The Bloom of Cherry Blossoms Kyushu & Kansai March 26 April 03, 2018 Hanami Season Is Here! 7nts/9days from: $3295 dbl/tpl $3450 single Reserve by September 1 st -SAVE $50 per person The beauty of Japan during the Cherry Blossom Season is breathtaking. In the mountains, parks along riverfronts and city street, in school yards.. From late March through the entire month of April, it s the season of the cherry that tinges Japanese islands in delicate shades of pink. The blossoms that signal the end of winter and the arrival of spring have more than a symbolic presence in Japan s floral culture. A long, long time ago, the cherry tree was revered as a dwelling of the gods ; when in full bloom, people offered sake and food to its splendor in exchange for a good harvest. Today every village, town and city lets business-as-usual slide to indulge in days of hanami, flower viewing parties, with friends, family, and co-workers. Of course, there's far more to cherry blossoms. Join us as we are off to the regions of Kyushu and Kansai exploring Hakata, Arita, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and Osaka. It s the perfect balance, sightseeing with time for shopping. Leave room in your bag for those favorite omiyages! Itinerary/Details Day 1 March 26 th, Monday Depart from Honolulu Hawaiian Airlines #449 Departs Honolulu 2:00 pm Arrive Kansai 7:20 pm +1 Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines Terminal, Lobby 3, Makai side at least 3 hours prior to the flight departure time. Day 2 March 27 th, Monday Kansai After clearing customs, we will be met by our local guide and walk over to our hotel for the evening, Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport.
The hotel is ideally located on the airport grounds with a variety of restaurants as well as a 24-hour convenience store nearby. Rest up for tomorrow we are off to Hakata. Accommodations: Nikko Kansai Airport Hotel Day 3 March 28 th, Wednesday Kansai Hakata (B/L) After breakfast at our hotel, please meet up with your guide by 7:30 am. This morning we journey to Fukuoka, Kyushu s largest city and Japan s sixth largest. It's made up of two former towns, the Fukuoka castle town on the west bank of the Naka-gawa and Hakata on the east. The two towns merged in 1889 as Fukuoka, though the name Hakata is still widely in use. As an example, it s Fukuoka Airport but Hakata Station. Whatever you call it; this youthful, user-friendly metropolis has a cosmopolitan charm, peppered with the flavors of its Asian neighbors. Hakata traces its trading history back some 2000 years, which continues today with visitors from Seoul and Shanghai. Among Japanese, the city is famed for its 'Hakata bijin' (beautiful women), SoftBank Hawks s baseball team and hearty Hakata ramen. If Fukuoka doesn't burst with sights like Tokyo or Kyoto, its friendly atmosphere, warm weather, and contemporary attractions art, architecture, shopping, and cuisine make up for it Our luggage will be sent along separately to Hakata. We will take the local train to Shin-Osaka and catch the bullet train to Hakata. Departure from Shin-Osaka is at 10:05am with an arrival in Hakata at 12:33pm. Take a moment to purchase a bento here and enjoy it on the train ride. A lunch bento box will be included for the train ride. Our first stop is at Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Fukuoka, where more than 2 million people visit during the first three days of New Year. In this shrine, Sugawara-no Michizane, an excellent poet, particularly in Chinese poetry in the late 9th century, is enshrined as the god of academic achievements. During the entrance exam season, young people from all parts of Japan preparing for these examinations and their parents come to the shrine to pray for success and academic achievement. Michizane passed away in Dazaifu in 903, just a few years after being sent into exile. Shortly after his death the country was ravaged by natural disasters, and people came to believe that the calamities were caused by the wrathful spirit of Michizane, still angered by his unjust treatment. Offerings were made to the spirit of Michizane and the tradition of Tenmangu Shrines was begun. The Tenmangu Shrine in Dazaifu was built on the site of his grave. The entire length of the approach is lined with shops that cater to the shrine's visitors. The shrine is rather large, stretching about 250 meters from one end to the other. After passing through the torii gate at the entrance, visitors will come across a pond that was built in the shape of the Japanese character for "heart". A path leads across two arched bridges and islands which represent the past, present and future. Usually, by the time cherry blossoms begin to bloom at Dazaifu Tenmangu, the plum blossoms have already finished. If however, the plum blossoms are late to bloom, you will get to experience the rare sight of 6,000 plum trees and dozens of cherry trees- in bloom alongside each other. Do not miss this famous cherry blossom viewing spot. From here we will be visiting the ruins of Fukuoka Castle, built in the beginning of the 17 th century. It is in the middle of the city in Maizuru Park. During the Edo Period, Fukuoka Castle used to be the largest castle on Kyushu, but it was almost completely torn down after the Meiji Restoration as an unwanted symbol of the feudal past. Nowadays only ruined walls and a few turrets remain. The park attracts visitors with walking trails and a few lookout points. This is one of the best times to visit the castle ruins, when Maizuru Park turns into the city's most pleasant spot for cherry blossom viewing. Several walking paths are lined with cherry trees so that you can walk through a tunnel of flowers.
