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1 Japan- Land of the Samurai #3 March 20-29, 2019 Book Early-Save $50 per person! 8nts/10days fr: $3795 triple $3995 double and $4695 single occupancy The samurai were a special class in Japanese society. These revered warriors were highly respected for their strict dedication to their craft, the immense discipline required of a samurai and their indomitable fighting spirit. To many they were heroes. Although samurai do not have any official status in today's modern Japan, descendants of samurai families still enjoy a high esteem among the Japanese population and have remained an iconic symbol of courage, power, and masculinity for over 700 years of Japanese warfare history. Roads are an essential part of civilization. They help people travel and discover many different places. In Japan, during the Edo period the Tōkaidō (East Sea Road) was an important key artery for the ruling shogun dynasty to keep control over the country. Stretching along the Pacific Coast from Edo (Tokyo) to Osaka, two to three weeks on foot, was always an adventure. A unique spring break tour that includes, history, culture, full days at the two most visited amusement parks in Japan, Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Disneyland, best hotels in the heart of the city so that you can make the most of your time. Does the Tokaido Road and the travelling life of a samurai sound exciting? Join us on this unique tour for a taste of what these samurai experienced, our the 21 st century version. Itinerary/Details Day 1 March 20 th, Wednesday Depart from Honolulu Hawaiian Airlines #449 Departs Honolulu 1:30 pm Arrive Kansai 6:45 pm +1

2 Check in for international flights begin 3 hours prior. Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines Terminal, Lobby 3, Makai side. Hawaiian Airlines has quite a few international flights departing around the same time; therefore, kindly arrive at a minimum of 3 hours prior to the departure time. Day 2 March 21 st, 2019 Thuursday Kansai-Osaka On arrival at the Kansai Airport, please make your way to the baggage claim area and then proceed to customs clearing. On exiting customs, our local guide will be there to meet us for the drive to the Cross Hotel, our hale for the next two nights. Our hotel ideally located, less than one block to the Dotonbori and right around the corner from the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade Street. The luggage will be shipped separately by truck and meet us on arrival at the hotel. Our bus is not able to park in front of our hotel as this main avenue does not allow. There will be a short walk from the bus drop off point to the hotel. Welcome to Osaka, Japan s 3rd most populous city and the working heart of Kansai. Famous for its down-toearth citizens and the colorful Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect) they speak, it's a good counterpart to the refined atmosphere of Kyoto. Primarily, Osaka is famous for good eating: the phrase kuidaore (eat 'til you drop) was coined to describe Osakans' love for good food. Osaka is also a good place to experience a modern Japanese city. It's only surpassed by Tokyo as a showcase of the Japanese urban phenomenon. If you would like a bite to eat or maybe wide awake, there are several 24-hour convenience stores within steps of our hotel and as well a 24-hour Don Quijite, directly across the street. Accommodations: Cross Hotel Osaka Day 3 March 22 nd, 2019 Friday Osaka (B) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off on a day of touring. The morning begins with a visit to Osaka Castle, one of Osaka s most popular landmark sights. Travel back in time almost 400 years to feudal Japan on the chaos and violence of an epic conflict the final one of the samurai era. In 1614 and 1615 hundreds of thousands of samurai blasting guns, shooting arrows, and wielding swords unleashed their force on the Osaka castle, inaugurating the downfall of the Toyotomi clan and sealing Tokugawa Ieyasu's position as Japan's undisputed master. Explore the fury of samurai warfare from gory beheadings to fierce sword fights. For days Ieyasu's forces barraged the castle's walls with fire from 300 cannon, causing fear and confusion. In January 1615 Hideyori finally signed a treaty, ending what became known as the Winter Siege, or Fuyu no Jin. But the truce fell apart, and the Summer Siege, or Natsu no Jin, began. Magnificent Osaka Castle has been destroyed and restored several times, with its most extensive refurbishment completed in As you walk around you can still marvel at its massive stone walls, goldleaf trim, copper roof, and panoramic views. There is also a fascinating on-site museum that chronicles its tumultuous history.

