Itinerary for A Vist to Japan

A Vist to Japan - 2018: Itinerary

Taking off

Plane taking off

Our travel plan

Below is a table with the broad picture of our itinerary. Below that is a more detailed day-by-day description of the plan as of the date at the bottom of the page.

An itinerary is a plan as of a particular point in time of where to go, when, and how. But plans change, sometimes even from moment to moment. So our plans may change based on weather, surprise opportunities, changing interests, and factors beyond our control.

[Kanazawa,] Hiroshima, Kyoto, Takayama, Tokyo

Days, Dates, Cities and Notes
Day	Date	Itinerary
	The Kanazawa pre-trip extension:
Wed	30 May	Leave Denver in A.M. to your gateway city then eventually to Japan
Thu	31 May	Arrive Tokyo ; on to Sunshine City Prince hotel
Fri	1 June	To Kanazawa Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kanazawa station
Sat	2 June	Kanazawa Festival
Sun	3 June	Kanazawa Festival and Kenrokuen Garden
Mon	4 June	To Hiroshima, join up with core trip group

	The core trip (all travelers):
Sat	2 June	Leave Denver in A.M. to your gateway city then to Hiroshima Airport (HIJ)
Sun	3 June	Arrive HIJ, make way to hotel
Mon	4 June	To Hiroshima, join up with pre-trip members; maybe a baseball game
Tue	5 June	Hiroshima Vist peace park, peace museum, Miyajima
Wed	6 June	To Kyoto
Thu	7 June	Kyoto Kyoto touring
Fri	8 June	Kyoto Kyoto touring
Sat	9 June	To Takayama via Nagoya
Sun	10 June	Takayama Takayama touring
Mon	11 June	Takayama Takayama touring
Tue	12 June	To Tokyo
Wed	13 June	Tokyo site seeing
Thu	14 June	Tokyo Tokyo touring
Fri	15 June	Morning free then to aiport Depart for Denver, arrive evening of same day(!)

Pre-trip extension group to Kanazawa

Wed., May 30

We're taking off
* Ann and Gregory leave for Tokyo (different flights, different airlines)

Thu., May 31

Arrival in Japan at Tokyo's Haneda airport
* Ann arrives on AA27 at 2:25 p.m. - met by Charles
* Gregory arrives on AC1 at 3:35 p.m. - met by Charles and Ann
* Quarantine, Immigration (passport)
* Pick up bags, Customs
* Exchange currency
* Set JR passes to activate immediately
* 16:49 Tokyo monorail to Hammatsucho station, arrive 17:05
* 17:12 JR Yamanote line (inner loop) for Osaki
* 17:43 arrive Ikebukuro station, track 6
* Walk or taxi to Sunshine City Prince Hotel
* Check in, explore neighborhood
* Dinner in local restaurant (or just crash!)

Fri., June 1

Tokyo to Kanazawa
* Breakfast at hotel
* Walk or taxi to Ikebukuro station
* 9:03 JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line for Kogane, platform 3
* 9:27 Arrive at Omiya Platform 11
* 9:46 Depart Omiya on JR Kagayaki 507 Shinkansen (bullet train)
==> Note: Lunch on train, on own
* 11:54 Arrive Kanazawa station on platform 14
* Walk to Hotel Route-inn Kanazawa Ekimae
* Free time
* 19:00 Kaga-yuzen Toro-nagashi: floating lanterns launched from Tenjinbashi bridge to Asanogawa-ohashi bridge
* 18:40-21:00 Kodomo Chochin-Daiko Gyoretsu (Kids Marching with Red Lanterns)
* Dinner TBA

Sat., June 2

Pre-trip extension group:

Kanazawa
* Breakfast at hotel
* Kanazawa festival events:
     14:00 - Hyakumangoku parade, starts in front of Kanazawa station
     18:00 - Hyakumangoku Odori-nagashi - street dancing
     19:00 - Hyakumangoku Takigi-Noh (Torchlight Performance of Noh) at Kanazawa Castle
* Dinner TBA

Core trip group:

Core group taking off

Sun., June 3

Pre-trip extension group:

Kanazawa:
* More festival events:
8:30-16:00 Hyakumangoku Chakai (The Biggest Tea Ceremony)
10:00-16:00 Kaga Hyakumangoku Bon-Shohgatsu (Traditional events at Kanazawa-jo Kohen Castle Park)
* Kenrokuen Gardens
* Free time
* Dinner TBA

Core trip group:

Core group arrives in Hiroshima, Japan
* Stephan and Patty arrive a day early, June 3, at 19:05 on NH3131
* Kay arrives at 19:05 on NH3131
* Craig arrives at 10:40 on NH675
* Justine and Aaron arrive at 19:05 on ANA3131
* Myrna Ann, J, and Max arrive at 21:10 on NH687
* Quarantine, Immigration (passport)
* Pick up bags, Customs
* Exchange currency
* Set JR passes to activate June 4
* Shuttle to Hiroshima Airport Hotel
* Check in, explore area, unwind
* Dinner in local restaurant (or just crash!)

