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Detailed Itinerary

Arrive Tokyo.  Airport Limo Bus to Hotel seeing the Tokyo skyline illuminated at night.
Early dinner.

As Japan has such a rich history it is valuable to understand it in context as we travel in the upcoming weeks therefore you will receive a handout during the flight on the historical timelines and we would ask that you study this before arrival.

Overnight:  Hotel Sunroute Asakusa or similar, Tokyo (3 nights)

The first morning we spend walking and relaxing in the magnificent and tranquil forest of Meiji Shrine, the most important Shinto Shrine in Tokyo.  We will also see the secluded Naien Garden, a favorite of the Imperial family, with its pond, carp and sunken iris beds.  Enjoy a Welcome Lunch at Meiji (included) where we can all get to know each other a little better and learn about the journey ahead of us.   Later on we visit The Nezu Institute of Fine Arts which is a superb private art collection set in 5 acres of Tokyo’s finest gardens with 7 types of tea pavilions and waterfalls.   Evening at leisure.

By the carp pond we will pose the question to be answered later on in the tour “What are the qualities of Japanese society which, if we took them back to our home, would improve our society as a whole”?   These qualities are very apparent in the daily life of our host country; we will be looking for the most obvious but also for the most subtle.

The morning begins with a local guide walking us through Senso-ji, Tokyo’s most sacred temple.  We will take a riverboat cruise through Tokyo to The Hama Detached Palace Garden, a former Shogun’s residence where we will take morning tea on a floating pavilion.  Returning by riverboat through Tokyo to Asakusa where we will have lunch near Senso-ji Temple. Afterwards we will shop in the colorful market (purses, kimonos, bags, music, sandals).   Dinner in Asakusa.

An introduction to Buddhism & Shintoism, two of the major religions upon which the whole society has been based will be covered in the Palace Garden.

A mountainous ski and spa region approximately 2 hours north of Tokyo where one may hear the sound of rushing water at every step.  After checking into our Spa Hotel we will float down a river gorge taking in the tranquility of autumn in the mountains.  Spa experience evening.

A meditation using sound will be experienced before dinner.   After dinner, Vasana will give a short explanation on “Mudras” which are symbolic hand gestures used throughout history in Buddhist meditations and with Buddhist statuary so that you will begin to recognize and understand them.  Several mudras, useful for our daily life, will also be taught.

Overnight:         Spa Hotel at Kinugawa (2 nights)

Early mornings at the temples nestled in amongst the valleys are a special experience as we visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites with a local guide.  Lunch at a forest Tea Shop before walking The Takino Path along the Inari River.   As night descends in the cedar forest you may hear temple bells nearby.  Spa experience evening.

Handouts with explanations on the symbolism used in Japan will be given so that you will be able to  understand these more fully when you see them.  With a little serendipity we will see a ceremony in which a priest will burn prayer sticks while chanting sacred scriptures and using mudras. 

After dinner enjoy a short lecture with Vasana on Masuru Emoto’s work,”The Message from Water” and its significance to humanity.  This will take place before everyone retires to the hot springs of their choice.

An early morning walk along the river enjoying the quietness of the mountains to see the hundreds of elusive, moss covered guardian deities marks the beginning of the day.  After a picnic lunch we will take the train back to Tokyo stopping in at the ultra-modern Ueno Station with its immense stained glass panels.

Option of coloring/painting mandalas, geisha or freestyle will take place by the river.  

Overnight:  Hotel Sunroute Asakusa or similar (2 nights)

We will leave Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train for Kyoto (3 hr) where we will arrive in late afternoon.   Dinner in Gion district and a stroll to see the famous cherry tree illuminated amongst the temples.  Nighttime illuminations in the gardens.

Overnight:  3* Star Hotel in Kyoto (7 nights)

We will begin the day with a silent stroll to Eikando Temple on the hill and then to Nanzen-ji with its massive San-mon gate and dreamlike gardens. We then walk along the “Path of Philosophy”,   a canal lined with cherry blossom and maple trees.   After lunch Kyoto’s traditional handicrafts are showcased in a modern, interactive museum or one could choose to visit Heian-jingu, a Shinto shrine famous for its circular walk around a large lake with covered bridges and views of the surrounding hills.  

We will have a local guide for the morning visit to these 2 exquisite examples of different types of temples in the Eastern hills.   Before dinner we will listen to an audio lecture on Buddhism by an enlightened Master.

Sannenzaka is atmospheric - full of cobblestone streets, old wooden houses, shops which sell the distinctive Kiyomizu pottery and many other delightful handicrafts as well as many restaurants.  After lunch you may have a free afternoon or you can choose to do an Ikebana class. 

Before dinner in Gion/Pontocho, we will join historian and expert on Geisha, Peter Macintosh, while we discover the hidden “floating world” of Kyoto.

From Kyoto Station we will take the train to Fushimi-Inari, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Gods of rice and sake, where we walk through the forested hills under thousands of vermilion tori.  It is the most important shrine of this type of over 40,000 throughout Japan and was featured in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”.   After lunch we go to Sanjusangen-do Temple (1164AD) which is a mystical experience with 1001 life-size statues of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy or one could choose to visit The Kyoto National Museum, the Imperial Repository for local art and treasures. Dinner in Gion.  Nighttime illuminations in the gardens.

While at a Tea House immersed deep in the forest Vasana will give an explanation of the names and significance of the 7 Shinto Gods.

This town is famous for the world’s oldest love story, “The Tale of the Genji,” where we will walk paths along the river where this novel took place.  We will visit the famous Byodo-in (Phoenix Temple) on the lake as well as its unusual museum located underneath a hill.  Lunch on the river – a comparison between English and Japanese proverbs.   A Tea Ceremony will be held at a Tea House in a tatami room   Dinner near Hotel.

The tea ceremony invokes a feeling of meditative contemplation despite its complex ritualistic nature and it was the Zen Monks of the 12^th century who used this to refresh themselves between meditation sessions throughout the day.

The Shinkansen bullet train will take us to an enchanting spa for 2 nights.  Located on the south coast of Japan this magnificent Spa with 7 hot springs is immersed in a cedar forest overlooking Japanese gardens.   Here we will rest, bathe, meditate and walk in this countryside haven.

After dinner we will gather as a group once more to re-pose the question from the first day “What are the qualities from Japanese society which our society could benefit from”?  What have you learned from our journey?  What are the qualities you would like to cultivate personally and aesthetically?

Overnight:  4* Star Hotel Spa,   Izu Peninsula (2 nights)

Another peaceful day beginning with a leisurely breakfast before taking a guided Nature Walk along the coast.  Later on we decide which hot springs to bathe in as we wash away the miles and centuries we have walked over the past few weeks.  The Izu Peninsula is where William Adams lived from 1604-1610 and whose adventures inspired the book, “Shogun”.

In the afternoon, Vasana will lead you in another meditation using sound and then you may choose one last painting of either mandalas or geisha to complete before dinner.  Haiku evening after dinner before going off to the Spa.

After a last morning stroll through the quiet streets of this countryside haven with its flowering magenta bougainvillea we leave by Shinkansen bullet train for Narita Airport.  Farewell dinner.

This evening we will come together for the last time to enjoy our Farewell Dinner.  We will share what we have learned on our journey, which aspects of Japanese society are most similar to ours and which aspects are most different and which areas of study might this trip have inspired us to pursue.

Overnight:  3* Hotel or similar, Narita Airport (1 night)

Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.

(B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)

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