JAPAN with CLASSICAL KING FM April 12 22, 2019 For the first time in the history of KING FM s Travel Club, we invite you to join lovers of classical music, art, food, history and culture on a fascinating journey to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. For 10 unforgettable days, you will discover the splendor and grace of Japanese temples, gardens, palaces, shrines and modern landmarks. Classical music concerts will abound and feature Japan s top orchestras such as the NHK Symphony performing in extraordinary venues. Four-star hotels, superb hospitality, impeccable service and sumptuous cuisine await you in a country known for its legendary attention to details. This trip is exclusive and limited to 32 lucky travelers. TRIP AT A GLANCE 1 Overnight flight to Tokyo 4 Nights Tokyo 5 Nights Kyoto 1 Overnight flight to US
As a professional conductor, I have had the privilege of leading orchestras abroad and one of those destinations was Japan. There, I discovered a great dedication to Western symphonic music and a very passionate following. I was most impressed by the musicians extreme dedication and commitment to this great musical art. Tokyo alone is home of five excellent orchestras including the famous NHK Symphony, which we will attend in a performance of music by R. Strauss, Berlioz and Janacek. We will attend two others classical concerts featuring top Japanese orchestras*, and our tour would not be complete without traditional Japanese music which will reveal the finest keepers of century- old folk traditions. Dave Beck and I very much look forward to exploring with you the musical, artistic and architectural beauty of this fascinating country. Christophe Chagnard, Artistic Advisor to KING FM s Travel Club * 2019-2020 season begins on April 1st in Japan and will be released shortly but we know our travelers need to make their travel arrangements well in advance. We are working with the finest Japanese orchestras to curate a musical program for our group to KING FM s highest standards and will update our itinerary as soon as have secured these performances. Christophe Chagnard - KING FM Travel Club Artistic Advisor Christophe is a French conductor, composer and guitarist, and is one of the most sought-after musicians in the Pacific Northwest. Chagnard is the Music Director of the Lake Union Civic Orchestra (LUCO) which he has led since 2000 and was co-founder and Music Director of the Grammy nominated Northwest Sinfonietta from 1991 to 2015. Dave Beck hosts KING FM s midday show and our weekly Seattle Symphony Spotlight. Dave began his career in broadcasting at KUOW in 1985 where he was music director and the awardwinning winning producer of KUOW Presents. An active musician (cellist) as well as broadcaster, Dave is a member of the Auburn Symphony Orchestra and has played as principal cellist of the Bellevue Philharmonic and Seattle Philharmonic Orchestras. He is a past president of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra board and regularly plays chamber music around Seattle. A University of Washington music graduate, his cello instructors have included Toby Saks, Raymond Davis and Cordelia Wikarski Miedel. This will be Dave s second trip with the KING FM Travel Club. He is most excited about sharing music and cultural adventures with fellow travelers in Japan.
