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Tohoku & Summer Festivals 11days

Tohoku & Summer Festivals 10nights 11days

Tea tour of Japan

The Kanto Festival held in Akita ranks one of Tohoku’s top 3 festivals. It has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Held annually, the festival is to ask for an abundant grain harvest. It has become a symbol of Akita, a leading rice-growing area. During the festival, 1.3 million people throng the city streets. In the evening when the heat of the day finally subsides, suddenly seems to be covered with Kanto, an array of many candle-lit lanterns hung on a bamboo frame and each one looks like a glowing ear of rice.

Itinerary & Price Details

Start Date : From July 30 2016
Nights: 11 days 10 nights
TOUR PRICE : USD 3,260
Single room supplement : USD 730

PLEASE NOTE

All prices are per person, based on double or triple occupancy.
International flights are not included on our tours - this allows you the flexibility to choose your own departure and get the best value for your money!

TOUR COST INCLUDES

Private coach transfers between destinations in Japan
Comprehensive escorted with our licensed professional English speaking tour guide
Meals described as in the itinerary
Admission fees and activities
Entry fees to sites, gardens, and museums listed in the itinerary
Domestic Airport tax

TOUR COST DOES NOT INCLUDE

International Airfares and Tax
Meals that are not included in the itinerary
Travel Insurance
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Personal expenses such as telephone and laundry bills
Gratuities

ADDITION INFORMATION

Transport : Travel by air conditioned, private coach, baggage handling free
Meal Requests : Vegetarian or special meals can be arranged
Meet and Greet : Please note that the meet and greet and airport transfer to the first hotel is ONLY available on the first day
of the tour after 15:00 AM. If you plan to stay extra nights before the start of the tour, please arrange your own hotel transfer

Tour schedule and prices subject to change without notice

Tohoku & Summer Festivals 10nights 11Days

DAY1
Tokyo Daiba

TOKYO
Welcome to Tokyo! You will be greeted by an English-speaking assistant at the airport. The assistant will get you in the bus to your hotel.

Day2
Nikko

TOKYO-NIKKO
Nikko is most famous for theToshogu, Japan’s most lavishly decorated shrine complex and mausoleum of the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Nikko has been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries. There are 48 waterfalls in Nikko and Kegon Waterfall is the most famous and beautiful among those. The water falls from 97meters high and the waterfall is said to have been discovered by the priest Katsudo, and the name Kegon was derived from the Buddhist sutra the Avatamsaka Sutra. Lake Chuzenji (Chuzenjiko) is a beautiful lake with forested shores at the foot of the sacred volcano Mt Nantai.

Day3
Ouchujuku

NIKKO-AIZU WAKAMATSU
Oouchijuku, a small post station in Japan’s Edo period, is now located in the town of Shimogo and is famous for the numerous traditional thatched buildings. It was an important post town whose buildings served as shops, inns and restaurants for travelers and the area has been declared a national architectural preservation site. Tsuruga Castle was constructed by in 1384, and was the military and administrative center of the Aizu region until 1868. Lake Inawashiro is the fourth-largest lake in Japan, located in the middle of south of Mt Bandai. It is also known as the Sky Mirror Lake the cleanest water in Japan.

Day4

AIZUWAKAMATSU-YAMAGATA
Goshiki-numa, is a cluster of five volcanic lakes situated at the foot of Mt Bandai (also the area known as Jododaira.) The eruption imparted mineral deposits to the Five Colored Lakes giving each of them their own delicate color, ranging from reddish green to cobalt blue. Mt Zao is a volcano on the border between Yamagata Pref. and Miyagi Pref.. The central volcano of the group includes several lava domes and a tuff cone, Goshiki-dake, which contains a crater lake named Ogama. The lake is 360m(1,200 ft) in diameter and 60m (200 ft) deep.

Day5
Furusawa Brewery

YAMAGATA
Furusawa Sake Brewery is foundered in 1836 and it’s one of the oldest breweries in Japan. Enjoy Sake tasting offered in their museum. Yamadera is located in the area named after the common name of the temple of Ryushaku-ji, also pronounced Risshaku-ji, founded in 860 AD by the priest Ennin. The temple is famous for exorcism The Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa are Mt. Haguro, Mt. Gassan and Mt. Yudono, clustered together in the ancient province of Dewa. Holy to the Japanese Shinto religion and especially the mountain ascetic cult of Shugendo, are a popular pilgrimage site visited by many, including famed haiku poet Matsuo Basho.