3 Osaka Castle snacks & souvenirs view from top of castle perch From here we are visiting Kuromon Market, one of the main food markets in Osaka. With more than 190 years of history and tradition, this very popular market is known by locals as "Gastronome" and "Osaka' s Kitchen". All kinds of fresh food items are available at this market, fully satisfying the hunger of the people of Naniwa (Naniwa is the old name for this area). Eat-in shops for sushi or fresh seafood over rice, also grilled fish, shellfish, meat, and other food being served in or outside of shops give off mouth-watering aromas. 600 meters long with over 170 stalls, Kuromon Market offers not only fresh fish and food items, but a complete range of household goods and yes even appliances. From here we are off to Konamon Museum, for a hands-on experience making wax samples of takoyaki, an octopus filled snack sold on Osaka street corners. After your experience, enjoy a six piece of freshly made takoyaki. Just a short walk and we are back at our hotel by 1:30pm. Once there the remainder of the afternoon and evening is. The Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade and Dotonbori Street are steps from our hotel. Famous Blade Runner Neon Shinsaibashi Shopping Dotonbori Street Accommodations: Cross Hotel Osaka Day 4 March 23 rd, 2019 Saturday Osaka-Universal Studios Japan-Osaka (B)

4 After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off on a full day to Universal Studios Japan, a world class theme park for all ages. Opened in 2001, it is the most visited amusement park in Japan after Tokyo Disney Resort On entering the front gates at Universal Studios, it will all come back on much you loved visiting theme parks. Surrounded by cartoon characters running past, roller coasters whizzing overhead and cheery music filling the air, you will back in a happy place! Universal Studios Japan offer some unique Japanese quirks that will make this day special and memorable. Be it a Japanese-speaking Harry Potter, some not so typical snacks and food or the anime characters that you just can t remember who they are, its all here to enjoy. Please meet back at the designated spot by 5:00pm for the return to our hotel. Once back, the remainder of the afternoon and evening is. Accommodations: Cross Hotel Osaka Day 5 March 24 th, 2019 Sunday Osaka-Nara-Kyoto (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we bid Osaka good-bye and journey on to Kyoto. The drive time is approximately one hour. Our luggage will be transported separately and meet up with us later this afternoon at our Kyoto hotel. The morning begins with a drive to Nara for a visit Todaiji Temple and Nara Deer Park. The drive time is approximately 1.5 hours and between the visits, lunch is included, Japanese at a local restaurant. Nara, the ancient capital city in the Kansai region of Japan. Throughout 2010 the city celebrated its 1300th anniversary. Centuries before anyone had heard of Delhi or Shanghai or London or Paris and long before anywhere called Kyoto (let alone Tokyo) existed Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan, and the place where the country began to establish itself as a Buddhist kingdom. If you think of Japan as a land of bullet trains and J-pop in Shinjuku storefronts, come to Nara a city filled with rolling hills, ancient temples, and 1,200 entitled deer roaming its old streets. Once here, we begin at Nara's premier attraction, Todaiji Temple, and its Great Buddha (Daibutsu), Japan's largest bronze Buddha. When Emperor Shomu ordered construction of both the temple and Daibutsu in the mid-700s, he intended to make Todaiji the headquarters of all Buddhist temples in the land. As part of his plans for a Buddhist utopia, he commissioned work for this huge bronze statue of Buddha. It took eight castings to complete this remarkable work of art. At a height of more than 15m (50 ft.), the Daibutsu is made of 437 tons of bronze, 286 pounds of pure gold, 165 pounds of mercury, and 7 tons of vegetable wax. However, thanks to Japan's frequent natural calamities, the Buddha of today isn't quite what it used to be. In 855, in what must have been a whopper of an earthquake, the statue lost its head. It was repaired in 861, but alas, the huge wooden building housing the Buddha was burned twice during wars, melting the Buddha's head. The present head dates from Be sure to walk in a circle around the Great Buddha to see it from all angles. Behind the statue is a model of how the Daibutsuden used to look, flanked by two massive pagodas. Behind the Great Buddha to the right is a huge wooden column with a small hole in it near the ground. According to popular belief, if you can manage to crawl through this opening, you'll be sure to reach enlightenment. You can also get your English-

5 language fortune for 200 by shaking a bamboo canister until a wooden stick with a number comes out; the number corresponds to a piece of paper. The wooden structure housing the Great Buddha, called Daibutsuden, was also destroyed several times through the centuries; the present structure dates from It is the largest wooden structure in the world, but only two-thirds its original size. Now, right next door, Nara Deer Park, home to hundreds of ly roaming deer. Considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods, Nara's nearly 1200 deer have become a symbol of the city and have been designated a natural treasure. You can purchase deer biscuits to feed them. The deer bow immediately when they see you have food. Nara Deer Park Todaiji Temple The Great Buddha We will now enjoy a Japanese style lunch at a local restaurant. This afternoon, a visit to Fushimi Inari Shrine, an important Shinto Shrine in Kyoto and famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds. The approach to the shrine is lined with many colorful shop and food stalls. Grab a snack as you walk along or maybe some omiyage to bring home. Fushimi Inari Shrine Now, a short ride to Kyoto and our hotel, The New Miyako Hotel, ideally located right across from the Kyoto JR Station and just around the block from the AEON Mall. You will not lack for a wide variety of dining and shopping options, steps from the hotel s front door. Accommodations: New Miyako Hotel Kyoto