Arrival at our hotel, Hotel Clio Court will be approximately 4:30pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening are. The hotel is ideally located right in front of the Hakata JR Station offering a variety of shopping and dining options. Steps away is the ever popular 108yen Daiso as well as Tokyu Hands. Hakata JR Station Plenty of shopping all around Accommodations: Hotel Clio Court Hakata Day 4 March 29 th Wednesday Hakata Arita Nagasaki (B/L) After breakfast at our hotel we will head out for a full day of exploring. Our local guide will meet us at 8:00am in the lobby. Please prepare a small overnight bag. Our luggage will be sent on to Hakata. This morning we make our way to Okawachiyama, an artisans village located in modern Imari City limits that has been producing its own unique pottery for centuries, and it has historically kept is methods a secret, even from the people living in Imari. The secretive nature of Okawachiyama reached such a degree that it came to be known as the village of secret kilns. The drive time is approximately 2 hours. Okawachiyama is wonderfully pretty, with mist dripping permanently over the steep hills that hem the village together. A ceramic arched bridge marks its entrance, and a clear stream banked by sculptured walls splashes down a gully. Several historical sites, including a noborigama (climbing kiln), have been restored, and old-fashioned shops cluster neatly together along a narrow road that winds steeply uphill. Here you will find over 30 excellent workshops and display rooms. Choices range from the contemporary, attractive designs of workshops Taiichiro and Fukuda, to yuppified wares for modern dining at Imari Towan. Choshun-gama is the town s only workshop dedicated solely to making celadon wares. Enjoy some time to explore and shop. Bridge at village entrance and overlooking cherry trees typical shop and old style narrow lanes Next, we are visiting China on the Park where you can experience pottery and porcelain designs. This establishment dates to the end of the last century when the Fukugawa factory was chosen to provide the Imperial household with porcelain. This large and modern style facility contains a factory, galleries, shops, and a restaurant. It is here that we will enjoy our lunch.
