Renée Sawazaki Overseas Guests Seva Japanese cell: (int l) (within Japan)

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1 1 (Letter for Sacred Tour Part 1&2 guests) Om Jai Jai Sai Maa Welcome to your upcoming program in Japan! For many you, this will be your first trip to Japan, so we have put together as much information as possible to make your stay in Japan comfortable. You can also check our website s FAQ for more detailed information. (Please scroll down past tour information.) You will be traveling quite extensively on this trip and staying at five accommodations: A hotel in Tokyo, two nights in Kyoto (1 night at a hotel, 1 night at a hot spring resort), three nights at a shukubo (monastery accommodation) in Koyasan, and a final night at a hotel in Nara. So, in this letter, we wish to give you enough information for your preparation. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. In loving service, Sai Maa Customer Support Team support@sai-maa.com (720) Office of Sai Maa Reiko Dewey Regional Director for Japan reiko@sai-maa.com Tokyo office: (int l) (within Japan) Japanese cell: (int l) (within Japan) Renée Sawazaki Overseas Guests Seva renee.sawazaki@gmail.com Japanese cell: (int l) (within Japan) First, some important notifications PLEASE SEND A PHOTO COPY OF YOUR PASSPORT (MAIN PAGE WITH PHOTO) by Sept 30. This is required by the hotels. to info@saimaa.jp. PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SURVEY (WHETHER YOU NEED A RIDE TO NARA STATION, SHIN-OSAKA STATION OR KANSAI INT L AIRPORT) FOR THE LAST DAY OF THE TOUR (Oct 19). This will help us complete the arrangements for the last portion of your trip.

2 2 PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SHORT SURVEY: THERE IS NO TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICY ON THIS TOUR. If you require travel insurance, please take out a personal policy before leaving. We have done our best to accommodate your requests for single and shared rooms, and apologize in advance if your preference was not available. PROFOUND MYSTICAL JOURNEY Please note the hotel you are to go to upon arrival in Tokyo and print out the bilingual information to show taxi drivers. Unless you are staying at the Dai-Ichi Hotel, you will also need to print out the directions to and from the hall. The accommodations that have been set up for you are as follows: Your arrival hotel (please find directions to/ from here below): Name: Rooming situation/roommate: Hotel: If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, please Reiko Dewey at info@saimaa.jp. (Note: We have done our best to accommodate your requests for single and shared rooms.) UPON ARRIVAL IN JAPAN HOW TO GET TO YOUR HOTEL IN TOKYO FROM NARITA OR HANEDA AIRPORT: The easiest way is to take the Limousine Bus to Tokyo City Air Terminal (TCAT; and to take a taxi from there. Shuttles leave for TCAT every 15 minutes From Narita: If you show an international (non-japanese) passport, tickets are currently discounted to 1900 yen, estimated travel time 1h 20min From Haneda: 820 yen, estimated travel time min. The taxi ride from TCAT to the hotel should come in under 2000 yen. To switch to a taxi at the terminal: Get off the shuttle, taking the glass door into the building, walking across the hall (several yards) out the opposite door and into a taxi. It takes a couple of minutes and is very simple. For the Tokyo Dome Hotel, the Limousine Bus has a direct bus service to the hotel yen. Their time table is:

3 3 You can also take a train, but most stations are not easy to maneuver with luggage, and can be confusing for a first visit. English websites for your hotels are listed. You can go into ACCESS within the websites, and look up how to get there from Narita Airport. The site may give several options, including trains. TOKYO HOTEL ADDRESSES AND WEBSITES: * Please print the bilingual information for your hotel to have ready to show to the taxi driver. * Tokyo Dome Hotel Tokyo Dome Hotel in Korakuen Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo TEL: 東京ドームホテル東京都文京区後楽園 Daiichi Hotel Ryogoku Daiichi Hotel Ryogoku Yokoami 1-6-1, Sumidaku, Tokyo TEL: 第一ホテル両国東京都墨田区横網 Pearl Hotel Ryogoku Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo Phone: パールホテル両国東京都墨田区横網 Tel: Excel Hotel Kameido

