, 2020 — Rishiri & Rebun Islands (11 Days) Cities covered: Chitose, Sunagawa, Asahikawa, Wakkanai, Rishiri & Rebun Islands, Furano, Otaru & Sapporo Tour Package Includes Price per person: Single Supp: * International Flight from HONOLULU $ 1,000 * Rishiri Island & Rebun Island $ 4,588 – The Northern tip of Hokkaido * Deluxe Hotel Accommodations Incl: Tax & Fuel Charge * Admissions and 20 Meals as Stated * Natural Hot Spring Ryokan (4 Nights) Cherry Picking Experience * Uni Opening * Wakkanai - The Northernmost City in Japan & Tasting Experience * Uni Opening & Tasting Experience * Local Jam Making Experience * Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium * Otaru Music Box Making Experience * Special Meals Included: • Crab Feast • Onsen Kaiseki FREE Use of • Seafood Teishoku Wireless Crab Feast * Gratuity for Tour Guides & Drivers Tour Guide System Day 1** Aug 11 Honolulu Chitose We begin our journey by boarding an international flight to Hokkaido, Japan's second largest island and the largest and northernmost prefecture. Meals and snacks will be served on the plane. Day 2** Aug 12 Chitose After arriving at the New Chitose International Airport in Sapporo, we will meet with an Air and Sea Travel representative who will escort us to our hotel near the airport. Day 3** Aug 13 Chitose – Sunagawa – Asahikawa (B, L, D) In the morning, we will transfer to Asahikawa via Sunagawa. Sunagawa Highway Oasis is not just a stop along the way, but a destination unto itself where we can find many local products such as Hokkaido Pumpkin Seed Cookies. After our lunch here, we will transfer to Ohashi Cherry Farm whose orchards have 30 varieties among its 1,500 cherry trees that bear sweet Fruits. We can enjoy cherry picking here (Depending on the cherry harvest situation, the farm may close earlier than expected. If so, Kawamura Kanto Ainu Kinenkan will be a replacement). Then, we will transfer to our hotel in Asahikawa and enjoy our dinner. Day 4** Aug 14 Asahikawa (B) We will start our tour by visiting Ueno Farm in Asahikawa, a farm with an English-style garden that has been adapted to a "Hokkaido Garden" to match the climate and soil conditions in Hokkaido. With a wide variety of perennial plants, the atmosphere and colors of the gardens change according to the season. We can see different types of roses in late August. Next we will visit the Ramen Mura (Ramen Village) where the region’s greatest ramen shops are located in one outlet. Asahikawa Ramen is a distinct variant of shoyu ramen that is found in the city of Asahikawa. We can enjoy lunch here on our own. Asahikawa Station is the central train station for Asahikawa, the second largest city in Hokkaido by population after Sapporo. We will enjoy the rest of the day on our own browsing or shopping at this busy train station area. Day 5** Aug 15 Asahikawa – Wakkanai (B, L, D) Wakkanai, the northernmost city in Japan contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Soya. We will enjoy our lunch upon arrival. Then, we will visit Cape Soya, a popular stopping point for bikers and tourists. If the weather is good, we can see Sakhalin (a Russian island) from the Lookout point. We will also see the Statue of Mamiya Rinzo, a great Japanese explorer and the first to travel across the sea and discover Sakhalin. Wakkanai Park, a large park extending over the grassy hills west of the town, offers some commanding views of the area. Wakkanai North Breakwater Dome was built to protect the city from the area's powerful winds and waves. Its thick and beautiful design is reminiscent of Roman architecture. After a city tour, we will check into our onsen hotel and enjoy our dinner at the hotel. Day 6** Aug 16 Wakkanai Rishiri Island (B, L, D) This morning, we will take a ferry from Wakkanai Port to Oshidomari Port, the major port of Rishiri Island. Rishiri and Rebun, two small islands of Hokkaido's northernmost point, look like something out of a fantasy novel. Think sweeping coastal views, landscapes ranging from wild and craggy to rolling and green, wildflowers and quaint fishing villages, and best of all--minimal signs of civilization. From Semposhi Misaki Park, the most southern point of Rishiri Island, we may be able to see seals. After that, we will visit Otatomari Pond, whose image is used for “Shiroi Koibiti” sweets wrapping paper. After lunch, we will visit Rishiri Town Museum to learn the history of the town and how people lived with nature and the sea. The museum has many educational activities, materials, and records of the island’s history. We will check into our hotel and enjoy our Kaiseki dinner at the hotel. Day 7**Aug 17 Rishiri Island Rebun Island Wakkanai (B, L, D) This morning, we will take a ferry to another northernmost island in Japan, Rebun Island. Upon arrival at Kafuka Port, we will visit Cape Sky, a lookout point in the northwestern part of the island. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions with views of the clear blue sea and beautiful scenery of Rebun Island. After enjoying seafood set lunch, we will enjoy a hands-on experience on Sea Urchin Shell cracking and tasting. Then, we will visit Eclipse Observation Monument. Then, we will take a ferry to Wakkanai Port, and back to the main island of Hokkaido. We will check into our hotel and enjoy dinner at the hotel. Day 8**Aug 18 Wakkanai – Furano (B, D) After breakfast, we will take a long drive to Furano, an amalgamation of several quaint farming towns around a small municipal center and located in the geographical center of the island. On the way, we will stop for lunch on our own at Michi no Eki Bifuka, another popular store to shop for souvenirs. Upon arrival at Furano, we will check into our hotel and enjoy a buffet dinner at the hotel. Day 9**Aug 19 Furano – Sapporo (B, L, D) In the morning, we will visit Shirogane Blue Pond, a man-made pond in the town of Biei. The color is from the colloidal aluminum hydroxide in the water. Afterward, we will drive to Furano Jam Garden, nestled deep in the woods of Rokugou Village. Since its founding in 1974, Furano Jam Farm has been delivering authentic, wholesome food products to the world, with jam as its most famous product. We will participant in a Jam Cooking Lesson to learn the secret to making Auntie Jam's special recipe. After that, we can walk around the viewing platform for a panoramic view of fields of flowers in the Rokugou landscape. After lunch, we will transfer to Sapporo, the largest city of Hokkaido. Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium has hosted a number of winter sports events including the 1972 Winter Olympics. The stadium complex consists of the Winter Sports Museum, the Ōkurayama Crystal House, and the Mt. Okura Observation Platform, as well as the ski jump. We will take the Lift to the observation deck for a view of Sapporo. A Crab Feast is arranged for our dinner. Local crabs are usually boiled with some salt or broiled. They have an elegant sweetness and sophisticated taste to them. It is said that the crab is so delicious that Japanese people become silent once they start eating. Day 10**Aug 20 Sapporo (B) After breakfast, enjoy a free day to shop around the city and eat whatever looks interesting. “Shop till you drop; eat till you overflow!” Odori Park, stretches from east to west and divides the city into northern and southern sections. Local landmarks including the Sapporo TV Tower and the Sapporo City Archive Museum are located within its boundaries. With all the shopping centers, cafes, and restaurants, finding a meal is quite easy. We can also have some time to shop in the largest shopping mall in Sapporo, the Tanuki Koji Shopping Arcade. The unique feature of this 123-year old mall is that we will find traditional merchants selling kimonos, tea or incense side-by-side with modern stores specializing in computer software or state-of-the-art electronics. Day 11**Aug 21 Sapporo – Otaru – Chitose Honolulu (B) After checking out of our hotel in the morning, our next destination is Otaru, a small harbor city that served as a major trading and fishing port in the late 1800’s. Many old warehouses and former office buildings give the city center a special charm reminiscent of past decades. The Otaru Canal makes for a pleasant stroll. During the day, artists present their works to passing tourists and in the evenings, old fashioned gas lamps are lit to provide a romantic atmosphere. Otaru is well known for its beautiful handmade and intricate music boxes. We will visit the Otaru Music Box Museum to learn about this special local product. The museum is located in a beautiful century-old red brick building, designated as one of the historic landmarks of Otaru City. Music boxes in various sizes and types are neatly displayed. We will also have a chance to make our own Music Box. Later in the afternoon, we will visit the Kitaichi Glass Company. There are three different sales floors: "Western," "Japanese," and "Country." We will enjoy our last minute shopping time in Otaru before we transfer to the New Chitose International Airport for our return flight to Honolulu, taking with us lasting memories of a magnificent trip to the Great North Hokkaido.