Summer School Break 2019 SAPPORO TO TOKYO - Panda Travel


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Summer School Break 2019 SAPPORO TO TOKYO June 4th – 13th, 2019 8nts/10days fr: $3495 double/triple & $3995 single “Along the Cassiopeia Road” is named after the famous night train that operated between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo. This luxury train, the Cassiopeia, a Japanese version of the Orient Express made its debut in 1999 and completed its final journey on March 21st, 2016 with the launch of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. Join us on this unique tour as we journey from Hokkaido’s northern capital of Sapporo to Japan’s southern capital, Tokyo. We begin with two nights in Sapporo followed by visits to Hakodate, Lake Toya, Otaru, Aomori, Morioka and our last three nights in Tokyo. What’s included you ask? How about, 2 fish market visits, sake brewery, music box making experience, boat cruise, ropeway ride, 2 bullet train rides, viewing rice field art, Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Tower and top it off with a complete free day in Tokyo. What is not to like!

Itinerary/Details Day 1 – June 4th, 2019 Tuesday – Depart from Honolulu Hawaiian Airlines #441 Departs Honolulu 1:15 pm – Arrive Chitose 5:00 pm + 1 Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines international check-in counters located in Terminal 1, formally known as the Hawaiian Airlines Terminal, Lobby 3, Makai Side for at least 3 hours prior to the departure time.

Day 2 – June 5th, 2019 Wednesday – Chitose-Sapporo After clearing customs, our local English-speaking guide will meet our group and then we are off to Sapporo. The drive time is approximately one hour.

Welcome to Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Sapporo began as a frontier town some 130 year ago, but now has an average population of 1.8 million. Prior to the establishment of the city, the area occupied by Sapporo was a quiet hunting and fishing ground home to many indigenous Ainu settlements. With the construction of a canal at the end of the Edo Period, early settlers established a village which then became a city in 1868. Accommodations for our stay in Sapporo is at the Century Royal Hotel, ideally situated in the heart of Sapporo with direct access to the JR Sapporo Station. With our early arrival there is time to enjoy a leisurely dinner and get in some first day shopping. Your Panda Travel escort will be on hand for those who would like to meet up for a walk around the immediate area to get you familiarized.

Accommodations: Century Royal Hotel

free

Day 3 – June 6th, 2019 Thursday – Sapporo (B)

After breakfast at our hotel we are off to discover Sapporo and the surrounding area. Please meet your guide in the lobby by 9:00am. The day begins with a drive to visit the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market where every morning, the freshest produce and fish arrive. While this inner market where the fish auction takes place is not open to the public, you can enjoy the Curb Market. Open from 6am, it is comprised of approximately 60 stores selling a variety of items ranging from fruits to fresh and dried fish. Sushi and other reasonably priced dishes made with fresh seasonal ingredients are available. As soon as the bidding ends in the inner market, the products are made available at the Curb Market. Here you will have the opportunity to experience a meal of fresh local seafood, whether it be a domburi bowl or crab and salmon sushi. Choose from the many restaurants along the edge of the market, offering a front-row view of your chef preparing freshly-cut stock. If ramen is more to your liking, there are a group of ramen shops along one of the side streets. Choose one and enjoy a delicious bowl of Hokkaido’s finest ramen. Enjoy free time here for shopping and/or fresh sushi.

Jogai Fish Market

side street ramen shops

From here, off to Mt. Okura Observatory, home of the 1972 Winter Olympic ski jump competition. Today, enjoy the chair lift ride up to the top of the hill for spectacular views of Sapporo all the way to the far horizons. A five-minute ride on the ski lift brings you to the top of the mountain, during which time you can catch a glimpse of what it's like to be a ski jumper. The viewing lounge at the far top of the mountain comes steadily closer, and the steeply sloping approach stretches out along one side. Seeing the takeoff point at such a close distance will surely give you a taste of what it's like to ski jump, as well as what it feels like to be an athlete. Looking back once you have reached the top of the lift, you can enjoy panoramic views of the city of Sapporo. This refreshing experience will probably make you wish that the climb would last forever!

Okurayama Ski Jump We now make our way back to Sapporo and time at the Tanukikoji Shopping Street where you will have time to shop and enjoy lunch on your own. Your guide will take you for a stroll and point out the more popular shopping stores, UNIGLO, Tokyu Hands, Don Quijote and Daiso 108-yen store. This shopping arcade has been in operation since the frontier period and one of the best places to purchase Hokkaido souvenirs! Ten blocks long, this covered shopping arcade with over 200 shops offers everything from clothing, jewelry and souvenirs to nightclubs, cafes, and restaurants. If you didn’t get a chance to pick up all your fish items at Jogai, no worries as the Nijo Market is close by to here. With over a 100-year history, this market is said to have developed in the early Meiji Period, when fishermen from Ishikari Bay started selling fresh fish there. Unique restaurants are also in this area. Arrival back at our hotel will be approximately 2:30pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free. If you prefer to stay longer at Tanukikoji, your guide will give you direction on walking back or just take a short 10-minute taxi back.

