Home Japan Tour Fall 2019

Japan Tour Fall 2019

Japan Tour 2019 Seattle to Tokyo Hida Takayama Kyoto Nara Hiroshima

Since 2010, the North American Post and Hokubei Hochi Foundation have offered an
annual cultural tour to Japan for our readers and our local Nikkei community members. Our tour includes travel to Tokyo, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Okayama, Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima and gives members unique local experiences and low tour rates for travelers.

*Availability is limited. We accept 22 maximum tourists per year.

Tour Fee

  • $4180/person with double occupancy hotel rates
  • $3,990/person with triple occupancy hotel rates
  • $4879/person with single occupancy hotel rates

Rate includes

  • International round-trip flights Seattle-Tokyo and Osaka-Seattle
  • 10 nights Hotel stay with complimentary breakfast (4 nights at Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo, 2 nights at Takayama Ouan in Hida Takayama and 4 nights at New Miyako Hotel in Kyoto)
  • One fantastic “Ryokan” dinner at Takayama Ouan
  • JR pass that covers ground transportations including Shinkansen rides: Tokyo-Nagoya, Nagoya-Kyoto and Kyoto-Hiroshima
  • ¥2000 prepaid PASMO for in-city transportation in Tokyo and in Kyoto
  • Entrance fees at tourist’s destinations

Payment Schedule

  •   $150 non-refundable payment at the time of reservation
  •   $1500 down-payment is due on April 30th, 2019
  •   Remaining amount is due on July 1st, 2019

2019 Flight schedule:

Sep 30

  • Japan Air Line JL67 Sea-Tac 2:15 pm – Narita Tokyo 4:25 pm (Arriving next day on October 1st)

October 11th

  • Japan Air Line JL3006 Itami Osaka 240 pm – Narita Tokyo 4:00 pm
  • Japan Air Line JL68 Narita Tokyo 6:05 pm – Sea-Tac 11:05 am  (Arriving same day)

Internally:

Day 1&2

(Sep 30 – Oct 1)

 

Seattle Meet at Sea-Tac for flight to Japan
Tokyo

(Shinagawa Prince Hotel)

 

Arrive in Narita
Airport Limousine Bus to Hotel
Day 3

(Oct 2)

9am Tokyo

West-side

Depart for Yoyogi Station
9:30am Explore Meiji Shrine
11am Lunch at Shinjuku Takashimaya and free time
1pm Explore Nishi Shinjuku and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
3pm Depart for Shibuya
3:30pm Explore Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko Dog Statue

Free time to explore Shibuya

Return to hotel at leisure on your own

Day 4

(Oct 3)

9am Tokyo East-side Depart for Hamamatsu-cho Station
10am Take Waterbus to Asakusa
11am Explore Asakusa Nakamise and Sensoji Temple
12:30pm Depart for Shibamata
1pm Lunch

Free time to explore Shibamata and Taishakuten Temple

3pm Depart for Tokyo Skytree
4pm Skytree Observation Deck and Soramachi Shopping Mall
Return to hotel at leisure on your own
Day 5

(Oct 4)

9am Tokyo &

Yokohama

Depart for Yokohama
10am Arrive at Yokohama Japanese Overseas Migration Museum
11:30am Walk to Yokohama Chinatown

Stop at Yamashita Park to see Hikawa-Maru Ship

12:30pm Lunch and free time on your own in Chinatown
2pm Meet at Seiryu-Mon Gate
3:00pm Arrive at Tokyo Station and

Walk to Imperial Palace

4:30pm Visit Shin Marunouchi Building for great view of Tokyo Station
5:30pm Explore Yurakucho and Ginza Area on your own
Return to hotel at leisure on your own
Day 6

(Oct 5)

8am Takayama Depart hotel
8:30am Shinkansen Bullet Train to Nagoya
11am Express Train from Nagoya to Takayama
1:30pm Arrive in Takayama
Free time to explore Takayama
Dinner at Hotel * Free Ryokan Dinner include for Day 6
Day 7

(Oct 6)

9:30am Takayama Depart for Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō by bus (arrive around 11am)
4pm Return to Takayama
Free time to explore Takayama
Day 8