6 Day 6 March 25 th, 2019 Monday Kyoto (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off on a full day of touring. Kyoto is old Japan, made up of quiet temples, grand gardens, and colorful shrines. While the rest of Japan has adopted modernity with abandon, the old ways remain in Kyoto. Our morning begins with a visit to Kyoto s famed Golden Pavilion. Be it capped by snow in winter or set against a lush green background in summer, nothing is as symbolic of Kyoto as Kinkaku-ji's golden reflection shimmering across the rippled surface of the pond before it. Kinkaku-ji is one of Japan's best-known sights. The original building was built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. His son converted it into a temple. In 1950, a young monk consummated his obsession with the temple by burning it to the ground. The monk's story was fictionalized in Mishima Yukio's The Golden Pavilion. In 1955, a full reconstruction was completed that exactly followed the original design, but the gold-foil covering was extended to the lower floors. The temple is set in three stories. The 1st floor is Shinden-zukuri, the palace style. It is named Ho-sui-in. The 2nd floor is Buke-zukuri, the style of the samurai house and is called Cho-on-do. The 3rd floor is Karayo style or Zen temple style. It is called Kukkyo-cho. Both the 2nd and 3rd floors are covered with gold-leaf on Japanese lacquer. The roof, upon which the Chinese phoenix settles, is thatched with shingles. The entire temple is surrounded by a beautiful garden with a pond in the front called the Mirror Pond. The stones in the pond give a representation of the Buddhist era. Golden Temple & grounds From here we are off to Nijo Castle, built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period. His grandson completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. The wide moat, massive stone walls, and heavy yet elaborate gates are still impressive, and were the only fortifications the inhabitants felt necessary, so firm was their grip on power. The grounds are large and contain several lovely gardens as well as groves of plum and cherry trees. The palace building itself is imposing, yet upon closer examination, is rich in decorative detail. Inside the palace are several masterpieces of Japanese art, most notably the painted screens of the main chamber. In this room, the shoguns met the daimyo (high-ranking warlord-administrators) who sought an

7 audience. The screens were painted by artists of the Kano school and employ rich colors and large amounts of gilt to depict flowers, trees, birds, and tigers. They were meant to impress. Also, in the palace are the famous "nightingale floors," which were designed to squeak when stepped on and thus alert guards to any intruders. Now, time for lunch at a local restaurant. Now on to visit Kodaiji Temple, established in 1606 in the memory of Ttoyotomi Hideyoshi by his wife who is also enshrined here. He was one of Japan s greatest historical figures. We will be entering the temple s main hall which was originally covered in lacqer and gold but rebuilt in a more modest style after burning down in The building is surrounded on two sides by impressive gardens designed by leading contemporary masters. The gardens are lit up during special illumination shows in spring and autumn. One of the gardens is a rock garden consisting of a large field of raked gravel meant to represent the vast ocean. The other garden is an impressive tsukiyama style garden featuring a pond, manmade hills, decorative rocks and beautiful pine and maple trees, the latter of which turn brilliant shades of red and orange during foliage season. Within this garden stands the Kaizando (memorial hall) where Nene would pray for Hideyoshi and which now enshrines wooden images of both. Up on the hillside behind the temple lies a mausoleum for Hideyoshi and Nene. The interior is richly decorated with special lacquerwork, known as Kodaiji Makie, that features designs of powdered gold and silver set in lacquer, a technique that Kodaiji is famous for. Our last stop on today s touring is a visit to two of Kyoto's most attractive streets are Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka, a pair of lanes that lead down from Kiyomizu-dera Temple toward Nene-no-Michi Lane. The area along enjoys the atmosphere of traditional old Kyoto and is regarded as one of the best sightseeing spots. The stone pavement originally built as the approach to Kiyomizu-dera is now lined with a lot of souvenir shops. The scenery of the winding narrow lanes and traditional-style buildings is designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings and filled with a lot of tourists all year round. Enjoy time here to explore on your own. Now, back to our hotel, arrival by 5:15pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is. Accommodations: New Miyako Hotel Kyoto Day 7 March 26 th, 2019 Tuesday Kyoto-Tokyo (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as today we journey on to Tokyo. Our luggage will be sent separately and meet up with us later at our Tokyo hotel. We will walk across the street to the JR Kyoto Station for our bullet train to Shinagawa Station. Our departure on the Nozomi 116 is at 9:05am with an arrival of 11:23am at Tokyo Station. On arrival, our charter bus will meet us for an afternoon of touring before checking in to our hotel. Welcome to Tokyo, Japan s capital, and the world's most populous metropolis. Tokyo dazzles with its traditional culture and passion for everything new. Such is the joy of a city that prides itself on constant

8 renewal and reinvention; it seriously never gets old. Tokyo has everything you can ask of a city, and has it in spades: a rich, cosmopolitan dining scene, more cafes, and bars than you could visit in a lifetime. We begin our afternoon with lunch at a local restaurant. From here, a visit to one of Tokyo s more youthful spots, Harajuku, the area around Tokyo's Harajuku Station. It is the center of Japan's most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles while also offering some historic sites and shopping for adults. The focal point is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend conscious teens. On Sundays, you can experience teenage culture at its most extreme. This is the day when many young people gather around Harajuku Station and engage in cosplay ("costume play"), dressed up in eccentric costumes to resemble anime characters, punk musicians, etc. Enjoy some time to stroll around and enjoy the area. There is a Daiso, a 107yen shop half way up Takeshita Dori that always a great shopping spot. By the way, the crepes make for a wonderful as a snack, do try one! Our last stop of the day, the Samurai Museum in the Shinjuku section of the city. The samurai has been an iconic symbol of courage, power, and masculinity for over 700 years of Japanese warfare history. Finally, the gripping soul of the samurai can be felt at the Samurai Museum. Their belief, Reputation grudged shows that samurai is not a simple soldier; they highly valued honor above life. The beauty of samurai spirit is shown in Japanese swords and their costumes. The museum, on two floors, provides a near-authentic ambience of historical Japan during the Sengoku period. The museum's founder, Tetsuro Koyano, spent over five years painstakingly gathering a wide array of samurai costumes, head gear, guns, swords, and other related equipment, with a mission to not only impart a comprehensive knowledge of Japanese historical warfare to both locals and foreigners, but also to revive the soul of the samurai. Displayed under dramatic lighting are more than 70 examples of samurai armor, kabuto helmets and weapons gathered here from Japanese and foreign collections. Detailed descriptions for each display are given in English. The highlight is a chance to have yourself photographed in a samurai costume of your choice. We will also enjoy a sword show while here. Now, off to our hotel, recently renovated Sunshine City Prince Hotel, in the heart of Ikebukuro and just a few minutes walk from the JR Ikebukuro Station. Arrival at the hotel will be approximately 6:00pm. The lobby of the hotel connects to a huge shopping and entertainment mecca with four towers, including a 240-meter-high skyscraper with an observation deck on the top. Sunshine City is typically open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm seven days a week. There is a 24-hour Family Mart located right off the lobby in case you would like beverages, some hot and cold food items or just a snack.

9 For dinner, the 3 rd floor of the Sunshine City Mall offers numerous options and the restaurants remain open until 9:30pm. Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel Day 8 March 27 th, 2019 Wednesday Tokyo (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:00am as we are off for a full day of touring. The morning begins with a visit to the Edo Tokyo Museum, a museum of the history of Tokyo during the Edo period. This impressive museum highlights the city's history with large- and small-scale models chronicling Tokyo's architectural transformation as well as recreating Japanese life through the centuries. Here, you can walk through Tokyo's humble origins (via the life-sized Nihonbashi Bridge) in the early Edo Period to the Meiji Restoration (the period where Japan transitioned from traditional to a more modern society, influenced by western principles) from traditional to a more modern society, influenced by western principles), through the subsequent industrial revolution, past the devastation of the World Wars and into today's modern metropolis. In addition to models of all shapes and sizes, the museum also features historical and cultural relics that you can observe up close, including traditional kimono gowns and woodblock prints. From here we are off to Ameyoko Shopping Street, famous throughout Japan for its wide variety of products. The name "Ameyoko" is a short form for "Ameya Yokocho" (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there. Alternatively, "Ame" also stands for "America", because a lot of American products used to be available there when the street was the site of a black market in the years following WWII. You can get just about EVERYTHING here, clothes, bags, cosmetics, fresh fish, dried squid and spices are sold along Ameyoko. It is quite the scene to just walk around through the very crowded and narrow streets. An awesome place to sightsee, shop and eat! Enjoy some time here to explore on your own. It s lunch time and we off to a local restaurant so that you can enjoy a buffet lunch. After lunch, we are off to Asakusa, the traditional, low-rise, down, and dirty Tokyo of yesteryear. Although on the surface it s ye olde Japan, this was the first part of the capital to have significant western influence. It was even the site of Japan s first cinema. Attractions in the area include one of Tokyo s most historic temples Sensoji, and the impressive Kaminarimon Gate that marks the entranceway to the temple. Also, you can t miss Phillip Stark s Golden Poo on the roof of the nearby Asahi Breweries headquarters. Sensoji Temple dates to 645, but with the original destroyed in the air raids of 1945, today s building is a 1958 reconstruction. At the top of the steps, as a mark of respect, clap twice and bow your head. It s also customary to make a small offering by tossing coins into the wooden rack. The Five Storied Pagoda was built in 1973 and amongst others; it stands in honor of comedians! Standing 54 meters high, reinforced with concrete and steel, and like all pagodas, running down the center is a giant pillar of Japanese Cypress tree wood.