Day6
Kanto

YAMAGATA-AKITA
In the town of Kakunodate, 6 Samurai Houses are well preserved and exhibited, these are one of the best preserved architectural beauties of its kind in Japan. Each estate features the Main House, the Armory, the Gallery, the Samurai tools and Utensils Museum, Tea Room, gift shops and a beautiful garden. The Kanto Festival held in Akita ranks one of Tohoku’s top 3 festivals. It has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Held annually, the festival is to ask for an abundant grain harvest. It has become a symbol of Akita, a leading rice-growing area. During the festival, 1.3 million people throng the city streets. In the evening when the heat of the day finally subsides, suddenly seems to be covered with Kanto, an array of many candle-lit lanterns hung on a bamboo frame and each one looks like a glowing ear of rice. The larger Kanto, weighing about 50 kg (110 lbs.), rise 12 m (13.2 yd.) into the air and suspend 46 lanterns. To the sound of flutes and drums, and cheered on by the distractive traditional shouts, the performers balance the Kanto without gripping the poles, and placing them on the palms of their hands, they raise them higher and higher.

Day6
nebuta

AKITA-AOMORI
Hirosaki Castle, located in Aomori, was constructed in 1611 by the local Tsugaru clan A three-storied castle tower fortified moats, castle gates and some corner turrets survive or have been reconstructed. The origin of the Nebuta Festival is that it is said to have originated after the subjugation of rebels by the General in this district in the early 800’s. He had his army create large creatures, called “Nebuta”, for frighten the enemy. Another is said that the festival was a development of the Tanabata festival in China. One of the customs was “Toro” floating. A toro is a wooden frame box wrapped with Japanese paper. The Japanese light a candle inside the toro and put it out to float onto the river The purpose behind this is to purify themselves and send the evil spirits out to river. Today, the Nebuta floats are made of a wood base, carefully covered with this same Japanese paper, beautifully colored, and lighted from the inner part with hundreds of light bulbs. The colorful floats are pulled through the streets accompanied by people dancing in native Nebuta costumes, playing tunes on flutes and drums. As the beginning of the parade is signaled, “HANETO”(dancers) join hand-in-hand, and begin their journey through the streets of Aomori. These dancers, colorfully arrayed in Nebuta garb welcome audience participation.

Day6
Kozanji group

AOMORI-IWATE
Oirase Stream is a picturesque mountain stream which starts at Nenokuchi, a small town at the shores of Lake Towada and flows down the narrow and densely wooded Oirase Valley. Lake Towada is the largest caldera lake, located in Aomori and Akita prefectures, it lies 400 meters above sea level. With a surface area of 62.2㎢, Towada is Japan’s 12th largest lake, its bright blue color due to its depth. Chuson-ji temple is a Buddhist temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate Pref. It is the head temple of the Tendai sect in Tohoku region. The Tendai sect claims that the temple was founded in 850 by Ennin, the third chief aot of the sect, yet here is no archaeological or historical record of Buddhist activity in this area before 1100. The Konjikido is one of the most beautiful and elaborately decorated buildings in the world. It is made of wood entirely covered with gold leaf decorated with imported mother-of-pearl.

Day6
Tanabata

IWATE-KORIYAMA
Matsushima is a group of some 260 tiny islands covered in pines – hence the name – and is ranked as one of the Three Views of Japan. Godaido is a small temple hall on an islet just next to the pier. Due to its prominent location, it has become a symbol of Matsushima. Tanabata, meaning “Evening of the seventh” is a Japanese star festival, derived from the Chinese star festival, Qi Xi. It celebrates the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair). The Milky Way, a river made from stars that crosses the sky, separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The Tanabata Festival is considered one of the three major summer festivals in the Tohoku region. Decoration made with Japanese paper and bamboo poles harmonize perfectly with the light breeze. Approximately 1,500 of these well-decorated bamboo poles fill the shopping arcades and highlight the city.Transfer to Koriyama for one night.

Day6

KORIYAMA-TOKYO
This day, We drive to Tokyo by chartered coach – 4 hours to Tokyo - Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the most populous metropolitan area in the world.> We cant miss the Tokyo sky tree,, Skytree is broadcasting, restaurants, shops observation tower in Tokyo and the second tallest tower in the world after Dubai tower.Then,drive to Akihabara area and enjoy Japanese pop culture zone.

Day6

TOKYO-NARITA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Time to get back home with unforgettable memory and lots of souvenir.Leaveing for Narita International Airport by Hotel shattle.Return by air.






Tokyo city tour:3-8-10, Rivera 8F, Kayabacho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan