2019 Fall Foliage Tour

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2019 Fall Foliage Tour November 16th – 25th, 2019 8nts/10days fr: $3295 triple $3395 double $3695 single “Discovering Mythical Japan” is an exploration into traditional and ultramodern Japan. Come, join, immerse yourself in Japan’s unique land, art, and culture all while enjoying the beauty of the stunning fiery blends of yellow, orange, and red foliage. This unforgettable ten-day escorted tour begins in Osaka, Japan's third-largest city, a place where things have always moved a bit faster. Above all, Osaka is a city that loves to eat: its unofficial slogan is kuidaore ('eat until you drop'). Then, Nara, with its awe-inspiring Great Buddha at Todaiji Temple and Tamatsukuri Onsen, one of the oldest onsen in Japan, dating back to 733AD when apparently the Shinto Gods themselves bathed in these waters. Antiquity doesn’t end here as we will also be visiting Izumo Grand Shrine, one of the most ancient, already in existence in the early 700’s, Tottori Dunes, Japan’s largest sand dunes, Mt. Shosya’s Enkyoki Temple where scenes from the movie, The Last Samurai was filmed, and elegant Himeji Castle, an original, built in the beginning of the 17th century. There’s a free shopping day in Osaka as well an afternoon to explore Himeji’s Miyukidori Shopping Arcade, two sake brewery visits, the Adachi Museum of Art and its incredibly beautiful Japanese garden. This is a fall foliage tour you won’t want to miss! Itinerary/Details Day 1 – November 16th, 2019- Saturday – Departure from Honolulu Delta Air Lines #277 Departs Honolulu 12:35 pm – Arrive Kansai 6:00 pm +1 Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Delta Air Lines check-in counters located in Terminal 2 a minimum of 3 hours prior to the flight departure time. Day 2 – November 17th, 2019- Sunday – Kansai – Osaka On arrival in Osaka, please make your way to the baggage claim area and then proceed to customs clearing. On exiting customs, we will be met by our local English speaking guide. A short walk to our charter bus and then off to Osaka. The travel time will be approximately one hour. Our bags will be transported separately by truck and meet up with us at the hotel. Welcome to Osaka, Japan's third-largest city. Ultra-urban, hard-working Osaka is an unabashed antidote to the fashion-forward frenzy of Tokyo and the prim propriety of Kyoto. This longtime capital of commerce is filled with

down-to-earth citizens speaking colorful Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect) and neon-clad streetscapes bursting with over-the-top 3D signage. Osaka's real treasures are in the bustling street life in its arcades, markets, and byways. And Osaka really comes into its own at night, when locals come out for delicious eats and good times. Guaranteed, our hotel is right in the heat of everything you would want to experience of Osaka. We are literally right around the corner from the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade. Accommodations for the next three nights are at the Red Roof Inn Plus Osaka Namba, the perfect location, steps from the Dotonbori and the Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade. This area is second to none, we guarantee it. Don’t be fooled by the hotel name, opened in July of 2016, it is truly a gem. Please check out reviews and see for yourself.

Red Roof Inn Plus Osaka Namba With an arrival at our hotel at approximately 8:00pm, the night is still young. If you would like a bite to eat, many options available in and around the Dotonbori. There are also several 24-hour convenience store and a 24/7 Don Quijote close by.

Famous Blade Runner Neon

Shinsaibashi Shopping

Accommodations: Red Roof Inn Plus Osaka Namba

Dotonbori Street

free

Day 3 – November 18th, 2019 Monday – Osaka-Nara-Osaka (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am as we are off on a full day of touring. The morning begins with a drive to Nara, established in the year 710. 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 will be visiting Todaiji Temple and its Great Buddha (Daibutsu), Japan's largest bronze Buddha as well as Nara Deer Park. 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 1692. 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-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 1709. It is the largest wooden structure in the world, but only two-thirds its original size.

Todaiji Temple with Great Buddha Along the same path is Nara Deer Park, home to hundreds of freely 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. As you walk along, feel the autumn atmosphere all around, maple and other deciduous trees ablaze with vividly colored fall foliage colors.

Nara Deer Park

After lunch at a local restaurant, we make our way back to Osaka for an afternoon visit to Osaka Castle, one of Osaka’s most popular landmark sights. Numerous trees around the castle park, including a 300-year-old gingko tree, turn beautiful autumn colors, creating a wonderful contrast with the castle as a background. 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 1997. As you walk around you can still marvel at its massive stone walls, gold-leaf trim, copper roof, and panoramic views. There is also a fascinating on-site museum that chronicles its tumultuous history.