YOUR KING FM CLASSICAL ADVENTURE BEGINS! DAY 1: Friday, April 12 - Depart the USA for Tokyo An optional group flight departs today for Tokyo. DAY 2: Saturday, April 13 - Arrive in Tokyo Konichiwa! Welcome to Tokyo, Japan s ultra-modern capital. You ll be transferred to your accommodation in Tokyo by a private motor coach upon arrival. Relax and rest up before meeting your KING FM hosts and local guide for an orientation followed by dinner. Sleep in Tokyo (D) DAY 3: Sunday, April 14 - Discover Tokyo Tokyo is a big city and we have a lot to see! This morning meet your guide and hosts after breakfast for a full day of discovery in Tokyo. Our highlights include the Asakusa District, the Buddhist temple of Sensoji, Kokyo Gaien plaza gardens of the Imperial Palace and the Meiji Shrine* with its spectacular 40 foot Torii gate. We'll go to the top of the Tokyo Skytree for a 360 view of the city too. Our first concert is this evening. Sleep in Tokyo (B, L) *In preparation for Meiji Shrine's 100th anniversary in 2020, renovation works are carried out on some of the shrine's buildings from spring 2016 to October 2019. Efforts are made to keep the impact on visitors very low*
DAY 4: Monday, April 15 - Hamarikyu Gardens and Tokyo National Museum Known for the exquisite attention to detail, today we see examples of this as we visit a few of Japan's most beautiful gardens: Kiyosumi Teien gardens built around a series of ponds, the Hamarikyu Gardens, and the Koishikawa Korakuen gardens. As one of Tokyo's oldest and famous gardens, the Koishikawa Korakuen was built in the early Edo period as the residence for an important samurai family. After a delicious lunch, we head inside to the Tokyo National Museum, one of the largest and best collections of art and archeological artifacts, made up of over 110,000 individual items including nearly a hundred national treasures. In addition to the exhibition halls, there is also a Japanese style garden, tea houses, shops and cafes spread out around the grounds. Sleep in Tokyo (B, L) DAY 5: Tuesday, April 16 - River Cruise You ll have a free morning to explore and discover Tokyo on your own. Your luggage will be forwarded to your hotel in Kyoto. Please bring with you what you need for one night in Tokyo. Your guide will escort you to the pier in Asakusa to board a Sumida river cruise for a refreshing view of Tokyo. The juxtaposition of the old town with the Tokyo Skytree and other notable skyscrapers on the riverside highlights the evolution of this dynamic city. You are free to explore Tokyo on your own until being transferred to our concert this evening. Sleep in Tokyo (B)
DAY 6: Wednesday, April 17 - Tokyo to Kyoto This morning, you will be transferred to Tokyo Station to board the famous bullet train on Japan's fast and efficient high-speed rail network. The trains travel at speeds of up to 300km/hr and cover the 513km distance to Kyoto in approximately 2.5 hours. Upon arrival at Kyoto Station we will head directly to our centrally located hotel. The afternoon is another exclusive concert and a little free time. Enjoy a welcome to dinner Kyoto with your hosts this evening. Sleep in Kyoto (B, D) DAY 7: Thursday, April 18 - Discover Kyoto and Arashiyama Bamboo Forest Today starts at the Daitokuji temple complex where you ll find some of Kyoto's most beautiful, yet less well known, Zen Gardens. Each of the beautiful subtemples of Daisenin, Ryogenin, and Zuihoin have their own distinctive Zen garden style. Next, visit the glittering Kinkakuji Temple known also as the Golden Pavilion. This estate was built as a retirement villa for the shogun. Its grounds are lush and expansive, and this beautiful wooden structure has been coated in gold leaf. After the shogun s death, Kinkakuji was made a Buddhist temple. This afternoon we set out to discover the charm and tranquility of Arashiyama bamboo grove and to visit the Okochi Mountain Villa. The villa is the former estate of famed film star Okochi Denjiro and is considered the finest example of traditional Japanese residential architecture in the country. Sleep in Kyoto (B, L)
DAY 8: Friday, April 19 - Kyoto The Kiyomizu Temple*, also known as the Pure Water Temple, is one of the treasures of Kyoto. First, take in the majestic views from the 13-metre high veranda, before further exploring the grounds and tourist shopping street Matsubara-dori full of shops and restaurants. You will then have some free time to explore Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, a preserved area with restored shop houses where you can imagine what Kyoto looked like before modernity descended. Next, we make our way to Chionin, the head temple of the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. Jodo has millions of followers and is one the most popular Buddhist sects in Japan. The temple has spacious grounds and large buildings. Finally, you will visit Maruyama Park - Kyoto s most popular park for cherry blossom viewing - located in the center of Higashiyama district. Sleep in Kyoto (B, L) *Kiyomizu Temple's main hall is covered up from February 2017 to March 2020 for the renovation of its roof. Visitors will be able to enter the main hall during the renovations*