10 Once through the gate you ll be in Nakamise Shopping Arcade. The street is lined with colorful, lively stalls selling traditional knick- knacks, festival foods, and rice crackers. There are over 50 shops along this shopping street. We will remain here for 1.5 hrs. to allow you time to enjoy the area as well as shop. Asakusa and Nakamise Shopping Arcade From here we make our way back to our hotel, arrival by 4:15pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is. Accommodations: Sunshine Prince Hotel Day 9 March 28 th, 2019 Thursday Tokyo-Tokyo Disneyland-Tokyo (B) After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:00am as we are off to enjoy a full day at Tokyo Disneyland! Welcome to the kingdom of dreams and magic! Tokyo Disneyland with its seven themed lands offers fun attractions and fantastic entertainment. First opened in April of 1983 and currently celebrating its 35 th anniversary, the happiest place on earth is known to enchant both the young and old with its awe-inspiring attractions and grand spectacles. Please meet your guide back at the designated spot by 6:00pm as we return to the hotel. Once back the remainder of the evening is. Accommodations: Sunshine Prince Hotel Day 10 March 29 th, 2019 Friday Tokyo-Narita (B) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am. It may be our last day on tour, but we still have much to see and do before our flight home later this evening. The morning begins with a visit to the iconic Tokyo Tower. While it is no longer the tallest structure in Japan, nor a full-fledged broadcasting tower, it is still one of the most popular places for tourists to visit and an icon of the capital, attracting about 2 million visitors annually.

11 Opened in Opened in 1958, Tokyo Tower will be standing for a second Olympics when Tokyo hosts the games in Perhaps most known for its distinctive steel framework, this self-supported steel structure, modeled after the Eiffel Tower in France is lighter and taller. At night, the tower is lit up by 176 floodlights, orange in winter and white in summer. Now off to Tsukiji Market, a must on any visit to Tokyo. If you've ever dreamed about melt-in-your-mouth, out-of-this-world sushi, then you might have heard of Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world. Most of Tokyo, and even high-end sushi restaurants in Hong Kong and San Francisco, gets their fish from this cultural landmark near the center of Japan's capital city. Tsukiji sits on some of the most valuable real estate in Tokyo. At some point in the future the market will move to reclaimed land on Tokyo Bay, but for now, enjoy the charm of this unique spot. Opened in 1935, Tsukiji sprang to life after the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed most of Tokyo in It has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. Every morning sightseers start lining up at 3 a.m. to watch the frozen tuna auction. The more expensive fresh tuna auctions where a single Bluefin once sold for nearly $1.8 million- are privately conducted. If you re a foodie, love markets, enjoy photography or simply like visiting unique places then you ll probably love Tsukiji. After a good stroll around the market, there s nothing like a sushi breakfast to complete the experience. There are plenty of sushi shops make sure to choose one where you see locals dining. If you don t feel like sushi, there are other options including ramen, donburi and more. If you finish early we encourage you to visit Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple, less than one block away. With an Indian-style exterior, was built in 1617 near Asakusa, but was burnt down in a huge fire that swept through Edo (Tokyo) in The Temple was then rebuilt on the present site but destroyed again by the Great Tokyo Earthquake of The current main building was built in 1934.The main building possesses a distinctive ambience not found in other Japanese temples, due to its variety of architectural styles. Enjoy time here to explore, shop and have lunch on your own. We now say our good-byes to Tokyo as we head in the direction of Narita, drive time approximately 1.5 hr. Once here we are stopping at the AEON Mall for some serious last-minute shopping and time for lunch on your own. In the mall is a supermarket where you may also want to purchase a freshly made bento to tale along to the airport and enjoy while waiting on our flight. Hawaiian Airlines #822 Departs Narita 9:00 pm Arrive Honolulu 8:40 am

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