KIKU TV “HANA MOYU” - Non

2016 CHERRY BLOSSOMS
KIKU TV “HANA MOYU”
YAMAGUCHI-KEN SPECIAL TOUR
Let’s visit the sites in “Hana Moyu” during the festive Cherry Blossom Season!!
Hana Moyu is the 54th Taiga drama from NHK. Hana Moyu means “burning flower”,
and refers to the life of the main character, Fumi Sugi.
Escorted from Honolulu • Includes English-Speaking Local Guide
and 20 Meals (9 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches & 4 Dinners)
Tour #1: April 1 – 11, 2016 • Tour Manager: Mildred Kimura
Tour #2: April 3 – 13, 2016 • Tour Manager: Geri Ichimura
Visit: Shimonoseki • Hofu • Kozan • Hagi • Iwakuni • Miyajima
Hiroshima • Kujukushima • Huis Ten Bosch • Fukuoka
Tour Highlights: Akama Shrine • Karato Market • Kosanji Temple
Hofu Tenmangu Shrine & sacred 800 year old tree • Hoshuan • Tea Ceremony
Mouri Museum & Garden • Rurikoji Temple • Five Story Temple • Chinryutei
Joeiji Temple • Sesshutei Garden • Shoin Shrine • Yoshida Shoin History Museum
Shiseikan • Shokason Juku • Hagi Castle Town • Iwakuni Castle • Kintaikyo Bridge
Itsukushima Shrine • Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park • A-Bomb Museum
Kujukushima Cruising • Huis Ten Bosch Theme Park • Strawberry picking
Dazaifu • Canal City Shopping
Cherry Blossom Highlights: Tokiwa Park
•
Hagi Castle ruins
•
Kikko Park
•
Maizuru Park
Your Escorted Tour Includes: Roundtrip Airfare From Honolulu
9 Nights Deluxe Hotel Accommodations • 20 Meals (9 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches & 4 Dinners)
Tips For Local Guides & Bus Drivers • All Taxes & Fees
Locally Owned & Operated Since 1985 – Mahalo Hawaii!
1150 S. King Street, Suite 102 • Honolulu, HI 96814
593-0700 or Toll-Free 1-800-551-1226
www.nonstop.travel
COMPLETE
PACKAGE!
$ 3750*
INCLUDES ROUNDTRIP
AIRFARE FROM HONOLULU,
9 NIGHTS DELUXE HOTEL
ACCOMMODATIONS,
20 MEALS, TIPS FOR LOCAL
GUIDES & BUS DRIVERS,
ALL TAXES & FEES
EARLY BOOKING
DISCOUNT
PER PERSON
SAVE $200
BOOK BY SEPTEMBER 15, 2015†
SAVE $ 100
BOOK BY OCTOBER 31, 2015†
SAVE $ 50
BOOK BY DECEMBER 30, 2015†
Plan Your Next Vacation!
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* Fares are per person, USD based on double occupancy and INCLUDE ALL AIRLINE TAXES AND FEES. Airline fuel supplements, taxes and fees are subject to change and tour member is responsible for any increases. Tour fare is subject to
change due to fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency. In the event of revaluation, the land portion of the tour may be adjusted prior to final payment. Some airline-imposed personal charges, including
but not limited to baggage, priority boarding and special seating, may apply. For details visit www.exploreflightfees.com. After initial deposit, a $75 per person Non-Stop Travel (NST) Cancellation Fee will apply. Group departures
may be cancelled, if there are less than (24) tour members. Final Payment to NST for Air & Land package must be made by Money Order or Personal Check. NST does not guarantee that all tour members will fly together with
Tour Manager. Tour Manager assignments and “final” tour itinerary are subject to change. NST reserves the right to correct errors or omissions including but not limited to, fares, fees and surcharges at any time.
Deposit: $500 per person
† Early Booking Discount is per person. Purchase of Non-Stop Travel’s complete Air & Land package is required. 081215
Bullet Train
HONSHU
Hagi
Hiroshima
Shimonoseki
Miyajima
Hofu
Fukuoka
Iwakuni
SHIKOKU
Sasebo
KYUSHU
JA PA N
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY:
Day 1: HONOLULU – FUKUOKA. Depart Honolulu via JAPAN AIRLINES.
Day 2: FUKUOKA. After entry formalities transfer by coach to your hotel. HOTEL NEW
OTANI HAKATA.
