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| Pottery, Bamboo & Textiles in Northern Kyushu |
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| Itinerary |
The following schedule is subject to change in accordance with the circumstances of our lodgings, transportation, local events and hosts. We will send participants the finalized itinerary one month in advance of the departure date.
(B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner |
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Day 1. Narita Airport
Arrive in Narita Airport. Clear Customs and Immigrations. Participants flying on our designated flight will be greeted upon arrival by tour representative and transferred to hotel. If you are taking flights other than our designated, let us know. We will inform you of times and places to join the group.
Day 2. Narita-Haneda-Oita Airport - Kitsuki
Transfer to Haneda Domestic Airport . Fly to Oita . Our destination is Kitsuki, a small quiet castle town that beautifully preserves many rows of samurai houses with well-maintained gardens. Arriving in hotel, we will have a short tour orientation meeting. Then, we will start a walking tour. We'll stroll up a gentle slope to see a street of old samurai residences. We will stop by Miso (soybean paste), Manju (sweets) and tea shops: a few hundred year old establishments of this castle town. Our dinner will be served in a cozy family-owned restaurant.
(B)(D)
Day 3 Kochi
In the morning, local good-will guides will show us around the town, leisurely walking through the stone-laid sloping streets and alleys. We will visit Samurai houses and a historic museum on the hillside. We will enjoy lunch - local specialty - in a craft shop/restaurant. In the afternoon, you may explore the town on your own. (B)(L)
Day 4. Kitsuki - Beppu - Onta - Hita
We depart in the morning for Hita. Along the way we will stop in Beppu and visit the Traditional Bamboo Craft Museum and a Bamboo specialty store. (L)
In the afternoon, we'll visit Onta (or Onda), a quiet pottery hamlet nestled deep in the mountains. For generations the craftsmen of Onta have relied solely on the abundance of local natural resources to produce honest and simple pottery. The traditional techniques and unpretentious beauty of Onta potteries were celebrated by the artist-craftsmen of the Mingei (Folk Craft) movement. (B)(L)
Day 5. Hita
We will take a half-day walking tour of Hita in the morning. We will visit Koto-Kan Gallery, which exhibits old pottery and Kasuri (Ikat) weaving used in the daily lives of the common people in the Hita area. Next, we will stroll through Mameta-machi district, which still retains the atmosphere of an old town. For lunch, we will enjoy Shabu Sahbu tofu. Expect the unexpected! (B)(L)
Day 6. Hita - Oyama - Tsuetate
We will leave our suitcase at our hotel and carry overnight bag for a one-night- two-day trip. In the morning, we will take a van to visit Oyama, a small peaceful farming community known for cooperative agricultural community. We will learn from farmers' wives country-style cooking using Umeboshi or plum pickles.
In the late afternoon, we will head for Tsuetate hotspring town. We will stay at a beautiful Japanese inn with outdoor, private baths overlooking the river and lush mountains. Our dinner will be an authentic full-course Japanese dinner. At night, we will slip between the sheets of a soft futon, totally immersed in the Japanese lifestyle. (B)(L)(D)
Day 7. Tsuetate - Oyama -Konohana Garten -Hita
We will stop by Kono-Hana (leaf) Garten, Oyama specialty store on our way to Hita, where they sell Umeboshi pickles, dried food, crafts, etc. When we return to Hita in the early afternoon to enjoy local festival, street vendors and food bazaar. Fireworks at night (7:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.) (B)
Day 8. Hita - Hirokawa-cho - Karatsu
In the morning, we'll visit Hirokawa-cho, Japan's foremost producer of kasuri textiles. There, we'll be guided through a family-run factory to see the techniques of indigo dyeing, hand-weaving, and modern mechanized weaving.
Our lunch is Kurume Ramen and pot-stickers, local specialties. Late in the afternoon, we will arrive in Karatsu, a charming town by the Sea of Genkai. (B)(L)
Day 9. Karatsu
In the morning, we will have a half day sight-seeing of Karatsu town, including an elaborate parade floats museum, a historic shrine, and produce market. In the afternoon, we are invited for tea at Local person's home. (B)
Day 10. Karatsu - Okawachi-yama - Karatsu
Breakfast will be served at Kawashima Tofu, a prominent tofu store/restaurant. Their Zaru-dofu (Tofu in basket) was once featured in the New Yorker. We will savour hand-made tofu by one of Japan's best tofu makers.
In the morning, we will ride a train to visit Okawachiyama, a little village surrounded by soaring mountains and rocks. This is the place where Arita and Imari wares have been produced for over three centuries. You can browse, shop or observe the work of artisans. You can also take a walk along the river and hillside, and visit a cemetery of many unknown Korean artisans who were brought from Korea to produce fine ceramics in the late 16th century. We will come back to Karatsu in the middle afternoon. (B)(L)
Day 11. Karatsu - Hato
Today, we will visit a Karatsu potter, at his home/studio. In the late afternoon, carrying only overnight bag, we will visit Hato Misaki Cape, quiet seaside known for its splendid ocean view and fresh seafood. (B)(D)
Day 12. Hato - Karatsu
In the morning, we will visit a morning market for fish and produce. We will return to Karatsu in the afternoon. In the evening, we'll have our final group meal (B)(D)
Day 13. Karatsu - Fukuoka Airport - Haneda - Narita
Transfer to Fukuoka Airport. Airport transfer service will be provided for participant taking our designated flight from Fukuoka to Narita Airport. (If you are taking other flights or trains, you can get the limited express bus to Hakata station or Fukuoka Airport. No reservation is required. Check with Mariko for bus schedule. ) (B) |
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"Of the many other trips I've taken to Japan, I can say without hesitation that this was the best!"
A.M. 2007 Kyushu Tour
"Everyday was like a fireworks display. Just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better, a whole new experience would open up the next day."
E.C. 2008 Kyushu Tour |
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| Contact Us |
| Community Travel Service |
Tel: 510-528-0600
info@comtravel.net
P.O.Box 6259,
Albany, CA 94706 |
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