Accommodations: Century Royal Hotel

free

Day 4 – June 7th, 2019 Friday – Sapporo-Otaru-Lake Toya (B/D) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we bid Sapporo good-bye and journey on to Otaru and Lake Toya. The morning begins with a visit at the Shiroi Koibito Park, a theme park by Ishiya, a local chocolate company. The company’s flagship product is the Shiroi Koibito cookie, which consists of two thin butter cookies and a layer of white chocolate in between. It is one of the most famous souvenirs from Hokkaido. The park consists of a free area with a shop, cafe and restaurant and a paid area with various chocolate related exhibits and, most interestingly, a few large windows through which you can observe the candy production process in the factory.

Shiroi Koibito Park Now, off to Otaru and once there a visit at the Tanaka Sake Brewery, founded in 1899. Here, they brew sake in stone warehouses that has an atmosphere reminiscent of the good old days of Otaru. This group of stone building have been designated as historic by the city. Enjoy time here to see how sake is produced, sample the products and opportunity to purchase items in their gift shop. This area is known to produce some of Japan’s best sake because to its access to clean spring water. Welcome to Otaru! Otaru is one of Hokkaido’s most popular spots for Japanese visitors. It is a romantic port town steeped in a rich history that dates to its glory days as a major herring center. Once the terminal station for Hokkaido’s first railroad, today nostalgic warehouses and buildings still line the picturesque canal district. There are great options for foodies and if you’re into music boxes or any kind of glass objects, this is the place! From old days, when they sailed trading boats from Honshu-mainland to Hokkaido, Otaru played important roles as the center of trade or commerce, not to mention fishery in Hokkaido. Walking along the main streets, you find a charming and nostalgic city filled with historic architecture. Here you will find the old remnant of Otaru’s major industry, glassware shops. Glass buoys were used to light up fishing boats at night to attract herrings. A glass industry flourished in Otaru to support the herring trade. When the herring fishing industry declined in the 1950s, the makers of glass buoys diverted their business to produce refined glassware, as the demand for buoys plunged. The result today are numerous glass shops, which now carter mainly to souvenir hungry tourists. If you think that blown glassware is only made in Venice, then you are wrong.

The city is renowned for its glassworks, music boxes, and sweet shops that can be found lining Sakaimachi Street. As you near the end of Sakaimachi Street, look and listen when you come to the vintage steam clock at the front of the charming Music Box Museum. The nostalgic atmosphere inside the main building of the museum takes you back in time. The museum houses almost 15,000 music boxes, ranging from matchbox sized souvenirs to precisely tuned masterpieces. The Music Box Museum has something for everybody, from The Beatles to the latest J-pop hits. We will enjoy a hands-on music box making experience. Another must stop is at the Kitaichi Glass Shop where you can enjoy looking and shopping for beautiful glassware. How about making glassware on your own with the help of the artisans? Another famous landmark in Otaru is the Kitakaro confectionary shop. The cake and confectionery store is a popular stop for tourists and locals alike. There is a cult like following of its famous honeyed wheeled layered cakes and there are good reasons why. The layered cakes are delicate and the honey flavored intense, but not too sweet. Sit and enjoy at the small café right in the store. Coffee, tea, and ice cream are also available. Enjoy some free time for a leisurely stroll, shopping and lunch on your own. For lunch, there are many options, either a sit-down restaurant or walk and find a variety of street food. If sushi is more to your liking, a stroll down to Sushi-dori Street is well worth your time.

Otaru From here, we make our way to Lake Toya area. The drive is approximately 2.5 hours and we will make a rest stop along the way. Once there, check in to our hotel by 5:30pm followed by dinner at 6:00pm. Dinner is in our hotel. Accommodations for the evening is at Toyako Mnaseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace, located on the shores of scenic Lake Toya. The hotel offers a natural hot-spring baths, karaoke bar and an indoor pool.

Accommodations: Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace

free

Day 5 – June 8th, 2019 Saturday – Lake Toya-Hakodate (B) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we make our way to Hakodate. The morning begins with a boat cruise on Lake Toya. Lake Toya is large caldera, 43 kilometers in diameter, was formed more than 100,000 years ago when a volcanic eruption diverted a stream, creating this massive pool. This lake is ice-free year-round due to geothermal heating, and trout and smelt fishing is plentiful.

