EXCURSION OPTIONS
excursions choices and clients will receive the same
email 90 days prior and will be able to choose their excursions.
JANUARY 25, 2024
- Day 5: Uno - Ferry to Naoshima
- Day 7: Uwajima - Nanrakuen Garden Visit
- Day 8: Kagoshima - Sengan-en Garden
- Day 9: Nagasaki - Nagasaki Ropeway to Mt Minasa
- Day 11: Matsue - "Black Castle"
Art & Architecture - Ferry to Naoshima, Activity 2, Pace 2, Duration 4 hours
Naoshima is a small island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea that has been transformed into an art island. Here are some of the tourist sights in Naoshima:
- Chichu Art Museum: This museum is built into a hillside and houses a collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by Claude Monet, James Turrell, and Yayoi Kusama.
- Benesse House Museum: This museum is located on a hilltop and offers stunning views of the surrounding islands. The museum houses a collection of contemporary art, as well as a hotel and a restaurant.
- Art House Project: This project consists of a number of traditional Japanese houses that have been converted into art spaces. The houses are located in the Honmura district of Naoshima, and they each feature a different work of art.
- Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkins: These giant pumpkins are a popular tourist attraction in Naoshima. The pumpkins are located in the Miyanoura district of the island, and they come in a variety of colors.
- Lee Ufan Museum: This museum is dedicated to the work of Korean artist Lee Ufan. The museum is located in the Honmura district of Naoshima, and it features a number of large-scale sculptures by Lee Ufan.
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Cycling Excursion in Tamano (Uno Ko), Activity 2, Pace 2, Duration 2 hours
Unknown - nothing special found
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Tour of Kirin Brewery, Activity 1, Pace 1, Duration 3.5 hours
. . . Click to Preference
Nanrakuen Garden Visit, Activity 1, Pace 2, Duration 3 hours
Nanrakuen Garden is the largest Japanese-style garden on the island of Shikoku, and it is a popular place for tourists and locals alike to visit for leisurely walks and casual photo shoots. The best time to visit is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the flowers are in bloom.
General administration building rest area
It is a 15.3ha area Japanese garden with a pond that can be admired by walking around it. The first thing that greets you when you enter the park is the administrative building, which was built to resemble an old merchant house with the theme of "town".
In addition to a rest area, there is a shop and a management office.
Management building shop
Free rest area
SatonoieWhen you enter the park and go to the left (in the direction of the upper pond), you will find a rest area that imitates a thatched three-room farmhouse that incorporates the architectural style of the mid-Edo period.
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Mountain house
Surrounded by trees and plum groves, the Yamanoya rest area is reminiscent of the old teahouse of the mountain pass, so you can rest freely.
Around mid-February, when the plum blossoms are in full bloom, you will be enveloped in a fragrant scent that will soothe the fatigue of your trip.
Tea room
There is also a Sukiya-style tea room in the back of the mountain house.
Beach house
When you enter the park and go to the right (in the direction of the lower pond), you will find a three-room style rest area with a street garden that imitates the old Amimoto's house.
The front is made of bamboo curtains.
In addition, there is a boat dock in front of the rest area, and you can rent a boat to look out over the park from the pond. In addition, if you sprinkle the koi food on the beach at the wharf, many koi will appear.
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Pearls & Squirrels, Activity 2, Pace 2, Duration 3 hours
Pearls & Squirrels is a great place to spend a few hours exploring pearls, seeing squirrels, or just enjoying a relaxing day. The best time to visit Pearls & Squirrels is during the spring or fall, when the weather is mild and the flowers are in bloom. Be sure to bring some food to feed the squirrels. They love peanuts, almonds, and walnuts.
The small park that is home to a variety of attractions, including:
- Dairakuji Buddhist Temple in Uwajima is known as flying squirrel temple because they nest at the gate of the temple. Unique monk explain not about Buddhism, but about flying squirrel and his father’s invention. A large population of free-roaming squirrels: These squirrels are not afraid of humans and they will often come up to people for food.
- A beautiful Japanese garden: This garden is home to a variety of flowers and plants, including some that are only found in Japan.
- A large pearl museum: This museum exhibits the history of pearl cultivation in Uwajima and features a variety of pearls, including some that are very rare and valuable.
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Danbata Terraces & Waterfall Walk, Activity 3, Pace 2, Duration 3 hours
Danbata Terraces & Waterfall Walk is a beautiful natural area that is home to a series of rice terraces, a waterfall, and a forest.
The Danbata Terraces were built over 300 years ago and they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The terraces are a beautiful example of traditional Japanese terracing and they are a popular spot for tourists to visit and take photos.. . . Click to PreferenceThe waterfall at Danbata Terraces is called the "Yusumizugaura Waterfall." It is about 20 meters high and it is surrounded by a forest that is home to a variety of trees, plants, and animals. Tourists can enjoy hiking in the forest and exploring the natural beauty of the area.