Day 3: FUKUOKA – SHIMONOSEKI. After a sumptuous buffet breakfast make way to
Shimonoseki on Honshu Island. First visit Akama Shrine. It is sacred to the spirit of
Emperor Antoku, who died at only three years of age. Later it became the “Kiheitai”
headquarters. Next we visit the Karato Market famous for “Fugu” puffer fish. During
the early hours, Karato is a busy wholesale market which is transformed as the day
progresses into a crowded retail market known for all kinds of seafood delicacies. After
lunch visit Kosanji Temple. Within the temple grounds stands a statue of Takasugi
Shinsaku raising an army for the coup d’etat. Mounted on a stallion, there is no trace
of hesitation on his face. As the leader of Kiheitai, from this point onwards he would run
non-stop through the upheaval of the Meiji Restoration. Next enjoy the beautiful cherry
blossoms at Tokiwa Park. ANA CROWN PLAZA HOTEL – UBE. (B, L)
081215
Day 4: UBE – HOFU. Sugi Fumi (later to become Miwako) is the heroine, and Odamura
Inosuke (later to become Katori Motohiko) who would in the future be wed, spent their
final years here in Hofu, Yamaguchi prefecture. Visit Hofu Tenmangu Shrine and
its Sacred 800 year old tree. “Hofu Tenmangu Shrine” is known as “Japan’s
first Tenmangu shrine”, it is sacred to the “god of knowledge” – Sugawarano
Michizane. Along with Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto and Dazaifu Tenmangu in Fukuoka, as
the three gods of Japan. Hoshuan is a historic site where it is said that the leading spirits
of the Meiji Restoration often stayed and held secret conferences during the tumultuous
times at the end of the Edo period. Enjoy a Tea Ceremony followed by lunch. Enjoy a
visit to Mouri Museum and Garden. Dinner at hotel. TOUR #1: HOTEL KAMEFUKU
TOUR #2: UMENOYA (B, L, D)
Day 5: HOFU – KOZAN - HAGI. Most people come to visit the Rurikoji Temple the
national treasure five-story pagoda and leave. It’s such a pity, as right behind them
there is a building valuable enough to claim that “without it, there would have been no
Meiji Reformation!” It is this building! Chinryutei. Built at the end of the Edo period, it’s an
invaluable structure that remains in its original form. What kind of historical events has the
building witnessed? Well, it was the place where secret meetings were held between
the Satsuma and Choshu alliance intermediated by Sakamoto Ryoma! It’s a
spot so important for the end of the Edo period and the start of the Meiji Restoration that
it would be no exaggeration to say that the signal smoke for the attack to overthrow the
shogunate rose from this spot! Finally we visit Joeiji Temple and the beautiful Sesshutei
Garden. Dinner at hotel. HAGI GRAND HOTEL TENKUU (2 nights) (B, L, D)
Day 6: HAGI. Enjoy the gorgeous cherry blossoms at the Hagi Castle Ruins.
After lunch visit Shoin Shrine, Yoshida Shoin History Museum, Shiseikan &
Shokason Juku. Shokason Juku is the place where Yoshida Shoin taught. The leading
spirits of the Meiji Restoration such as Kusaka Genzui, Takasugi Shinsaku and Ito
Hirobumi all studied here. Dinner at hotel. (B,D)
Day 7: HAGI – MIYAJIMA or MIYAJIMA-GUCHI. Hagi castle town has been
designated as a national historical site. This is the birthplace of Takasugi Shinsaku, a
key figure among the reformists. The town is crammed with spots irresistible to fans
of Hana Moyu and the Meiji Restoration era. Appearing in the first episode of NHK
historical drama ‘Hana Moyu’, it’s a curvy zigzag road called Kaimagari. The road
runs between walls of earth and stone that were apparently designed to obstruct
the view during battle and to defend against enemy invasions. It’s filled with an
air that seems as though Yoshida Shoin or Takasugi Shinsaku might appear
at any moment. Enjoy cherry blossoms at Kikko Park next to Nishiki River and
next to the famous Kintai Bridge. Kikko is famous for its cherry blossom and
is considered one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots. Kikko Park also houses
the reconstruction of Iwakuni Castle and is famous for white snakes which live in
the park. The white snakes are considered a sign of good luck. Dinner at hotel.
(B,L,D) TOUR #1: MIYAJIMA MAKOTO HOTEL (On Miyajima Island – by ferry)
TOUR #2: AKI GRAND HOTEL (On Honshu Island adjacent to ferry terminal)
Day 8: MIYAJIMA – HIROSHIMA – FUKUOKA. Tour Itsukushima Shrine on
Miyajima Island. Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park & Atomic Bomb
Museum. After lunch transfer to Hakata (Fukuoka) station by JR SUPER EXPRESS
(Bullet Train) HOTEL NEW OTANI HAKATA. (B, L)
Day 9: FUKUOKA – HUIS TEN BOSCH – SASEBO. Japan is a nation of many islands but
most travelers never get beyond the main four. At Kujukushima National Park near
Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, however, you can up your island quotient by taking a
scenic cruise of the region’s waters. The word “kujuku” literally means “99” but has
come to refer to a vast number or something uncountable. In truth, there are 208
islands off the coast of Sasebo, the largest concentration of islands anywhere in Japan.
If these islands look familiar, chalk it up to the fact that they featured prominently in
the opening scenes of the film The Last Samurai. Next stop is Huis Ten Bosch (Hausu
Ten Bosu) is a theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture which recreates a Dutch town. It is
named after one of the residences of the Dutch Royal Family. The spacious resort is
suffused with a European atmosphere with its picturesque canals, iconic windmills,
beautiful gardens and architecture. Enjoy the spring time flowers. HOTEL OKURA JR
HUIS TEN BOSCH (B, L)
Day 10: SASEBO – FUKUOKA. Enjoy spectacular cherry blossoms at Maizuru Park.
Dazaifu was established in the late 7th century and served as the administrative
center of the entire island of Kyushu for over 500 years. Nowadays, Dazaifu is a small,
quiet city on the outskirts of the large city of Fukuoka. There are a number of temples
and shrines, the most famous of which is the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine &
Komyozenji Temple. Next stop is Canal City Hakata. A large shopping and
entertainment complex, calling itself a “city within the city”. Attractions include about
250 shops, cafes and restaurants, a theater, game center, cinemas, two hotels and a
canal running through the complex. The fifth floor consists of the “Ramen Stadium”,
which has eight ramen shops with noodle dishes from across Japan, including the local
specialty Hakata Ramen. Before returning to your hotel make a stop for strawberry
picking. A mouth-watering treat! (B, L) TOUR #1: HOTEL NEW OTANI HAKATA
TOUR #2: ANA CROWN PLAZA FUKUOKA
Day 11: FUKUOKA. Morning at Leisure. Transfer to Airport for flight to Honolulu via
JAPAN AIRLINES. Same day arrival to Honolulu. Aloha and Welcome Home! (B)
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