The surrounding scenery is spectacular and best appreciated from the water. Let’s board the pleasure-boat cruise and circle around this tranquil, picture-perfect lake with some islands. Next, a ride on the Usuzan Ropeway, opened in 1965, the line climbs Mt. Usu, the active volcano in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The volcano has erupted four times in the past 100 years, the last time in 2000. The ropeway brings you close to the volcano's summit. The upper station's observation deck offers panoramic views of Lake Toya and neighboring Showa Shinzan. From a second observation deck a short walk away, there are views of the ocean and Mount Usu's largest crater, which was formed from an eruption in 1977. Time now for lunch, close by at a local restaurant. This afternoon we are off to Hakodate, the drive time approximately 2.5 hours including a rest stop. Once here, we will be visiting the popular Konbukan Kelp Shop and Museum. In Japan, konbu is only gathered in Hokkaido and Touhoku. Long ago, konbu was gathered in Hokkaido and shipped all over the country using a water route called "Konbu Road". A total of 120,000 tons is produced every year within the country. 95% of that amount is gathered along the coastal lines of Hokkaido. In Japan, there are 45 different species of konbu. This facility has a planetarium-like movie theater, museum and a shop that sells a variety of kelp products. Kombu or kelp seaweed is a healthy and popular cooking ingredient in Japan. Here you will find almost all kelp products from kelp powder to candies, snacks, soup, and condiments. Don’t forget to try the kelp tea while here. Now, off to visit Mt. Hakodate, a 334-meter-high, wooded mountain at the southern end of the peninsula on which much of central Hakodate is located. On clear days, the views from the mountain are spectacular. From here to our onsen hotel, La Vista Hakodate Bay, ideally located right on the waterfront in the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse District. This onsen hotel features six types of hot spring baths on the top floor, offering spectacular night views of Hakodate. Our arrival will be by 6:30pm and after checking in please meet your guide to explore the immediate area where a variety of dining options are available. The Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses close by are a row of red brick warehouses that conjures up a feeling of nostalgia, built more than a century ago. Today, they house shops, restaurants, and event facilities hosting over two million visitors a year.

Accommodations: Hotel La Vista Hakodate Bay

free in the public areas

Day 6 – June 9th, 2019 Sunday – Hakodate-Aomori (B/L/D) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am. Please prepare a small overnight bag for this evening as our larger bags will be transported separately to our Tokyo hotel.

The morning begins with a visit to the Hokodate Morning Market, which spans four city blocks is held daily from 5am-12noon. You will find a cluster of some 300 shops tempting visitors with an array of delectable fresh Hakodate produce. Seafood, vegetables, fruits, and sweets are just some of the edibles available for purchase. Enjoy shopping at the market and be sure to check out the live crabs and shellfish in their massive tanks. Next, a visit to Goryokaku Park & Tower, a five-cornered fort, Japan’s first Western-style fort. The fort was completed in 1864 after 7 years of construction work. Hijikata Toshizo and Enomoto Takeaki fought against the new Meiji government here and it was the last stage of the Boshin War. It has the distinction of being only one of 2 European-style forts built in Japan. The architectural style is an eclectic mix of Japanese and European. The star-shaped fort has been developed into a park and is well-known for its 1,660 beautiful cherry trees. From the observation platform of the 107-meter high Goryokaku Tower in the park, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the Goryokaku and the surrounding area. Now, off to the Shin Hakodate Hokuto Station to catch the bullet train to Aomori on Hayabusa 24 departing at 12:44pm and arrives at 1:50pm. A bento box lunch will be provided on the train. Once we arrive in Aomori, an afternoon of touring is on tap. We begin at the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse, which highlights some of the most spectacular Nebuta floats from Aomori's annual Nebutamatsuri. Housed in a unique buiding covered in red metel slats along the waterfront district, this museum is dedicated this annual August festival. The museum attempts to capture the spirit of the festival and gives visitors a taste of its lively atmosphere, history, and traditions. Upon entering the second-floor entrance to the exhibitions, visitors are presented with the sights of the festival along a red corridor lined with photos and images from the Nebuta Matsuri's 300year history. Lanterns in the shape of red goldfish, another symbol of the festival, hang along the corridor where the recorded sounds of taiko drums, flutes, and voices play. From here, a visit to the A-Factory, a market-style shopping center selling all local products such as sweets, processed goods, fresh vegetables, and fruits. The most featured facility in A-FACTORY is the apple cidre (cider) factory which makes cidre and juices using Aomori grown apples. Besides the Cidre Factory, the first floor has several restaurants while the second floor features a galette specialty shop, French style crusty cake made with buckwheat. It is said that it goes perfectly with the cider. Now off to our hotel, Minamida Onsen Hotel Apple Land, where you can enjoy an apple bath which is said to be good for the skin. It is also said that the delicate sent of the apple is relaxing for the mind and body. Our arrival will be by 5:30pm and after time to freshen up, join us for dinner at the hotel at 6:30pm. After dinner, the remainder of the evening is free.