After lunch, we are off to Nagasaki and the travel time is approximately one hour. Nagasaki which suffered the same fate as Hiroshima in August 1945, the bombing on August 9 th was the last major act of WWII and within days the Japanese had surrendered. It's both unfortunate and important that the name Nagasaki is synonymous with the dropping of the atomic bomb. Unquestionably, this history overshadows everything else, yet today Nagasaki is a vibrant, charming, and totally unique gem that begs to be explored far beyond the bomb museums, monuments and memorials. Not that the WWII history can be overlooked or denied: it's as much a part of the city's fabric as the hilly landscape and cobblestones. A visit to the scenes of atomic devastation is a must, but you'll find that this welcoming, peaceful city boasts a colorful trading history, alluring churches, shrines, temples and an East-meets-West culinary scene, prettily set within around a gracious harbor. Nagasaki has been rebuilt on the rubble and ashes of the old city. Set against a hillside overlooking a great natural harbor, Nagasaki is now a sprawling city of 440,000 on the southern island of Kyushu. Temples and mansions set among gardens on the hill preside over the bustle of office buildings and noodle shops on the winding streets below. Most of Nagasaki's historical sites and monuments are within walking distance of the center of the city, while a couple of miles away on the other side of town is a cluster of sights related to the bombing, including the new Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, which gives powerful testimony to one of the pivotal events of the 20th century. We will be visiting the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Park and Museum, built on a low hill to the north of the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast. It was created to represent the wish for world peace and a vow that such a tragic war would never be repeated. The park features the 9.7-meter-high Peace Statue symbolizing the Nagasaki citizens' wish for peace. Sculptor Seibou Kitamura, a Nagasaki native, created this statue as a symbol of the divine love and mercy of Buddha. The raised right hand points to the heavens to signify the threat of atomic weapons while the left arm is raised horizontally to represent the wish for peace. The figure's eyes are lightly closed in prayer for the souls of the atomic bomb victims. Every year on August 9, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, a peace memorial ceremony is conducted in front of this statue and a peace declaration is made to the people of the world. The park also features the Fountain of Peace, which was built in remembrance of a little girl who wandered in search of water. Visitors can also view a row of monuments contributed by various nations that form the zone of symbols of world peace. From here we will check in to our hotel for the evening, Hotel New Nagasaki ideally located by the JR Nagasaki station. Arrival here will be approximately 5:30pm and the remainder of the evening is. Accommodations: Hotel New Nagasaki Day 5 March 30 th, Friday Nagasaki Hakata (B/) After breakfast, please meet up with your guide by 8:30am as we are off on a full day of touring. Our day begins with a visit to Oura Cathedral, first constructed in 1863 by 2 French priests and it is said to be the oldest church in Japan. Oura Catholic Church honors the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan, who were rounded up in Kyoto and crucified in Nagasaki, near present-day Nagasaki Station, in 1597 on the orders of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The original, small, wooden church, built by the Japanese carpenter, Koyama Hide, who also built Thomas Glover's palatial villa. From here we make our way to Glover Garden, an open-air museum, exhibiting mansions of former Western residents of Nagasaki. Located on the hill where Western merchants settled down after the end of Japan s era of seclusion. Overlooking Nagasaki Bay, Glover House and Gardens offers magnificent of the harbor and city below. It is truly an oasis of peace in a large city such as Nagasaki.
Now, time for lunch on your own and some shopping time at Yume Saito, a bayside shopping center with over 100 shops. We will remain here for 1.5 hours. After lunch and shopping, we will begin making our way back to Hakata. Along the way, we will be stopping at the Kasutera (Honey Cake) Factory in Isahaya. Now a specialty of Nagasaki, the cake was brought by way of Portuguese merchants in the 16 th century. The name is derived from Portuguese Pao de Castela, meaning bread from Castile. This popular Japanese sponge cake is made from 4 basic ingredients-sugar, eggs, bread flour and honey. It has assumed a distinctly light Japanese flavor and texture over the centuries. They are available several flavors such as honey, chestnut, and green tea. The remaining drive time is approximately 1.5 hours and we will be making a strawberry fruit picking stop. Naturally, picking, sampling and literally eating the fruits of your labor. Arrival at our hotel will be approximately 5:30pm and the remainder of the evening is. Accommodations: Hotel Clio Court Hakata Day 6 March 31 st, Saturday, Hakata Miyashima- Hiroshima (B/D) After breakfast, please meet up with your guide by 8:15am. We are off to Hiroshima via bullet train this morning. Our luggage will be sent separately onto Osaka. Please prepare a small overnight bag for this evening. It is a short 5-7-minute walk to the JR Station. Our train departs at 8:48am and will arrive at the Hiroshima Station at 10:44am. Once in Hiroshima, we will take a short 10- minute ferry ride to Miyajima Island, one of the most scenic spots in Japan. It has long been regarded as an Island of Gods on the beautiful Seto Inland Sea. It is a romantic and historical island where Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage site, is located, along with the Virgin Forest of Mt. Misen, and numerous preserved shrines, temples, and historical monuments. Its star attraction is the oft-photographed vermilion torii (shrine gate) of Itsukushima-jinja, which seems to float on the waves at high tide a scene that has traditionally been ranked as one of the three best views in Japan. From the ferry station, we will walk along Omote-Sando, the main street from the port to Itsukushima Shrine. There are many souvenir shops on both sides of the street. You will have time to enjoy souvenir shopping for a Shamoji (a rice scoop) or the well-known Momiji manju, a bun with a bean-jam filling made from maple leaves as well and other crafts. We will now visit the cultural heritage site, called the "Itsukushima Shinto Shrine" that is dedicated to the God protecting people from sea disasters and wars. It is said that this shrine was constructed around 593; however, after the warlord Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181) rebuilt it in 1168, it became the magnificent vermilion-lacquered building it is today. The most interesting feature of this shrine is the Torii (a kind of gate symbolizing a shrine) and the Shaden (shrine pavilion) in the sea, which are both submerged at full tide, but at low tide the sea water recedes completely and it is possible to walk out to the gate.
