Japan 2017

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THIS TOUR HAS BEEN FOR 2017 – 2018 PLANNING IS NOW UNDER WAY

Hi Glen, a very big thank you to you as well.It was a wonderful trip. The art ,museums, architecture were were superb. Couldn’t have asked for more.The Islands were fantastic quite magical. I would recommend this trip to anyone interested in Art, it was a wonderful experience. Extremely well organised and researched. We were so lucky to see such amazing art and architecture.! Plus the accomodation was very good.
Thanks again for all your hard work.
Best wishes. Jill.

Glen Armstrong leads a small group through Tokyo, Naoshima, Teshima and Inujima, Okayama and Kyoto.

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Day 1.                                                                                                                                    Monday               08 May

Please be checked in for your flight to Tokyo on Air New Zealand.

Depart Auckland on Air NZ and arrive Tokyo and transfer to our hotel for the night (in Shinagawa). Shinagawa is a well located area, a short train or metro ride from anywhere in Tokyo and accessible to the Bullet Train. Tonight discover the small local restaurants or try one of the more western style options in Shinagawa Station. Look out for Dean and Deluca’s for great coffee.

Overnight Tokyo – Intercontinental ‘The Strings’

Day 2.                                                                                                                                    Tuesday               09 May

Please be breakfasted and ready to depart by 7.00am

This morning we board our bus for the short drive to Haneda Airport and board a flight for Takamatsu. Takamatsu is located on the Island of Shikoku, in the Seto Inland Sea.

On arrival a brief stop will be made to pick up some lunch while we head to the ferry terminal and onto Naoshima Island for 3 nights. This afternoon visit the Art House Projects in Honmura.

After check in relax for an hour before dinner at 6pm.

Overnight Naoshima / Dinner and Breakfast included

Day 3.                                                                                                                                    Wednesday        10 May

Breakfast is available from 7am. Please be ready to depart by 8.10am.

Today we will take the local fast ferry to visit the Seirensho Museum on Inujima Island, and on return the Chichu Museum on Naoshima. A beautiful building by Tadao Ando, with picturesque garden, after Monet, on the short walk to the entrance.

Overnight Naoshima / Dinner and Breakfast included

Day 4.                                                                                                                                   Thursday             11 May

Breakfast is available from 7am. Please be ready to depart by 8.10am.

Today we again board the ferry for a visit Teshima Island and the Teshima Art Museum in the morning and relax in the afternoon back at Benesse House, with the chance to visit the Benesse House Museum.

Overnight Naoshima / Dinner and Breakfast included

Day 5.                                                                                                                                    Friday                    12 May

Breakfast is available from 7am. Please be ready to depart by 10.00am.

This morning we ferry back to Takamatsu and on our return visit the Ritsurin Gardens, one of Japan’s top rated gardens a short drive from Takamatsu port. Ritsurin Gardens is a “strolling garden” with beautiful vistas around every corner.

Then we head back to the port for our stay at the hotel JR Clement with views of the port and old castle grounds.

Overnight Takamatsu – JR Clement Hotel including breakfast.

Day 6.                                                                                                                                    Saturday              13 May

Please be breakfasted and checked out by 9am.

Our bus for the day will pick us up at 9am.

This morning visit the garden and home of Sculptor Isamu Noguchi. This is a unique experience visiting the sculpture garden of his finished and unfinished works. While you can not enter the actual house – you can peer inside to see his amazing furniture.

From here we will bus directly to the MiMOCA. A small contemporary art gallery of works by the artist Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma. We will take lunch before visiting the gallery. From here we journey across the Seto Inland Sea Bridge – 13 km – to the small town of Kurashiki, outside of Okayama. Experience the restored riverfront, the Ohara Museum and find time for a visit to the annual “Field of Craft”.

Overnight Okayama – ANA Hotel including breakfast.

Day 7.                                                                                                                                    Sunday                14 May

Please be checked out and leave bags at the hotel by 10am.

This morning we visit one of the pottery areas around Okayama before taking a late afternoon train to Kyoto.

On arrival at Kyoto Station it is a short walk to our hotel. (Please note Kyoto Station is busy and we have to get our bags off the train and to the hotel. There are lifts of course.)

Overnight Kyoto – Century Hotel including breakfast

Evening Free

Day 8.                                                                                                                                    Monday               15 May

Today you are free to choose to do Kyoto at your own pace or join Glen as he walks down through the Gion area ending at the Nishiki Market.

Afternoon is at leisure.

Overnight Kyoto – Century Hotel

Day 9.                                                                                                                                    Tuesday               16 May

Please be ready to depart at 9.30am.

This morning those that wish to visit the Raku Museum may do so before we take an early afternoon train to Tokyo.

Take an early train to Tokyo this morning for our last three nights back at The Strings Hotel, Shinagawa. After arriving around 4pm we will check into the hotel.

Overnight Tokyo – Intercontinental “The Strings”

Day 10.                                                                                                                                                 Wednesday        17 May

Please be ready to depart by 10.00am

Today we will visit the Roppongi area to visit the National Art Centre which has a Yayoi Kusama retrospective, as well as the Mori Art Museum.

There are several dealer art and object galleries in this area – dependent on how your feet are feeling!

Overnight Tokyo – Intercontinental “The Strings”

Day 11.                                                                                                                                                 Thursday             18 May

Please be ready to depart by 9.30am.

This morning we will visit Omotesando to see contemporary Japanese architecture in action as we wander the area between the station and the Nezu Museum.

After lunch nearby we will visit Harajuku and the Ota Memorial Museum to discover the world of Woodblock prints – “Ukiyo-E” – the floating world.

Overnight Tokyo – Intercontinental “The Strings”

Day 12.                                                                                                                                                 Friday                   19 May

Spend a final few hours fossicking around Tokyo this morning before heading to the airport for the flight home this evening.

Day 13.                                                                                                                                                 Saturday              20 May

Arrive home.

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Departing Auckland May 8 2017 – this very small group tour is full for 2017

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