Accommodations: Minamida Onsen Hotel Apple Land

free- Japanese style

Day 7 – June 10th, 2019 Monday – Aomori-Morioka-Tokyo (B/L/D) After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:30am as we journey off to Morioka and then onto Japan’s capital, Tokyo.

This touring day begins with a unique stop at the rice field observatory. “Rice Paddy Art”, known as “Tanbo Art” in Japanese, held annually in the village of Inakadate. Its detailed description and high artistic quality bring many tourists here to see every year. The rice paddy art began in 1993 when purple and yellow rice plants were used to take a picture of Mt. Iwaki along with letters on rice paddies. The main purpose behind the creation was to take advantage of the tradition of manual work in rice cultivation to give people an opportunity to learn more about rice farming and agriculture. The rice paddy art uses various colored rice plants as paint on a rice-field canvas. The massive pictures are elaborately designed using perspective drawing methods to make them look their best when seen from the observation platform. The art has gained media attention from domestic and international media because of its uniqueness. Every year, over 100,000 visitors from Japan and abroad come to see the fields, including the Emperor and Empress of Japan in September of 2014.

From here, off to Tsugaru Neputa Village which houses some former Neputa floats from the Neputa Festival held in August. The village also offers a variety of opportunities to experience Tsugaru traditional crafts. Today, we will enjoy a hand-on Tsugaru kite making experience. Next on the agenda is lunch, included in today’s touring, a Japanese lunch. This afternoon, a drive to Morioka, approximately 2.5 hour, including a stop along the way. Once here we will be taking the bullet train, Hayabusa 24, from Morioka Station to Tokyo’s Uneo Station. Our departure will be at 3:50pm and arrival in Tokyo at 5:58pm. Once in Tokyo, our charter bus will take us to our hotel, Sunshine City Prince Hotel in the Ikebukuro section of the city. After check-in, join us for dinner at the hotel. The lobby of our 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 am to 8 pm seven days a week. We are also less than a 10-minute walk from the Ikebukuro JR Station. The third floor of the mall is practically all restaurants and stays open until 9:30pm. There is 24-hour Family Mart convenience store right off the lobby in case you would like to pick up food, snacks, or beverages. Within a 5-minute walk is a 24-hour super market, Seiyu, in case all you want is a light dinner bento to bring back to the room. After checking in, please meet your guide in the lobby as we will enjoy a buffet dinner at our hotel. After dinner, the remainder of the evening is free.

Newly remodeled Sunshine City Prince Hotel & lobby

Family Mart in hotel lobby

Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel Day 8 – June 11th, 2019 Tuesday – Tokyo (B/L) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off to tour 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 1923. 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 1657. The Temple was then rebuilt on the present site but destroyed again by the Great Tokyo Earthquake of 1923. 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.

Tsukiji Fish Market 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 free 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 Kappabashi-dori where a humongous Chef's head greets you, the heart of Kitchenware Town, a restaurant and kitchen supply shopping district located between two major touristy areas. Here you can find bargains on cups, bowls, trays and other pottery, lacquerware — bento boxes make terrific jewelry cases — along with seat cushion covers, chopsticks and sashimi knives. At the Kamata knife shop, located along the main thoroughfare (you can't miss this place — there's a giant knife painted on the sign above the shop door), you can have your name engraved on the blade in kanji. The last stop today is at 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. 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 5:30pm and the remainder of the afternoon and evening is free.

Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel Day 9 – June 12th, 2019 Wednesday – Tokyo (B) After breakfast, enjoy a complete free day in Tokyo to do whatever you please. There is still much to enjoy and quite a bit to do right at your door step. Ikebukuro offers plenty of entertainment, shopping, and dining opportunities. It is the battle ground between the Tobu and Seibu conglomerates which operate large department stores on each side of the station. Recently it has also seen fierce competition from two of Japan's largest electronic retailers, Bic Camera, and Yamada Denki. Enjoy time at Sunshine City, a huge shopping mall connected to our hotel. It has four towers including a 240meter-high skyscraper with an observation deck on the top. The main tower is the second highest building in Tokyo. The Sunshine City Prince Hotel is housed in one of the smaller towers at the complex. The lower levels of Sunshine City are a monstrous maze of shops and tourist attractions, as well as a theatre. The tower’s elevator is an attraction in its self, being the fastest in the world it takes only thirty-five seconds to reach the top. The highlight of the ride would have to be the illuminated dolphins and unicorns, ambient music and beautifully dressed lift operators making the trip to the top an interesting journey. The center opened in 1978 and is Tokyo’s oldest “City within a City”. It sits on land that was once occupied by Sugamo Prison.

The Sunshine International Aquarium is a popular attraction where there are plenty of great underwater exhibits to entertain the whole family. There are the usual sharks, stingrays, tropical fish, and sea life, but the most popular exhibits are the penguins, seals and sea otters which are well worth the entry fee. The aquarium sits on the 10th Floor, which gives it the title of the world’s highest aquarium. There are feedings at the aquarium every hour and one of the largest tanks holds over 120 tons of water. The seals do performances during the day. Another great family attraction is the planetarium, where you can learn about the solar system and the universe. The Cosmic Safari takes visitors on a journey to see the wonders in outer-space. The Bunka Kaikan building is home to the Ancient Orient Museum which has an amazing collection of artifacts and is well worth a look. The Sunshine City complex is also home to the Namco Namja Town. Namja Town is a collection of food theme parks and other interesting dining establishments. The center has a series of kittens as mascots and there are plenty of them to choose from in the gift shop. Some of the food parks include Ice Cream City and the Tokyo Dessert Republic. Then for the Gyoza lover, there is Ikebukuro Gyoza stadium, the list goes on with dozens of tasty attractions. There is a small fee to enter the complex and then the fun begins. There are various carnival amusements at Namja town too, like a haunted house, merry-go-round, and video shooting games. Make sure you go hungry as there is so much to try across the two jammed packed floors of food and adventure. One store no visitor to Japan should miss is Tokyu Hands, a shop that can only be described as a cross between a hardware store and a hobby shop. It is a great place for gift shopping, as many of the items for sale can’t be found outside Japan. This store is one of their largest and has a rather odd attraction. Do you just love finding the latest Kit Kat flavors? Take time to visit the recently opened Kit-Kat Chocolatey, at the Seibu Department Store, Ikebukuro train station and shop at the world's first Kit-Kat boutique.

Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel

free

Day 10 – June 13th, 2019 Thursday – Tokyo-Haneda (B) After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 10:00am. Yes, its our last day on tour, but there is still much to see and do before our flight home later this evening. The morning begins with a visit to Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, one of the country’s oldest gardens located right in the middle of the city. While certainly charming throughout the year, summer is the time to enjoy viewing lotus, hydrangea and Japanese isis. The garden was originally built in the very early Edo Period. In keeping with the traditions of all Japanese gardens, Koishikawa Korakuen recreates famous landscapes depicting the country’s wonderful scenery. The gardens take their namesake from the legendary Koraken in Okayama prefecture which is known to be one of the three most famous gardens in Japan. Like its namesake, Koishikawa Korakuen was inspired by a poem that encouraged rulers to only enjoy themselves after first achieving happiness for the common people. From here we are off to Tokyo Dome City LaQua, a large entertainment complex right at Tokyo Dome.

Various events are held here throughout the year, among them concerts and baseball games. Other attractions here include rollercoasters, a variety of shops, restaurants and an extensive spa facility, home to a natural hot spring. Enjoy free time to explore, shop and have lunch on your own. Now, off to visit 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. Opened in Opened in 1958, Tokyo Tower will be standing for a second Olympics when Tokyo hosts the games in 2020. 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.

Tokyo Tower From here, off to visit the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Miraikan means ‘hall of the future’ and exhibits here present science and technology that will shape the future. Enjoy learning about advanced science, including earth environment, robots, space, and life science, through hands-on exhibitions and interaction with a science communicator. Remember to catch the robot demonstration, Asimo at 4:00pm. The humanoid robot Asimo seems almost real and for sure you do not want to miss out. From here we are off to Divercity Shopping Center where you can enjoy time for shopping and a leisurely dinner on your own. Don’t forget to take a moment and get a photo in front of the Gundam Statue. This new Unicorn Gundam is 24 meters in height whereas the original was only 18 meters. We will be departing for the Haneda Airport at 7:30pm.

Hawaiian Airlines #856 Departs Haneda 11:55 pm – Arrive Honolulu 12:35 pm