Our tour will arrive in perfect Spring time to witness the famous Japanese cherry blossoms in “mankai” (full bloom). You’ll be in excellent hands being led by Richard Scott, veteran MHA tour guide and a returned missionary from Japan who has been doing business in Japan and throughout Asia for more than 35 years.
The Tokyo Japan Temple will be a highlight you do not want to miss! In addition to an opportunity to visit and attend the temple, you’ll have SIX site-filled days enjoying the unique wonders of Japan’s rich history & architecture (many are UNESCO World Heritage sites), culture, and food.
Places Visited
DAY 1 & 2: Fly to Tokyo, Japan
Fly to Tokyo arriving mid afternoon the next day (SLC “group” airline seats available or you may provide your own airfare–be sure to contact MHA to coordinate flight schedules).
Relax with a good night’s rest after the long flight and many time zone crossings. Dinner on own.
DAY 3: Tokyo
We’ll take a guided bus tour of the city, visiting the beautiful Buddhist temple complex and charming shopping streets of Asakusa, part of oldtown Tokyo. You’ll take in the breathtakingly sweet cherry blossoms in full bloom at Ueno Park, visit Akihabara, known as “Electric Town” and top off the day with a sumptuous feast of Japanese and Western cuisine aboard a ship as we cruise Tokyo Bay! Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.
DAY 4: Tokyo
Participate in cherished temple ordinances at the Tokyo LDS Temple! The recent renovations and re-dedication make the temple even more of a shining jewel. Further, it is a delight to see second- and third-generation members enjoy the blessings of the temple. Enjoy sightseeing of the majestic Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji who opened Japan to the west after millennia of seclusion. We’ll visit the outer gardens of the Imperial Palace, home of the current Emperor and Empress of Japan. Ascending Tokyo Tower will give us a breathtaking view of the world’s largest metropolis, and with some luck (and clear skies) we may be able to see Mt. Fuji in the distance. You’ll have time tonight and two more evenings of the tour to explore the winding streets full of small eateries serving the Japanese food you’ve been craving for decades! Breakfast & lunch included.
DAY 5: Kamakura, Yokohama Bay, Kyoto
We will say goodbye to the bustle of Tokyo to embark on a few days’ worth of exploring the more traditional and unique side of Japan. We’ll visit Kamakura, the political center of medieval Japan, where we will see the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), the iconic and magnificent bronze Buddha sculpture set in a lush temple garden. We’ll also visit the Hachimangu Shrine complex where on New Year’s Day worshippers wait several hours to offer their alms for a blessed New Year, and Hasedera Temple where you’ll see hillsides dotted in thousands tiny “jizo” statues whose purpose is to care for the souls of those who die at a young age. And of course we simply must visit the hill and monument overlooking Yokohama Bay from which LDS church President Heber J. Grant dedicated the land of Japan for the preaching of the gospel in 1901! We’ll ride the “bullet train” southwest, zipping past the magnificent cone-shaped Mt. Fuji for which Japan is famous arriving at Kyoto, the capital of Japan for more than one thousand years, home to the most unique and stunning temples in the country. Breakfast & lunch included.
DAY 6: Kyoto
In Kyoto, you’ll enjoy a fully-guided tour of some of the most unique temples in the world, each one very different from the other, including three UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage sites, known for “outstanding universal value.” You’ll marvel at the beauty of Kinkakuji, known as the Golden Pavilion which is literally plated in gold! We’ll visit Sanjusangendo, a Japan national treasure, a long hall that houses 1,001 statues of the Buddhist goddess Kannon, each individually hand-carved in intricate detail. We’ll walk on the “chirping floors” of Nijo castle, built by the first shogun of the Edo period that warned of intruders. Heian Shrine will welcome us through its massive red torii gate to behold a brilliant vermillion and jade temple surrounded by cherry trees in full bloom. Lastly, we’ll visit Kiyomizudera Temple in the foothills above Kyoto to quench our thirst from three springs while overlooking the valley of Kyoto. Breakfast & lunch included.
DAY 7: Nara
We’ll enjoy a guided tour of Nara, Japan’s first capital to visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Todaiji Temple, a massive wooden structure constructed without nails and housing the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue. Before returning to Kyoto we’ll wander through Nara Park where we’ll interact with over a thousand tamed yet wild deer which freely roam its grounds. We’ll end the day with a short hike up a hill passing by/through thousands of bright red torii gates to a magnificent panoramic view of Kyoto below.
Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included.
DAY 8: Osaka, Tokyo and Flights Home
In Osaka, we’ll explore the immense, pagoda-like Osaka Castle before the bullet train whisks us back to Tokyo so we can take a last look at the cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen before boarding our evening flight from Haneda International Airport to return to the US. Arrive home the same date (shortly after your departure time!–how is that even possible?!?) crossing back over several time zones and the International Date Line (somewhere over the Pacific Ocean–Aha!) while saying, “Sayōnara & arigatou, Japan!”
Breakfast & lunch included in Japan; dinner onboard flight home.