Deluxe Takayama Autumn Foliage Tour 2013

November 01– November 10, 2013

(Day 1)

Going to NRT(Tokyo) transited to NGO(Nagoya) with ANA. B767 is still good condition!

(Day 2)

Arrived to NGO. It’s chilly, yes it’s Autumn tour and our group is from warm place Hawaii. No wonder. ANA has such a nice wheelchair service.

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(Day 3)

We visited Nagoya Castle (名古屋城) at first. Castle makes me to start to see Japan! It’s beautiful.

Next we went to Gujo Hachiman. (郡上八幡)　This authentic small town gives you Japanese experience, “Plastic food replica store and factory” – We have enjoyed hands-on experience making Food Sample!

What is Food Sample? You see the ubiquitous plastic food sample outside virtually every restaurant in Japan. It’s invented in Gujo Hachiman. Did you know that?

Yatai Kaikan (The Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall) is interesting place. It’s perfect spot to get to know The Takayama Matsuri.

we went to hotel safely and had eat Hida Beef!! Yummy~~~♪

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(Day 4)

Takayama is known for Morning Market- we stopped Miyagawa Asaichi(宮川朝一) and Takayama Jinya mae Asaichi(高山陣屋前朝一). We all had big fun for shopping!

Our one of main places to visit on this tour was Shirakawago(白川郷)!! We enjoyed leisurely walk in town for over 1 hour.

Visiting Kanda Family House(神田家) is super interesting. You can climb up to 4th floor. Just be careful with Smoke in the house. It helps to keep the special house stronger.

We transferred to the hotel in Kanazawa, an hour drive away!

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(Day 5)

Kenroku-en Garden(兼六園：Six Attributes Garden) is one of the Three Great Gardens of　Japan. It was so beautiful and peaceful.

Next, we visited Kaga Yuzen Traditional Industry Center and tried hands-on Kaga Yuzen Dyeing on handkerchief. It was great experience. Tap Tap Tap colored on the silk cloth with some brushes then steamed well. That’s it!

Beautiful Kagayuzen(加賀友禅)!!

Nagamachi Bukeyashiki District(長町武家屋敷) is a Samurai house district in Kanazawa where the top to middle class Samurai who served Kanazawa Casle lived from 1583 to 1868. We enjoyed to feel like we have traveled back to the Edo Period…　Please don’t forget to visit to Higashi Chaya District (ひがし茶屋街). I always feel good there each time I visited.

The last stop was Gold Leaf Shop- Hakuichi. Kanazawa is also known for Gold Leaf and they account for more than 98% of it production in Japan. You can learn about history of Gold Leaf in the place. Did you know Hakuichi Gold Leaf uses for Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto and Tokyo Sky Tree?

Fresh fine seafood in Kanazawa! We enjoyed so much seafood at Sushi bar! Kanazawa JR Station is pretty nice. Look at the picture below!

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(Day 6)

It was a high light day of this tour! Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route!! We started to from Tateyama Sta. to get a cable car to Bijyodaira. Wow, we used public transportation- cable car, bus, trolleybus, tram and walking, 7 times! The route is 37km in length. Challenging portion for elder people this point but it was fun! We played snow on the Mt. Tateyama. Phew. It was so cold out there. Main point is Kurobe Dam. Nice weather and good walking distance. We finally got a our bus to go to Matsumoto city (Nagano Pre).

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(Day 7)

This morning, we first visited to Matsumoto Castle which is one of Japan’s premier historic castle. It calls also “Crow Castle” because it is black exterior. We had so much fun for climb in the castle using original real wooden stares. Did you know it is listed as a National Treasure of Japan?

Next, we visited to Daijo Wasabi Farm(大王わさび農場) near by Matsumoto city. Most of us tried Wasabi ice cream. It’s good!

Shosenkyo Gorge(昇仙峡) – we were wondering the weather today. It had been cloudy with light rain since this morning. We took a rope-way to up to Shosenkyo Gorge, it was beautiful autumn foliage view and we felt like we are on the fluffy carpet of cloud! We saw Mt. Fuji up there!!

We went to Ryokan (Japan Inn) in Isawa Onsen. We had such a great dinner together! Happy birthday for three of us♪

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(Day 8)

In the morning, we enjoyed Fruit picking (Grape) in Yamanashi. It was pretty sweet grapes. Yum Yum.

Later the lunch, we visited Kubota Ichiku Museum(久保田一久美術館) (beautiful “Tsujigahana” kimono exhibition) which was gorgeous his traditional arts in Kimono. Pretty colored leafs all over!

During we were heading to Tokyo, suddenly English speak guide Kayo and I decided to stop Kawaguchi-ko Lake by Mt. Fuji. We saw such a clear view of Mt. Fuji!!! Wonderful memory. Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku was a great hotel, good service, friendly stuff, location and nice city hotel. We enjoyed there!

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(Day 9)

I was taking some people to Tokyo small tour. At first we stopped and have a lunch at Tsukiji Fish Market(築地). Using Subway to up to Ueno for walking & shopping in Ameyoko(アメ横). Ameyoko street is located between the Ueno JR train station and the Okachi-machi JR train station “under the train track”. There are fish sellers, leather sellers, dried seaweed sellers, sushi bars and so on. It’s fun just for looking. Take a different subway to Shibuya and got off at Omotesando Station. It was Saturday late afternoon. Lots of people were walking on the streets. So much fun there. We sometimes have a fun to watching people, right?

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(Day 10)

It was the last day for this tour. Some people had a short course Tokyo morning tour. We left to the hotel and heading to NRT (Narita Airport). Good thing is we were able to stop by a big shopping center before get into airport. I call it ” Last change to shopping~♪”. I saw “Tokyo Olympics in 2020” logo at Tokyo Government Office. Safely we got back to Honolulu!