Page 242 - Discoveries Await in 2022 & 2023

Itinerary DAY 4 • Tokyo • Taiko drumming experience a woodcraft shop to see intricate, wooden inlaid
• Asakusa • Controversial Topic: Female pieces and learn how they’re produced. Afterward,
sushi chefs eat lunch at a geisha house and watch a traditional
DAY 1 • Depart U.S. Take the subway to visit a taiko studio. Taikos are geisha performance.
Depart the U.S. on your overnight flight to traditional Japanese drums, and learn more about B,L,D — Hotel Recove Hakone or similar
Tokyo, Japan. the history of these instruments with a drum
master. Then, travel to the Asakusa area, and stroll DAY 7 • Bullet train • Express train
DAY 2 • Tokyo down streets that host more than 100 shops. After, to Kanazawa
Arrive at the Tokyo airport today. An O.A.T. enjoy lunch at a women-owned and operated sushi Ride the shinkansen (bullet train), boarding in
representative will meet you and assist with the restaurant and learn about the Controversial Topic Odawara for the first leg of the journey. At 200 mph,
transfer to your hotel. There, meet your Trip of gender discrimination in the world of sushi chefs. it remains among the fastest trains in the world.
Experience Leader and fellow travelers, including B,L,D — Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi or similar Later, take a limited express train to Kanazawa,

those who took the optional Tokyo: Ancient & Modern enjoying a view of Japan’s rolling countryside and
Traditions or New! South Korea: Seoul & Volcanic Jeju DAY 5 • Hakone • A Day in the Life of modern cityscapes.
Island pre-trip extensions. Minamiashigara Village B,D — Kanazawa New Grand Hotel or similar
Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi or similar Travel to Hakone, stopping along the way at
Minamiashigara Village to enjoy an immersive A DAY 8 • Kanazawa • Kenrokuen Garden •
DAY 3 • Tokyo • Meet former sumo wrestler Day in the Life experience. Visit a community farm Controversial Topic: Nuclear energy • Gold
• Shinjuku before joining a local family for lunch. Later, meet leaf factory • Omicho Market
Visit a restaurant owned by a former sumo wrestler, the master of a local karate studio, or dōjō, for a Visit the Kenrokuen Garden, considered one of
and enjoy an interactive demonstration of this iconic demonstration of this ancient martial art. Then, the most beautiful in Japan. Then, meet with a
sport. Then, engage in a conversation with a former visit a local children’s nursery. Fukushima evacuee for a Controversial Topic about
wrestler who will share their experience with us—an B,L,D — Hotel Recove Hakone or similar their firsthand account of the 2011 nuclear disaster.
exclusive O.A.T. feature. After, walk around the Higashi Chaya District,
B,L — Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Tokyo Tamachi or similar DAY 6 • Hakone • Wood workshop • Meet known for its teahouses where geishas perform.

local fisherman at Lake Ashi Finally, visit a local company famous for its gold leaf
Get to know a local fisherman and understand the production for an introduction to this intricate craft
importance of this industry in Hakone. Then, visit

Meet the people who call
Japan home

Sumo Wrestler : Discover the traditional sport
of sumo wrestling on Day 3 when a former
wrestler shares sumo traditions and their past
experience with us.

Taiko Drum Master : Learn about Japan’s traditional
taiko drums during a visit to a drum studio in Tokyo and a
conversation with the drum master on Day 4.
Minamiashigara Villagers : During our A Day in the Life experience on Day 5,
visit a community farm before sharing a meal and conversation with a local
family. Later, we’ll have a chance to meet the master of a local karate studio, or
dōjō, and visit a local children’s nursery.
Locals in Mountain Villages : On Day 9, you can join an optional tour to remote
mountain villages for the opportunity to meet with local craftsmen and learn
about longstanding traditions from members of the local community.
Family in Kanazawa : Tea—the ritual of preparing it and the drink itself—is an
essential component of Japanese culture. We’ll get to experience this staple
like the locals do when we visit a Japanese family at their home in Kanazawa on
Day 10, where we’ll share tea with them and get a glimpse of their daily life.
Buddhist Monk : On Day 13, a Buddhist monk at Senkoji Temple will guide our
group through the ancient practice of Zen meditation, a Buddhist tradition that
helps clear the mind and help the practitioner focus on the present. We’ll have
the chance to ask our monk instructor questions about Buddhism and life at
the temple.
Meet a local monk and participate in a tea ceremony at Senkoji Temple on Day 13.

242 Japan’s Cultural Treasures www.oattravel.com/ jpn

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