Mon., June 4

Pre-trip extension group:

Kanazawa to Hiroshima / Miyajima:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Walk to Kanazawa station
* 09:04 Limited Express Thunderbird 14, track 2
==> Note: lunch on this train or next; purchase your own
* 11:32 Arrive Shin-Osaka, track 17
* 12:08 Depart Shinkansen Sakura 555, track 20
* 13:34 Arrive Hiroshima, track 12
* 13:45 Depart Hiroshima track 1, JR Sanyo Line for IWAKUNI
* 14:13 Arrive Miyjima-guchi
* Walk to ferry landing (5 minutes)
* Ferry to Miyajima (JR pass)
* Taxi or walk to Livemax Resort AkiMiyajima
* Check in; free time
* Dinner at hotel

Core trip group:

Hiroshima airport to Miyajima
* Breakfast in hotel, then check out
* 9:00 Depart Hiroshima track 1, JR Sanyo Line for IWAKUNI (trains leave frequently)
* 9:28 Arrive Miyjima-guchi
* Walk to ferry landing (5 minutes)
* Ferry to Miyajima (JR pass)
* Taxi or walk to Livemax Resort AkiMiyajima
* Check in; free time
* Dinner at hotel

At this point the pre-trip group and the core trip group are together

Tue., June 5

In Miyajima:
* Breakfast in hotel

Onomichi group
* Walk to ferry
* 7:30 Ferry to Miyajima-guchi
* 8:12 Tsukin-Liner for HIROSHIMA
* 8:42 arrive Hiroshima on track 7
* 8:53 depart on shinkansen Kodama 732 from track 14
* 9:18 arrive Mihara
* 9:27 depart Mihara on JR Sanyo line for Itozaki
* 9:30 arrive Itozaki
* 9:31 depart Itozaki on JR Sanyo line for Aioi
* 9:39 arrive Onomichi
* Walk to Senko-ji
* Lunch
* Walk to Onoomichi
* 12:51 depart on JR Sanyo line for Mihara
* 13:06 arrive Mihara
* 13:28 depart on shinkansen Kodama 741
* 13:54 arrive Hiroshima on track 12
* Bus to A-bomb dome, peace park, museum
* Return to Miyajima (bus, JR to Miyajima-guchi, ferry)

Mazda museum group
* Walk to ferry
* 08:25 Ferry to Miyajima-guchi
* 09:00 JR Sanyo line for Shiraichi
* 09:41 arrive Mukainada
* Walk to Mazda Museum
* 10:00 Museum and factory tour
* Okonomiyage lunch at Okonomi Village
* Walk or bus or streetcar to A-bomb dome, peace park, museum
* Return to Miyajima (bus, JR to Miyajima-guchi, ferry)

* Dinner in hotel

Wed., June 6

Miyajima to Kyoto:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Walk to ferry
* 10:05 JR Sanyo Line for SHIRAICHI
* 10:33 Arrive Hiroshima, track 5
* 10:54 Shinkansen Sakura 544, depart from track 13
* 11:55 Arrive Himeji
* Lunch and tour of Himeji castle
* 16:02 Shinkansen 476
* 16:57 Arrive Kyoto station, track 11
* Walk to New Miyako Hotel, check in
* Kaiseki dinner

Thu., June 7

In Kyoto:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Touring - East side of Kyoto
* Kiyomizu-dera, Yasaka, Gion, Philosopher's Walk, Nanzen-ji, Fushimi inari, Ginkaku-ji
* Dinner on own

Fri., June 8

In Kyoto:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Kyoto touring - North and West side
* Kinkakuji, Ryoan-ji, Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji, bamboo path
* Dinner - on own

Sat., June 9

To Takayama:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Walk to Kyoto station
* 08:31 Depart Kyoto on Ltd. Express wide view Hida 25
* 12:23 Arrive in Takayama
* Visit yatai kaikan, City of Denver park
* Stay in Open Heart Pension in mountains
* Dinner at pension

Sun., June 10

In Takayama:
* Breakfast in pension
* Morning market
* Visit world heritage site Shirakawa-go
* Lunch
* Kimono experience
* Visit Takayama Jin-ya in kimono
* Dinner party with city officials and Denver students

Mon., June 11

In Takayama:
* Okuhida - Shin hodaka ropeway
* Lunch
* Onsen (hot springs)
* Visit Hida Furukawa
* Japanese dinner party

Tue., June 12

To Tokyo:
* Breakfast in pension
* Visit Takayama brewery
* Drive to Toyama
* 12:19 depart Toyama on Shinkansen Hakutaka 562 from track 12
* 14:26 Arrive @ Omiya (Saitama)
* 14:42 Depart Omiya on JR Shonan-Shinjuku (via Ustunomiya line for Zushi)
* 15:08 Arrive @ Ikebukuro on track 2
* Walk or taxi to Sunshine City Prince Hotel
* Check in
* Visit Sky Tree Tower
* Dinner on own

Wed., June 13

In Tokyo:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Tokyo touring
* Visit North East side: Ueno, Asakusa, Akihabara, Edo Musuem
* Dinner TBA

Thu., June 14

In Tokyo:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Tokyo touring
Tech group
* TBA

Kamakura group
* details coming

* Adkins / Taylor depart Narita 17:00
* Last night in Japan for rest!
* Dinner TBA

Fri., June 15

Homeward bound:
* Breakfast in hotel
* Stephan and Patty depart at 15:45
* Justine and Aaron depart at 16:05
* Cody departs at 17:05
* Charles departs at 17:15
* Gregory departs 17:40
* Ann departs at 18:05
* Tina and Dennis and Kay and Craig stay in Japan longer
* Bus or train to airport
* Fly home

Related links

Taking off

Our travel plan

[Kanazawa,] Hiroshima, Kyoto, Takayama, Tokyo