Japan Tours
Small group escorted Japan tour behind the scenes in pottery kilns, a temple, private homes and craft artisans studios off the beaten track.

 

Japan Behind the Scenes

 

A tour for craft artists, photographers, potters and people who want to look behind the scenes in pottery kilns, craft studios, home workshops and areas not usually open to the public.

See Japanese potters and traditional craft artisans at work in their studios in Onta and Shigaraki, an indigo dye artisan in Kurume, Kumamoto Castle, Hita, Meiji Shrine & Iris Garden and Mt Fuji. MIHO Art Museum, Noritake Park, Arimatsu Shibori Dye Museum, a potters supply shop and Edo Tokyo Museum will also feature in this small group escorted tour.

Commences 29 May, returns 12 June, 2010

Land Only Price AUD$ 7,988 ( about US$ 6,500 )

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Exclusive demonstrations & special visits

On this tour you will have exclusive appointments with traditional artists, to see them creating their works of art that are unique to Japan. Watch landscape gardeners delicately manicure their picturesque trees, visit an indigo dye workshop where raw yarn is dipped into huge vats in an earthen floor, watch pottery masters producing fine ceramics, see a wood carver and washi paper maker at work and experience traditional banquets in authentic Japanese style Ryokans.

These are just a few of the great photo opportunities awaiting participants on this unusual tour visiting villages, rural areas and well known city sights in central Japan .

Destination Management has been operating pottery and craft tours to Japan since 1983. Our personal contacts in Japan will ensure you of an in-depth experience that other tours can`t match .

 

Old World Japan

See more of "old world" Japan as well as the "must see" places on this 15 day fully escorted tour.

Stroll through country villages, narrow cobblestone lanes and experience Japan as very few western travellers have done before. This close-up tour, will introduce you to traditional customs which still influence the people and lifestyle of today's Japan.

Enjoy the elegant charm of traditional Japan with authentic Ryokan accommodation, tea ceremony, Zen design stroll gardens, picturesque wooden architecture and awe inspiring temples.

 

Traditional Inns, Spa Baths & Local Cuisine

Relax in the therapeutic waters of a natural spa bath at an Onsen, delight in the fine flavours and presentation of a Japanese banquet dinner and take an evening stroll dressed in your (yukata) cotton gown with big sleeves and (geta) wooden sandals supplied by your inn.

The picturesque architecture of exquisite wooden buildings, (shoji) sliding paper doors, tatami mat floors, carp ponds, courtyard gardens, comfortable futon beds and stone lanterns create for you an image that is unmistakably 'Japan'. A welcome bow from a courteous innkeeper and friendly service make you feel like part of the family.

Dinners and breakfasts on this tour will give you a chance to try many different styles and taste sensations of Japanese cuisine, all being a feast for the eye as much as for the palate.

 

Personal Japan Experience

Off the beaten track, few Japanese speak English. This stops most independent travellers from finding those little known, out of the way places that add great interest to your tour and create such a memorable experience. On this tour you get the advantage of travelling with a tour manager who understands your requirements and can help you explore the lesser known wonders of Japan, not just visit the standard tourist attractions.

This event is very much a personalised Japan experience, discovery travel, soft adventure, call it what you like, but it is more than a standard package tour. For those with a spirit of adventure and a willingness to adapt to new ways of doing things it is an adventure of a lifetime. Even day to day aspects such as sleeping, bathing in hot springs and eating, all take on a new significance and become fun events.

 

Meet the Craft Artisans

Introductions in Japan can mean the difference between an artisan agreeing to meet you or not.

On this tour, special arrangements have been made for you to meet studio potters and craft artisans in their workshops to see the making of pottery, lacquerware, folding fans, washi paper, wood carving, indigo dyeing, textile weaving, bamboo artistry and a producer of colourful silk material for kimono making.

 

Springtime Azalea, Iris, Peony, Wisteria, Rural Villages

You will be seeing Japan when it's Springtime Azaleas, Peony, Iris, Japanese Rose and Wisteria can be enjoyed in parks, gardens and along the streets, making May a wonderful time for photography. Because you will be travelling through different climatic zones on this tour, you are guaranteed of seeing flowers in all stages from bud to full bloom, in various locations along our route.

Rural areas, high mountain peaks, small villages, national parks, therapeutic spas, historic forest trails and secluded valleys are all visited on this tour. Once again we have included a selection of small towns and villages such as Hita, Onta, Kurume and Yonezawa that you will not find on other tours.

 

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