Cultural Japan Feb.19-28/2021

Get to know Japan’s rich history, culture and beautiful nature on this 10 days tour

Date and Price  will be posted soon

Dates: February 19th to 28th, 2021

Cost:  4 Participants: 

Single accommodation: to be posted soon

Trip Leader: Gavriel Jecan,

Trip limited to 4 participants

We travel around Japan’s popular photogenic places in western Japan such as Osaka,  This areas are famous for its numerous  gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines, Geishas  and traditional wooden houses.

Day 1 –  Feb 19– Arrive in Osaka

Osaka is the second largest metropolitan city after Tokyo. It has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai Region for many centuries. Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa, before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan’s capital city.

19:00 Briefing with Shigeki as guide at Lobby in Hotel at 7PM ( 19:00) and then a welcome dinner together .

We recommend everyone to arrive a day earlier to make sure you adjust to the time zone.

Meals: D

Accommodation:

Day 2 – Feb 20 –Morning in  Osaka / afternoon departure for Kyoto

Visit some of the local temples and Osaka castle, Lunch and departure for Kyoto, the magical, traditional city in Japan.

Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, is a city on the island of Honshu. It’s famous for its numerous classical Buddhist temples, as well as gardens, imperial palaces, Shinto shrines and traditional wooden houses. It’s also known for formal traditions such as kaiseki dining, consisting of multiple courses of precise dishes.

Meals: B, D

Accommodation: KYOTO

Day

3 – Feb 21–Kyoto

Today will visit one of the most popular destination of west Kyoto, Arashiyama.

The Togetsukyo Bridge is Arashiyama’s well known, central landmark. Many small shops, restaurants and other attractions are found nearby, including Tenryuji Temple, Art galleries with old Japanese traditional art, Arashiyama’s famous bamboo groves. North of central Arashiyama the atmosphere becomes less touristy and more rural, with several small temples scattered along the base of the wooded mountains. The area north of the Togetsukyo Bridge is also known as Sagano, while the name “Arashiyama” technically just refers to the mountains on the southern bank of the river but is commonly used to name the entire district.

Meals: B,D.

Accommodation:

Day 4 – Feb 22 – Kyoto / Fushimi inari Taisha and old Kyoto

 Visit the Fushimi Inari Taisha, is Kyoto’s most important Shinto shrine and one of its most impressive attractions. Located in southern Kyoto, it is famed for its variety of shrines and vermilion torishrine gates, with thousands of them winding their way up the sacred Mount Inari. Fushimi Inari Taishi is the head shrine of Inari, the god of rice, Sake and prosperity and patron of business, merchants and manufacturers. The shrine sits at the base of Mount Inari and includes many smaller sub shrines which span 4 kilometres up the 233 meter (764 ft) mountain. Each of the famous torii shrine gates has been donated by an individual or a Japanese business in the hope of receiving good luck and fortune. The name of the donor is inscribed in black ink on the back of each gate.

Afternoon – will visit the Kyoto’s old part of the town  and street photography

Dinner and pack for our transfer to Nara.

 

Day 5 – Feb 23 – Kyoto – Nara

Japan’s historic machiya are mostly concentrated in Kyoto. These traditional wooden townhouses are responsible for much of that ancient city’s charms, including the famous Gion and Pontocho geisha districts.  This day will wonder the narrow streets with traditional shops and Galleries with old japanise art work, in the afternoon will be experiencing and photographing a Geisha dance with tea ceremony.  Dinner

Kyoto is the heart of Japan’s geisha world. According to the history records, Geisha first appeared in Japan society in the 1730and they were entertainers for the wealthy man. In the beginning the Geisha were man who dressed comically and play music. The Female geishas appeared in the 1750 period  and few years later the geishas were  exclusively woman. To become a geisha thei did have to study for years in the house with other maiko to learn social and artistic skills that included singing, dancing, playing instruments and conducting a Japanese tea ceremony. Geisha number is decreasing but do to their unique tradition is very unlikely to disappear. The report say that in Kyoti they are only 100 geiko and 100 maiko. So meeting a geisha in Kyoto’s is a magical and memorable experience.