Sengan-en Garden in Kagoshima, Activity 2, Pace 2, Duration 3 hours
Senganen Garden, also known as Isoteien, is a Japanese-style landscape garden along the coast north of downtown Kagoshima. One of the garden's most striking features is its use of Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay as borrowed scenery. The garden also includes small ponds, streams, shrines and a bamboo grove.
The Chiran Peace Museum For Kamikaze Pilots in Chiran, Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Kyushu is a thought-provoking, and to many, a controversial museum. It is dedicated to the lives and deaths of 1,036 suicide pilots or kamikaze (more commonly known as tokkoh-tai-in Japanese). These young men, in their teens and early twenties, sacrificed themselves in the name of the Japanese emperor in the latter stages of World War II
Glover Gardens Visit & Dejima, Activity 3, Pace 2, Duration 3.5 hours
Glover Garden is an open air museum in Nagasaki that exhibits mansions of several of the city's former foreign residents and related buildings. It is located on the hill where Western merchants settled down after the end of Japan's era of seclusion in the second half of the 19th century.
The main attraction of the garden is the Former Glover House, the oldest wooden Western-style building in Japan.
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The Nagasaki Ropeway on Mt. Inasa, Activity 3, Pace 2, Duration 3.5 hours
Mount Inasa (稲佐山, Inasayama) is a 333 meter high mountain close to Nagasaki's city center. The summit can be reached by ropeway, bus, or car and offers great views over the city. In fact, the night views from Mount Inasa are ranked among Japan's three best night views besides the views from from Mount Hakodate and Mount Rokko. Several television and radio antennas and an observation deck with restaurant are located at the summit.
A Visit to Matsue's "Black Castle", Activity 3, Pace 2, Duration 4 hours
Matsue Castle is one of only a dozen original castles in Japan, meaning that its main tower has survived to this day through fires, earthquakes and the anti-feudal demolitions of the Meiji Period. It is sometimes called the "black castle" after its darkly-colored, austere exterior.
Matsue Castle was completed in 1611, a few years after the last decisive battle of feudal Japan. In 1638, the fief and castle were reassigned to a branch of the Matsudaira clan, relatives of the ruling Tokugawa. Perched atop a hill and surrounded by a moat and thick walls, the castle was built to withstand a war, though, thanks to the timing of its construction, it never actually saw a battle.
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Tottori Prefectural Flower Park (TBD)
Japan's major flower park commands a magnificent view of Mt.Daisen. This is flower park where you can enjoy flowers and greenery all the year round. The Flower Zone is surrounded by a one-kilometer circular Walkway with a roof. You can see various kinds of flowers while you proceed along the Walkway enjoying a scenic view. The Rest Zone offers you an environment where you can feel at home in strolling around in the woods. Please relax yourself to the full inn the nature of this vast land, which is as large as 50 hectares.
Exploring Sakaiminato at Leisure, Activity 1, Pace 2, Duration 4 hours
Here are some of the tourist sights that you should see in Sakaiminato, Japan:
- Mizuki Shigeru Road: This is a 2.3 km (1.4 mi) long road that is lined with statues and sculptures of characters from the popular manga series "GeGeGe no Kitaro" by Shigeru Mizuki.
- Mizuki Shigeru Museum: This museum is dedicated to the life and work of Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of "GeGeGe no Kitaro." The museum houses a collection of Mizuki's artwork, as well as exhibits on the history of yokai (Japanese monsters).
- Gegege no Yokairakuen: This is an amusement park that is themed around the "GeGeGe no Kitaro" manga series. The park features rides, shows, and attractions based on the series.
- Eshima Ohashi Bridge: This bridge is known for its steep incline, which is said to be the steepest inclined railway in the world. The bridge offers stunning views of the city and the Seto Inland Sea.
- Sakaiminato Tourist Information Center: This center
is a good place to start your visit to Sakaiminato. The center has
information on the city's attractions, as well as maps and brochures.
EXPERIENCE WITH TAUCK
Choice of hotel accommodation for nights 1, 2 & 3 and 12 & 13 – The St. Regis Osaka nights 1, 2 & 3 and The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo nights 12 & 13 or The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka nights 1, 2 & 3 and The Palace Hotel, Tokyo nights 12 & 13 or The Conrad Osaka nights 1, 2 & 3 and The Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo nights 12 & 13
Special Tauck Experiences featuring local cultural entertainment include a sumo wrestling demonstration, geisha and taiko performances and more
TAUCK VALUE INCLUDES
Private Tauck Shore Excursions – $5,385 Value
All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff, local guides and drivers
8-night cruise aboard a Ponant ship
3 nights in Osaka and 2 nights in Tokyo at premier hotels
Cruise may be a shared ship experience with non-Tauck guests onboard as well; all Tauck guests will be accompanied by one Tauck Director for approximately every 40 Tauck guests, and your itinerary will always be highlighted by exclusive, private Tauck shore excursions
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available throughout the day aboard ship including house wines and spirits; premium spirits and wines are available at extra cost.
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted
36 meals on land and at sea; service charges, applicable fuel surcharges, taxes, and porterage