Osaka Castle

snacks & souvenirs

view from top of castle perch

From here, back to our hotel, arrival by 4:30pm. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free. You may consider venturing out to Amerikamura, steps from our hotel and the center of youth culture in Osaka. The area is filled with vintage clothing stores, cafes, galleries and much more. America-Mura is always full of young people sporting unique fashions. There are performances and flea markets which create a lively, fun atmosphere.

Amerikamura

Accommodations: Red Roof Inn Plus Osaka Namba

free

Day 4 – November 19th, 2019 Tuesday– Osaka (B) After breakfast, it’s a total free day for you to enjoy either shopping which is just steps away or sightseeing or maybe even a combination of both.

Kuromon Market, one of the main food markets in Osaka is just a 5-minute walk from our hotel. 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.

Accommodations: Red Roof Inn Plus Osaka Namba

free

Day 5 – November 20th, 2019 Wednesday– Osaka-Okayama (B) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am as we bid Osaka good-bye and journey on to Okayama on the bullet train. Please prepare a overnight bag for the next 2 nights as our larger pieces will be sent by truck to Tottori. Our bus will drop us off at the Shin Osaka Station and we’ll board Nozomi 11 at 10:05am with an arrival at 10:50am. Once here, a new bus and driver will meet us for an afternoon of touring. It’s a short drive to Kurashiki where we will be visiting the Kurahiki Bikan Historical Quarter. Once in the historical quarter, free time to stroll her backstreets, a tiny but immaculately preserved section of its old rice-merchant quarter, which prospered in the Edo period. There are about 300 old houses and granaries. The oldest is about 300 years old. Old Kurashiki today consists of dozens of characteristic whitewashed, black-tiled kura, or rice granaries, centered around a willow-lined transport canal. Many have been converted into museums, shops, teahouses, and inns, injecting contemporary vitality into these relics of traditional Japan. It is considered one of the picturesque merchants’ quarter in Japan. The quaint charm of those times has been retained with white wooden houses with traditional black tiles & no electrical poles on the roads! Some families who have lived here for generations are still there! Enjoy free time for lunch on your own, shopping and capture the beautiful autumn leaves along the Kurashiki River which runs through this town’s center.

Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter

From here, off to Okayama and a visit to Korakuen Garden, ranked as one of Japan’s three best landscaped gardens. It is besides Okayama Castle, which can be seen from the garden as “borrowed scenery”. This spacious garden incorporates typical features of a Japanese garden, a large pond, streams, walking paths and a hill that serves as a lookout point. Also found in the garden are groves of plum, cherry and maple trees, tea and rice fields, an archery range and a crane aviary. Enjoy a leisurely stroll among the 100 maple trees in the peak of their autumn colors.

Korakuen Garden Now, off to our hotel for the evening, Hotel Granvia Okayama, conveniently located in front of JR Okayama Station. Our arrival will be by 4:00pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free. You will find a wide variety of dining and shopping options just steps away.

Accommodations: Hotel Granvia Okayama

free

Day 6 – November 21st, 2019 Thursday– Okayama-Yonago-Matsue-Tamatsukuri Onsen (B/D) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off on another full day of touring. The morning begins with a train ride, not the bullet train, but the Limited Express, Yakumo 5 departing Okayama Station at 9:04am and arrives in Yonago Station at 11:17am. We will walk over from the hotel to the station. Once in Yonago, we are off for an afternoon tour beginning in Matsue, on the Japan Sea coast. The city is located between Lake Shinji, Lake Nakaumi and the Sea of Japan and therefore also known as the "water city". It main attractions include Matsue Castle, one of only twelve in all of Japan and the former residence of Lafcadio Hearn, a writer, known best for his books about Japan. The Adachi Museum of Art which we will be visiting tomorrow is also here. We begin at Sakaiminato Osakana Center, the specialist’s marketplace where local fish and seafood brokers come together to buy and sell all manner of marine products at low prices. Just watching the lively trading and hearing the thunderous voices of the sellers is an experience. Enjoy free time here to explore and have lunch on your own. If you’re hungry, there’s plenty to eat—the Minato-ten restaurant is not to be missed! Next, we are off to Mizuki Road, a street dedicated to all the characters created by the hometown manga artist, Shigeru Mizuki. For 800 meters, more than one hundred bronze statues of his characters line both sides of the road. It is also a shopping area, enjoy free time here. Next, a visit to the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum followed by free time to take stroll along Matsue’s Castle Town. The museum is more of a writer’s house with exhibiting the personal effects and books of naturalized Japanese writer Lafcadio Hearn, also known as Yakumo Koizumi. Born in Greece, arriving in Japan by ways of several countries including Ireland and America, he became a Japanese citizen and took the Japanese name, becoming

known as a novelist and scholar of Japanese folklore. The museum contains over 1,000 items related to his personage and work, of which 200 are displayed. Now, enjoy time to stroll talong the Shiomi-nawate Street to enjoy the atmosphere of this castle town and see a variety of historic buildings including former samurai residences. Walk along the road facing the castle and enjoy the autumn colored leaves.

Matsue Castle

Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum

Matsue Castle Town

Now, off to Tamatsujuri Onsen, one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, dating back to 733AD. This is known through Izumonokuni fudoki (the description of Izumo Province, complied in 733AD) depicts the hot spring as “crowded with young and old, men and women”. The hot spring water here includes sulfate ion and meta-silicate acid, serving as a natural lotion. This has attracted many young women and recently the onsen has become known as himegami-no-yu (the hot spring of goddesses). Accommodations for the evening is at Matsunoyu, boasting a 130-year history. Our arrival will be by 5:15pm, followed by a Japanese dinner at 6:00pm. After dinner, do enjoy the Grand Bath of Matsunoyu, “Gessho-no-yu,” a two-story all-glass panel structure, open ceiling hot spring. Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere as if you were exposed to sunlight or moonlight. Open-air bath, whirlpool bath and sauna are equipped with the Grand Bath for both men and women.

Accommodations: Matsunoyu

free- Japanese style rooms

Day 7 – November 22nd, 2019 Friday– Tamatsukuri Onsen-Izumo-Tottori (B/D) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am as we are off again on a full day of touring, making our way to Izumo and Tottori. We begin first in Izumo with a visit to Izumo Grand Shrine, one of Japan’s most important shrines. While there are no records of exactly when it was built, the shrine is included in the “Kojiki”, Japan’s oldest chronicle which shows that it was already in existence as far back as the early 700’s. The shrine is famous for its buildings, the oldest examples of shrine architecture in Japan, and Japan’s largest shimenawa (a sacred rope marking the dwelling place of a god). It is believed that gods from all over Japan gather here in November. Famously dedicated to the god of marriage, it has been awarded two stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. Izumo was ruled by a powerful clan in pre-historic times, and the region plays a central role in Japan's creation mythology. The main deity enshrined at Izumo Taisha is Okuninushi no Okami. According to the creation myths, Okuninushi was the creator of the land of Japan and the ruler of Izumo. He also became known as the deity of good relationships and marriage. Visitors consequently clap their hands four times instead of the usual two times during their prayers: twice for themselves and twice for their actual or desired partners.

As you walk around the shrine’s grounds, the beauty of the autumn colors is all around. Just outside of the shrine is its small shopping street where we will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and give you time to explore and shop for regional items you may not find elsewhere.

Izumo Grand Shrine This afternoon, a visit to the Adachi Museum of Art, an art museum and expansive Japanese garden. The gardens are the brainchild of a local businessman who believed that a Japanese garden should be viewed as a living painting, just like any other art. This being the case, you are not able to walk along the gardens, but only view from indoors and some outdoor viewing spots. The museum includes many impressive artworks of Japanese art styles by the pioneers of Japanese art styles. The displayed works change with the season and are selected from the museum’s collection of more than 1,500 pieces by modern masters of traditional Japanese art. The works of Yokoyama Taikan (1868-1958), credited as one of the founders of the Nihonga style of painting, are heavily represented. You will also see works by Takeuchi Seiho, Hashimoto Kansetsu, Sakakibara Shiho, and dozens more well-established Nihonga painters. A ceramics hall was built specifically to display the works of Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959), known as a ceramicist, engraver, painter and calligrapher, and Kawai Kanjiro (1890-1966), born nearby in Yasugi and a key figure in the mingei Japanese folk arts movement. A new annex displays about 200 works by younger, less-established Japanese artists, many of whom have won the Adachi Museum of Art Award, which was started in 1995 to recognize up-and-coming talent. As for the garden, the museum's 165,000 square meter garden is made up of six smaller gardens each in a different style that you can only view from inside the museum. The largest and most iconic of the gardens here is the White Gravel and Pine Garden, an immaculate landscape with a waterfall in the far distance behind the almost abstract contrast of green and white. There is a moss garden, a pond garden, and a dry garden. The appearance and character of each garden change dramatically with each of the four seasons. The windows, some expansive, some smaller, perfectly frame your views to create “living paintings.” Fall foliage colors are beyond amazing, truly a one of a kind experience.

Adachi Museum of Art

From here, off to Tottori and our hotel for the evening, Hotel New Otani Tottori. The drive time is approximately 2 hours. Conveniently located, just a 2-minute walk from the train station. A variety of dining and shopping options are steps away.