This morning will drive to Nara, with a history as Japan’s first permanent capital and home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Nara is one of the country’s most culturally rich towns. Although Nara only served as Japan’s capital for around 70 years, it was during those years that the country’s art, literature, and culture developed into the traditions still associated with Japan today. Located less than an hour away from Kyoto and Osaka, Nara is wonderfully compact town, with most of its historic attractions found in pretty Nara Park. Aside from temples, the park is known for its population of free roaming deer    The most impressive feature is Todaiji Temple, an enormous wooden building that houses one of Japan’s largest bronze statues of Buddha.

 Meals: B, D.

Accommodation: NARA

Day 6 – Feb 24 – Nara / Tōdai-ji temple and old Nara.

This morning will drive to Nara, with a history as Japan’s first permanent capital and home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Nara is one of the country’s most culturally rich towns. Although Nara only served as Japan’s capital for around 70 years, it was during those years that the country’s art, literature, and culture developed into the traditions still associated with Japan today. Located less than an hour away from Kyoto and Osaka, Nara is wonderfully compact town, with most of its historic attractions found in pretty Nara Park. Aside from temples, the park is known for its population of free roaming deer    The most impressive feature is Todaiji Temple, an enormous wooden building that houses one of Japan’s largest bronze statues of Buddha.

Day 7 – Feb 25 –Nara

Nara is the capital of Japan’s Nara Prefecture, in south-central Honshu.The Nara period started with the establishment of a new capital for the Imperial Court. That change greatly influenced the development of the economy, government, and society. This period was later named after the city of Nara, which is where the first capital was located. Empress Genmei and her successors developed Nara into a center of modernity, religion, and innovation where she emulated many aspects of the Chinese culture and incorporated them into the Japanese society. During this period, Buddhism was also brought to Japan, thus modifying many aspects of the daily life, local laws, and rituals. Architecture and other forms of art were also greatly influenced

The city has significant temples and artwork dating to the 8th century. Today will visit the Tōdai-ji temple. Daibutsu, Tōdai-ji’s 15m-high bronze Buddha. Buddha is displayed in a large wooden hall. On the park’s east side is the Shinto shrine Kasuga Taisha, which dates to 768 A.D. and more than 3,000 lanterns.

After dinner will prepare for our transfer to Koyasan, the Shinto Buddhist center in Japan.

Meals: B, D.

Accommodation:

Day 8 –  Feb 26 Nara – 

Meals: B,D.

Accommodation:

 

Day 9 – Feb 27 –

Meals: B,D.

Accommodation:

 

Day 10 – Feb 28  – Home

Meals: B.

Cost:  4 Participants: 

Single accommodation

Cost Includes:

  • All nights accommodation
  • All ground transportation
  • Breakfast and Dinners
  • Mineral water
  • Entrance fee
  • Local guide
  • Tour leader fee
  • Local translator and Facilitator

Non Included:

  • Local guide tip
  • Lunches
  • Drinks ( except drinking water )
  • Internet
  • Personal expenses
  • Landry
  • Transfer from and to airport ( first and last day)

Price is based on double occupancy.

A single supplement of $ will apply ( We will make every effort to connect you with a roommate if you’ll like to share a room with, However, if we’re unable to find a roommate for you, a single supplement will apply.

Deposit of 1,000.00 USD up on registration is required to hold your  spot ( Deposit is non refundable )

Single accommodation:  USD

 Pay Pal : 

To pay the deposit or other payments through Pay Pal, please click Pay Now, which will take you to our Pay Pal Website.

We accept all major credit cards;  Paypal is an accepted method of payment processing for any of our tours.  You can pay by credit card this way without joining Paypal yourself, or you can open a Paypal account if you wish. Payments are made directly online (and any personal details are protected through our secure server) – we do not take or store any credit card information, this is done at Paypal’s site. We have a verified account with Paypal which means that we have provided proof of our personal details, bank account, and address.  Paypal price will show different than our site, do to 3% Paypal service charge.


 


Japan cultural photo tour



Snowy courtyard, Yudanaka Onsen, Japan