Ferry to Miyajima The Great Torii Itsukushima Shrine Yummy Oysters! After lunch on your own and some shopping time we will ferry back to Hiroshima. With six beautiful rivers flowing through it, Hiroshima is called the City of Water. The origins of the city date back to 1589 when Mori Terumoto, a feudal lord, built Hiroshima Castle at the large delta of the Ota-gawa River. Because the delta resembled a large island, the area was called "Hiroshima", or 'wide island' in Japanese. Although many only know it for the horrific split second on August 6, 1945, when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, it is now a modern, cosmopolitan city with excellent cuisine and a bustling nightlife. Our first stop will be at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, located in the center of Hiroshima City. It is difficult to imagine that this triangle shaped piece of land bordered by two rivers was once a busy commercial and residential downtown area. The atomic bomb eliminated everything in the town. After World War II, a group led by a Japanese architect Kenzo Tange designed the park to turn the land into the Peace Memorial Park It was completed in 1954. Along the walk through the Peace Memorial Park, enjoy the many cherry tree blossoms. There are many buildings and monuments which commemorate people who lost their lives at that time and also represent the people's prayers for peace, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Memorial Cenotaph and the Statue of the A- Bomb Children, etc. By imagining the contrast between the misery of the atomic bomb attack and the beauty and tranquility in the park while visiting spots in the park, you will be moved to appreciate how precious peace is. Our next stop is at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. By standing on the Peace Boulevard side, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Memorial Cenotaph, the Peace Flame and the A- Bomb Dome can be seen along a straight line. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which opened in 1955, gives people an opportunity to learn of the outcome of the bomb attack and consider what peace really means through many reference materials. The East Wing exhibits photographs, panels, videos, and panorama models showing the actual history of Hiroshima before and after the bomb attack. The main building exhibits victims' belongings and references which show the misery of the bomb attack. You will see a burnt lunch box, a tricycle which a 3-year-old boy was riding, etc., which reflects the instantaneous destruction and strike right at the heart of visitors. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was designed by a group headed by Kenzo Tange, who also designed the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The strength of humanity rising up from the ruins is expressed in the piloti-style space under the main building. The last stop today will be at A-Bomb Dome, a symbol of peace which most people have at least seen at one time in a picture. The building, which was designed by a Czech architect in 1915, had been used as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Hiroshima citizens back then loved so much European modern-style buildings of the time. In 1912, the National Confectionery Exposition was held in this place. From that exposition, Baumkuchen, which represented German cake, was manufactured, and sold in Japan for the first time. Since the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall was located only around 160 meters from the hypocenter, the building was blown up, and all those inside the building died. However, the building was not destroyed completely because the blast of the atomic bomb, which was vaporized in the air, prevented it from totally collapsing. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and has been representing people's prayers for a lasting peace.
A-Bomb Dome Hiroshima Peace Park Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Arrival at our hotel will be 5:45 pm. Accommodations tonight are at The Hotel New Hiroden, just 5 minutes from Hiroshima Station. Please meet in the lobby by 6:15 pm as we are off to dinner at the Okonomiyaki Restaurant. Our dinner this evening is okonomiyaki, a popular pan-fried food that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese). This variability is reflected in the dish's name; "okonomi" literally means "to one's liking". The dish is available all over Japan, but is most popular in the west, particularly the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka. Okonomiyaki is sometimes translated into English as "As-you-like-it Pancake". However, this may be misleading. Though it does consist of batter cooked on a griddle, okonomiyaki has nothing of the sweetness or fluffiness of pancakes, not to mention that it is usually filled with octopus, shrimp, pork, yam, or kimchi. A more accurate comparison, which is also made, is between okonomiyaki and pizza. Enjoy watching the steps of your okonomiyaki being created in front of you After dinner, we will walk back to our hotel, but if you are up for a walk, the Hiroshima JR Station is close by and some shops may still be open. Accommodations: Hotel New Hiroden Day 7 April 1 st. Sunday, Hiroshima Osaka (B) After breakfast please meet your guide by 9:00am. We will be traveling by bullet train to Shin-Osaka. The departure time is 9:35am and arrival at Shin-Osaka will be 11:01am. From there we will travel by local train to our hotel. Accommodations for tonight in Osaka are at The Cross Hotel Osaka. The hotel is in a great location, steps away to Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi, Den Den town and Namba Walk.
Namba is a very special place in Osaka. Small streets are packed with restaurants, shops (including two big shopping malls at Namba station), pubs (izakaya), karaoke and other kinds of Japanese entertainment. The area is full of people at night, making it colorful and vibrant. Your luggage was transported from Hakata and will be waiting at our hotel. Check in time is not until 3:30pm. We will be dropping off our hand carries and then join your guide for a walking tour of the Dotombori area. Welcome to Osaka, the working heart of Kansai. Famous for its down-to-earth citizens and the colorful Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect) they speak. 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 Famous Blade Runner Neon Shinsaibashi Shopping Dotonbori Street Accommodations: Cross Hotel Osaka Day 8 April 2 nd, Monday, Osaka (B) After breakfast, it s a total day for you to enjoy either shopping which is just steps away or sightseeing or maybe even a combination of both. Accommodations: Cross Hotel Osaka Day 9 April 3 rd, Tuesday, Osaka-Kansai (B/L) It may be our last day on tour, but we still have much planned before arriving later this evening at the Kansai Airport. Please meet your guide by 9:30am in the lobby. Our luggage will be sent separately later this afternoon to the airport and meet up with us on arrival. The morning begins with a visit to Osaka Castle-the symbol of Osaka with it s over 400 years of history. Built as a display of power by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after he achieved his goal of unifying Japan. One hundred thousand workers toiled for three years to construct an 'impregnable' granite castle, finishing the job in 1583. It was destroyed 32 years later by the armies of Tokugawa Ieyasu, rebuilt within 10 years, and then suffered a further calamity when another generation of the Tokugawa clan razed it rather than let it fall to the forces of the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The present structure is a 1931 concrete reconstruction of the original, which was refurbished in 1997. The interior houses an excellent collection of displays relating to the castle, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the city of Osaka. On the 8th floor is an
observation deck with 360-degree views. The castle and park are at their colorful best in the cherry-blossom and autumnfoliage seasons. Enjoy the sight of over 4,000 cherry trees planted within the grounds and in the parks, that surround the area. Afterward we are off on a sightseeing cruise down the Okawa River (at the rear of Osaka Castle Park) and marvel at the 5,000 or so cherry blossom trees that line its banks. From here we are off to an all you can eat buffet lunch. After lunch, a special treat, a scenic one hour cruise along the Okawa River on the Aqua-Liner. During cherry blossom season, this is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the blooms as you just sit back, relax, and take it all in. Osaka Castle Sightseeing Cruise We now make our way to the Kansai Airport, but there is one last stop, an important one at the Aeon Mall for last minute shopping and as well the opportunity to pick up a delicious bento to take along to the airport. Arrival at the airport will be 6:00pm and once there we will begin the check-in process. Hawaiian Airlines #450 Departs Kansai 9:20 pm Arrive Honolulu 9:55 am