Accommodations: Hotel New Otani Tottori

free

Day 8 – November 23rd, 2019 Saturday– Tottori-Himeji (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am as we are off on a unique day of touring. The morning begins to Tottori Sand Dunes, the largest sand dunes in Japan and Tottori’s most famous attraction. Located just outside the city center, the dunes roughly 16 kilometers of coast along of the Sea of Japan and are up to two kilometers wide and 50 meters high. They are part of the Sanin Kaigan National Park. The sand dunes were created over thousands of years, as sand from the nearby Sendaigawa River was washed out to sea and eventually redeposited along the coast by the ocean's currents. Today, the constant movement of the tides and the coastal winds continuously shape the sand dunes and provide an ever-changing landscape. The main sightseeing area spans a half kilometer swath of sand between the visitor center and the sea. Many of the largest sand dunes are found here, and their tops provide beautiful views out over the coast. Next, just a short walk away, we will be visiting The San Museum a unique museum that displays large sand sculptures by artists from around the world. Exhibitions change annually and last from mid-April to early January of the following year. Every exhibition has its theme, typically a country or region. In 2019, the theme of the exhibition is South Asia. The exhibition lasts from April 13, 2019 to January 5, 2020. Now, time for lunch at a local restaurant followed by a visit to Wattaina, a local farmer’s market. Here you will find a large shop with fresh foods, and local specialty products. Enjoy free time to explore and shop. From here, off to Himeji, drive time approximately 2 hours. Once here, a fun visit to the Nadagiku Sake Brewery for tour, tasting, and maybe evening purchasing some to bring home. Considered one of the best breweries in Himeji, it also has the rare distinction of having a female brew master. After a tour, enjoy sake tasting and time in their gift shop. Some of the sake sold here is not available anywhere else.

Nadagiku Sake Brewery From here, off to our hotel for the last two nights on tour, Hotel Nikko Himeji, ideally located adjacent to the Himeji JR Station and less than a two-minute walk to the covered shopping arcade, Miyuki dori. This long shopping street runs all the way from Himeji Station to the square in front of the castle.

Along the way you will find plenty of shops and a plethora of cosy cafés. One that comes particularly recommended is Hamamoto coffee, an old style “kissaten” where many elderly locals, some of them somewhat eccentric, gather during the morning hours, so it is a great place for people watching. The coffee they serve deserves a mention too, as it consists of a carefully chosen selection of beans from all over the world, ground and carefully hand-dipped in the traditional way. A must do, walk up to the viewing platform that offers incredible views of Himeji Castle in the distance. Arrival will be by 5:00pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.

Accommodations: Hotel Nikko Himeji

free

Day 9 – November 24th, 2019 Sunday– Himeji (B) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am. Quite an interesting half-day of touring we have ahead of us. Please bring along comfortable walking shoes and a jacket as we are headed up Mt. Shosya to visit Enkyoji Temple. Once we arrive at Mt. Shosya, enjoy a ropeway ride up the mountain. We are in peak foliage season; the views will be incredible. On arrival at the top, we will be transferring to a small bus to take us closer to the entrance of Enkyoji Temple, a temple complex with over 1,000 years of history. Engyoji's temple buildings are spread over a spacious, densely forested area on the mountain top. We will be walking a bit, but all short distances. Due to the beautiful scenery and absence of modern infrastructure on its temple grounds, Mount Shosha is frequently used as a filming location for historical movies and TV dramas. Besides mostly domestic productions, the Hollywood movie "The Last Samurai" was partially shot on the mountain, incorporating scenes taken around and inside the halls of Mitsunodo.

Enkyoji Temple The return to our hotel will be by noon and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free so you can enjoy the city and maybe catch up on some shopping.

Accommodations: Hotel Nikko Himeji

free

Day 10 – November 25th, 2019 Monday– Himeji-Kobe-Kansai (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am. Its our last day on tour, but far from over as we still have much to see and do before the flight home later this evening. The morning begins with a visit to Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden.

Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle due to its elegant, white exterior, in resembalance to a bird taking flight. It is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprised of 83 building. The castle is both a national treasure and a world heritage site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country's twelve original castles. Extensive renovations over several years were completed and the castle re-opened to the public in early 2015.

Himeji Castle

views from the top

original stone walls

Next, a visit to a beautiful garden park, Kokoen Gardens, located next to Himeji Castle. This Japanese garden is a recent addition, opened in 1992 to commemorate the centenary of Himeji City. It is divided into nine separate walled gardens designed in various styles reflective of Edo-period architecture.

Kokoen Garden We now bid good-bye to Himeji and travel to Kobe. Once there, lunch, Kobe beef lunch at a local restaurant. Now, off to our second sake brewery visit, Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum, located here in Kobe’s brewery district. This brewery is inside an old sake kura. Unlike a modern museum, the interior has the unique smell and look of an old-world brewery, which the building is. Enjoy the tour, sampling and gift shop. This brewery does offer up items you may not find elsewhere. From here, off to the Kansai Airport, arrival by 5:30pm to begin our check-in. Delta Air Lines #278 Departs Kansai 9:00 pm – Arrive Honolulu 9:20 am