4 4 EXCEL CITY HOTEL , Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo TEL: エクセルシティーホテル東京都江東区亀戸 UPON ARRIVAL: There is nothing planned on your arrival date of Oct 9 th. The seva teams will be at the hall preparing the hall starting 6pm on the 9 th, and you are welcome to come and join if you are feeling adventurous! GETTING TO THE HALL: The program is at the Kokusai Fashion Center (KFC) Hall Annex (3F) 国際ファッションセンタービル It is adjacent to the Daiichi Hotel Ryogoku, so use the hotel information when taking a taxi or asking directions to the venue. Daiichi Hotel Ryogoku Address: 1 Chome-6-1 Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo TEL: 両国の第一ホテル 東京都墨田区横網一丁目 6 番 1 HOW TO GET TO THE HALL FROM YOUR HOTEL: From Tokyo Dome Hotel The easiest route is to walk 6 minutes from the hotel to Kasuga Station. Take the Toei Subway Oedo line towards Hikarigaoka to Ryogoku station. (Stop E12, 5 stops, 10 minutes, 220 yen). Use Exit A1. Go to KFC Hall ANNEX (3F) The building is right above the station. Or, about 17 minutes by taxi (about 1500 yen). Ask for Ryogoku no Daiichi Hotel, or you can show the address. From Pearl Hotel 10-minute walk. A map will be prepared for you at the hotel. From Excel City Hotel By train (Estimate minutes travel time.):

5 5 Walk 5 minutes to Kameido station (JR) Take the JR Chuo-Sobu line towards Nakano to Ryogoku station (2 stops, 5 minutes, 140 yen). Walk to KFC Hall from the station. o 6-min walk from the east exit. Walk to the left, along the side of the tracks until you reach a main road. Turn left and walk about 200 meters. KFC Hall is on your left. o 7-min walk from the west exit. Walk down the pedestrian path between the Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) and the Edo-Tokyo Museum until you get to a street. Turn right. Walk down the road between the museum and junior high and turn left at the main street. KFC Hall is about 50 meters down the street on your left. By taxi: 10 minutes. About 1000 yen. Ask for Ryogoku no Daiichi Hotel, or you can show the address. From Daiichi Hotel This hotel is adjacent to the hall. AFTER THE MYSTICAL JOURNEY: KYOTO, KOYASAN AND NARA TOUR AND PROGRAMS GOING TO KYOTO: On Oct 13 th, you will be taking the bullet train (shinkansen) from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station. There will be a seva staff (with a SAI MAA LOGO flag) at your hotel lobby at 9:30 am. If you would like to send your suitcase to Koyasan ahead of you, come minutes earlier. We will help with shipping tags. You will be staying at various hotels in Kyoto and Koyasan. You will be notified of these once you are in Kyoto on the tour. Your last night (Oct 18th) will be at: The Hotel Nikko Nara Honcho Sanjo Nara-shi, Nara ホテル日航奈良奈良県奈良市三条本町 8-1 TEL: That is all for lodging information. Blessed travels!!

6 6 For your convenience, please find below complimentary information to the FAQ at (Scroll down past tour information). WHERE TO EAT IN OR NEAR THE HALL If you are hungry before Darshan, or after program, there are a few choices right at the hall: 1F: Cake and Coffee Shop Cerise : 8:00-19:00 1F: Café and Dining Azelia : 7:00-22:00 2F: Chinese Totenko : 11:30-22:00 25F: Japanese Sakura : 7:00-22:00 Asian Café (across the street): 12:00-15:00, 19:00-22:00 WHAT KIND OF SIGHTSEEING CAN I DO IN TOKYO? If you arrive early, or have a few hours during your stay, nice places to visit are Meiji Shrine (generally serene and quiet once inside the gates), and Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa (dedicated to QuanYin, Old Tokyo, bubbling with a lot of traditional shops all around). There are also some very popular places for tourists like Tokyo Sky Tree (the tallest tower in the world). Sensoji Temple and Tokyo Sky Tree are relatively close to the hall where we will be in program. Meiji Shrine is closer to central Tokyo, but worth the visit. Once you step out of Meiji Shrine, and you will be in Omotesando, kind of like the Champs Elysee of Tokyo. Just down the street from the hall, you can find The Edo-Tokyo Museum (Special exhibit From Ukiyo-e to Photography: Cultural Awakening in Japan s Visual Field at the Edo-Tokyo Museum from Oct 10), Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) and Kyu-Yasuda Teien (Former Yasuda Garden). Meiji Shrine: Asakusa: Senso-ji Temple: Tokyo Sky Tree: Edo-Tokyo Museum Kokugikan and Kyu-Yasuka Teien: Scroll down to Information on surrounding area for bilingual maps and English information on the sites. TIPPING AND EXCHANGING MONEY:

7 7 There is no tipping in Japan. Service is always included. So taxis, restaurants etc, just pay what is on the bill. We recommend changing your money at Narita/Haneda/Kansai Airport or using an ATM in a convenience store like 7-Eleven. HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD I BRING? For a 10-day stay in Japan, you may want to exchange about 45-55,000 yen (about USD), to cover travel to/from airports, local trains and taxis, some of your meals (Many meals are included, but not all.), snacks, and souvenirs. Japan is very cashoriented, and many restaurants and smaller stores do not take credit cards. So, it is recommended to have some cash with you, even if you are planning on using an ATM. This is a very broad estimate, though, and the amount of cash spent will vary from person to person. JAPANESE HOTELS and RYOKAN (Japanese-style inn with public hot spring baths): Some time will be spent in hotels, mostly very tiny business hotels, so please be prepared to have little space for hanging clothes or even opening your suitcase. Some of your stays (a ryokan in Kyoto, and monasteries in Koyasan) will be in Japanese tatami-style rooms, with futons and public baths. You may be sharing a room with up to six people. This is Japanese-style traveling, and each of these locations are refined, beautiful Japanese-style buildings with gardens and hot spring baths. The public baths are the reason many Japanese travel, and the water is often mineral rich and healing. Taking a bath itself is a ritual all its own! As a first-timer in Japan, it may feel a little intimidating bathing with other people, but it is one of the ways to enjoy Japanese culture, and to fully relax during the tour. So, please enjoy! Here is a guide on how to take a bath in Japan: The most important thing is to wash your hair and body at a stall, not in the bath. Think of the bath as a sacred hot tub only enter it clean, and only your body goes in (no swimsuits or towels). You can cover your private areas with a long hand towel (provided in your hotel room and/or in the changing area) while walking through the bathing areas. IF YOU NEED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET: The hotels will generally all have free Internet access. Some will have only LAN access, so if you have a MAC, you may wish to bring a LAN adapter for your USB port. The ryokan (Japanese inn) and monastery may not, or if they do, only in certain areas. If you know you will need Internet access, we recommend that you rent a mobile hotspot/wifi router. You can order and pay online now, and have the company deliver it to your hotel to be there in time for your arrival. You return it on the last day by putting the whole kit in the envelope they provide you and sending it back (The post office at the airport is convenient for this). If speed is not an issue, the AU router may be more dependable given we are going into the mountains. We are not sure of the accessibility of Yahoo.

8 8 THE WEATHER, TEMPERATURE, AND CLOTHING In general, October is a beautiful time of year in Japan, with stunning fall foliage. It could rain (always handy to have a foldup umbrella) and it could be chilly, especially in Koyasan. The temples are sparsely heated, so please plan on layering, and have something warm to wear. Good walking shoes (easily taken on and off) will also be important as you travel around the temples. Kyoto and Koyasan are very traditional, so modest attire is recommended, especially in the temples: No bare shoulders, low neck lines, shorts, short dresses, or short skirts. Koyasan is a holy site, so please choose clothing that while comfortable, would be respectful, remembering that we are representing Sai Maa. This is a place where those of you who have traveled to India could wear your Punjabis and Kurtas. LUGGAGE: HOW MUCH SHOULD I BRING? All Japanese hotels will have amenities like soap, shampoo, hair dryers, toothbrushes, even Japanese style pajamas/robe (yukata) and slippers. Please plan on traveling light. If you bring a suitcase and a light day pack, you can ship your suitcase from Tokyo (after the program) directly to Koyasan, and it will be there when you arrive. And travel with your daypack or a light bag. You will be in Kyoto 2 nights in two different accommodations. In Koyasan, you will need to walk with your suitcase for several minutes, so please be sure you have something you are comfortable carrying or rolling.