Japan Family Adventure

Fly into Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, transfer by bus to Kyoto, and check in to our hotel. The evening is free to relax and rest after traveling.

This morning after breakfast, gather for a welcome orientation followed by our first faculty lecture and Young Explorer session. Then, head out to visit Ryoan-ji, a beautiful example of a Zen rock garden. Later this morning, visit one of Japan’s most enduring sites, Kyoto’s Kinkaku-ji, or Golden Pavilion. After a bento lunch, stroll through the stunning Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, then visit the Monkey Park Iwatayama for a chance to observe Japanese macaques up close. Return to our hotel for a welcome reception and dinner.

Today travel to the Miho Museum, located in a nature preserve in the Shigaraki Mountains. The striking and unusual museum structure was designed by famed Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei to house the Shumei Foundation’s collection of Japanese teaware and rare art objects that range from the Mediterranean to China. After lunch at the museum, head back to Kyoto and stop on the way to pick tea leaves at a plantation in Shiga Prefecture.

This morning walk through the vermillion torii gates of the iconic Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine, then continue our exploration of Kyoto with a visit to Nijo Castle, the shogun’s residence in the Edo Period. Enjoy a typical Japanese lunch at a local restaurant, before Young Explorers head to the Kyoto International Manga Museum to browse their impressive collection of manga spread over three floors. Adults walk to nearby Nishiki Market, known for its local culinary specialties. The rest of the evening is free.

This morning transfer by bullet train to Hiroshima, arriving in time for lunch. Afterwards take a ferry to the sacred island of Miyajima to visit its famous shrine, Itsukushima-jinja. Delight in the free-roaming deer and view the massive vermillion torii gate standing in the sea just offshore. Enjoy time at leisure to explore the island and soak in the peaceful surroundings before returning to Hiroshima and checking in to our hotel. If our schedules coincide, enjoy a Hiroshima Carps baseball game at the Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium.

The castle town of Hiroshima, for centuries the most important port city in this region, became a military base during World Wars I and II, thus becoming the primary target of the first atomic bomb attack in 1945. Today begins with a visit to the Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Museum. Portions of the Peace Memorial Park were designed by renowned architect Kenzo Tange and sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Shift gears and partake in a cooking class and lunch of okonomiyaki, a savory pancake that’s a local specialty. Afterwards, Young Explorers participate in a school cultural exchange program with students from a local school, while adults enjoy free time in Hiroshima.

Bid farewell to Hiroshima today and take a morning train to Kanazawa. Located on the shores of the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa boasts some of the best-preserved Edo period districts. Have lunch on arrival, then visit the Kanazawa Castle Park and neighboring Kenroku-en, considered one of Japan’s most beautiful landscape gardens. Drive to the hot-springs-resort area called Ishikawa and check in to our ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel with tatami mat flooring and shoji screens. Tea is served at low wooden tables and guests sleep on futons placed on the tatami mats. Our ryokan also features the typical Japanese communal baths, called onsen, with separate men’s and women’s quarters.

Today head to the city of Komatsu to experience hands on craft-making activities at Yunokuni no Mori, a traditional handicrafts village. Choose between a variety of options, such as noodle making, pottery, ceramic painting, cake making and sculpting in bamboo, among many others. This afternoon return to Kanazawa, where adults visit the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and Young Explorers can admire the majesty of samurai armor at the Kaga-Honda Samurai Museum.

This morning continue learning about the life of samurai at the Nomura Samurai House, a historic residence in the area where the samurai of Kanazawa lived with their families. Also visit the Higashi Chaya district, a well-preserved historic geisha district lined with wooden teahouses dating back to the 1820s. After lunch at a local restaurant, climb aboard a bullet train headed to Tokyo, arriving in the evening. Check in to our hotel before setting off for dinner on our own.

Start our exploration of Tokyo with a visit to the Hama Rikyu Gardens, a sprawling park of traditionally styled gardens that stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of Tokyo. Then travel by ferry to the Asakusa Kannon Temple, one of the city’s most dramatic Buddhist temples. After lunch at the pedestrian arcade near the temple, participate in a samurai experience: learn the basic techniques of kenbu, a traditional Japanese art that includes tying on a kimono, traditional walking and bowing, and handling a sword. If our schedules coincide, enjoy a Yomiuri Giants baseball game.

Today is free to explore the many attractions this city has to offer, perhaps strolling through the Ginza district and exploring the Imperial Palace surroundings. Gather this evening at our hotel for a farewell dinner.

Transfer to the Tokyo airport for flights home.