(Oct 7)

9am Kyoto Express Train to Nagoya
12pm Free time in Nagoya for Lunch/Break
2pm Shinkansen Bullet Train to Kyoto
3pm Arrive in Kyoto
Free time to explore Kyoto
Day 9

(Oct 8)

8am Kyoto Day trip to Hiroshima
10:30am Arrive in Hiroshima
Hiroshima Peace Park
Free time to explore City
4:30pm Depart for Kyoto
Day 10

(Oct 9)

8am Kyoto Half Day Tour of Kyoto (Ginkaku-ji, Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, The Kyoto Imperial Palace etc.)
1pm Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine (known for the torii gates) & Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Free time to explore Kyoto
Day 11

(Oct 10)

9am Kyoto Train to Nara visit Todaiji Temple/Deer Park/Kasuga Shrine area
3pm Return to Kyoto – Free time to explore Kyoto
Day 12

(Oct 11)

Depart for Itami Airport
Return to Seattle

*Destination may change

Hotel Information:

  • 4 nights in Tokyo

Shinagawa Prince Hotel, 4 Chome-10-30 Takanawa, Minato City, Tokyo 108-8611, Japan

Shinagawa Prince Hotel

*Tokyo hotel stays include complimentary 4 breakfast

  • 2 nights in Takayama

Takayama Ouan, 4 Chome-313 Hanasatomachi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0026, Japan

https://www.japanican.com/en/hotel/detail/5475041/?ref=takayamaOuan

*Takayama hotel stays include complimentary 2 breakfast and 1 dinner

  • 4 nights in Kyoto

New Miyako Hotel, 17 Nishikujo Inmachi, Minami Ward, Kyoto, 601-8412, Japan

https://www.miyakohotels.ne.jp/kyoto-hachijo/english/

*Kyoto hotel stays include complimentary 4 breakfast

About Reservation and Payment Schedule:

We require $150 nonrefundable reservation fee at the time of reservation. $1,500 down-payment is due on April 30th 2019. Rest of the fee is due on June 30th 2019.

Our tour needs to be canceled if we do not have 15 minimum travelers by the end of April (which never happened in the past since the tour program started in 2010). In case of the tour cancellation, all payments will be fully refunded including the reservation fee.

All payment will be invoiced via email. We accept ACH (Automated Clearing House) electronic payment (Usually no fee. It is just like mailing a check online.).

Cancellation Policy:

  • $150 reservation fee is non-refundable
  • After April 30th 2019, $300/person is non-refundable in addition to the $150 reservation fee
  • After May 31st 2019, $600/person is non-refundable in addition to the $150 reservation fee
  • After June 30th 2019, $1800/person is non-refundable in addition to the $150 reservation fee
  • After August 10th 2019, entire travel fee is non-refundable

Q&A:

Q. Why is your rate so reasonable?

A. We have been offering relatively lower rates as we have been running this tour as part of Hokubei Hochi Foundation non-profit programs with its mission promoting Japanese culture in the Seattle area. We also keep this rate possible by NOT using limousine bus. Most of our tour use public transportations. We have been working with Nippon Express Travel (https://www.tabi22.com/), who provide us with discounted group rates for flights, hotels and JR pass.

Q. Do you sell travel insurance?

A. Eeiither the North American Post Publishing (Hokubei Hochi Flundation) or the travel agency Nippon Express Travel sell travel insurance. Optional travel insurance needs to be prepared individually.

Q. Can I upgrade flights?

A. If you want to upgrade your flight, we will arrange by charging you actual upgrade fee from the air company. Availability may be limited. Current estimate upgrade fee for business class is $4100. We will have confirmed price in Mary.

2019 Tour Orientation

Please join our orientation on March 2nd 3:00-4:30 pm at JCCCW. Meet our two bilingual tour guides and learn more about this year’s North American Post Japan Tour. We will go through tour destinations, ground transportation, tour fees and more. Q&A session will be followed. The orientation is free and open to public.

If you are interested in our tour or just in joining the orientation, please contact: japantour@napost.com