AJT 8-11D Anime Flavor Tour Japan

Anime Flavor Tour is the best thing to fulfill your Otaku needs. We will go to some of the popular anime spots while learning about Japan’s culture.

Tokyo - Mt Fuji - Hakone - Kyoto - Nara - Osaka - (Himeji - Kurashiki - Hiroshima - Takamatsu - Kobe)

Tour Highlights:

• Visit anime enthusiast spots while experiencing Japanese culture.
• Tour the Ghibli Museum, a must-see for film fans of the famous Studio Ghibli.
• Explore the top sites of Tokyo and Kyoto, perfect for first time visitors to Japan.
• Learn how to make sushi with a professional sushi chef.
• Unwind at a Japanese hot springs (onsen) hotel and dine on gourmet kaiseki cuisine.
• Experience a traditional green tea ceremony hosted by an apprentice geisha (maiko).
• Spend a day at Hakone and Mt. Fuji, and ride a shinkansen bullet train for experience.
• Select tours also include the highlights of the Shikoku Island and Chugoku regions (Hiroshima & Miyajima).

Inclusion:

• 6 nights Western style and 1 night Japanese style accommodation
• Meet and greet upon arrival at Tokyo Narita Airport
• ·Airport transfers on arrival and departure
• Private coach transfers between destinations in Japan
• Comprehensive escorted with AJT professional English speaking tour guide
• Gratuities
• Meals: Daily breakfast, 4 lunches and 2 dinners
• Admission fees and activities: All entry fees to sites, activities listed in the itinerary

Tour Dates: Mar | Jun | July | Sep | Oct 2020 – 2022

AnimeJapan is a large annual anime convention that brings in thousands of attendees to the event.

Tour Date: 20 Mar 2021 | 19 Mar 2022

Selected departures are operated in reverse between 8 to 11 days.

Itinerary In Brief
Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo
Day 4: Mt. Fuji - Hakone - Bullet Train Ride
Day 5: Koka - Kyoto
Day 6: Kyoto
Day 7: Kyoto - Nara - Osaka
Day 8: Tour ends

Day 1 - Tokyo Narita Airport

Welcome to Tokyo! You will be met at the arrival gate by an AJT representative holding an "All Japan Tours" sign.

Day 2 - Tokyo (Ghibli Museum / Suginami Animation Museum / Nakano Broadway / Akihabara)

Today we will be going to the Ghibli Museum and Suginami Animation Museum. The Ghibli Museum has various exhibitions featuring the works by Studio Ghibli. This includes the work desk of Hayao Miyazaki, some of his sketches, and original movie that cannot be seen outside of the museum. At Suginami Animation Museum, you will have the chance to do a voice over and learn how to draw the animation. Also learn about the history of animation in Japan and how it developed. Then we will shop to our heart’s content at Nakano Broadway, which has many old school anime and idol shops for fans. The shops span over three floors as the anime related ones are scattered among the levels. No anime tour is complete without a visit to Akihabara. Here you will have the chance to go shopping for your Otaku needs. Do not forget to see UDX Building, Kanda Myojin Shrine, and oh so many cafes.

Day 3 - Tokyo (Asakusa Sensoji Temple / Sushi Making Experience / Tsukiji Outer Market / Imperial Palace / Tokyo Tower)

Today, you will be taken to the Asakusa Kannon Temple, an active place of worship where you can see the largest paper lantern in Japan. You will also be able to explore the Nakamise Market, which is located right after the temple's outer gates. It is a traditional-style shopping street with centuries of history. Next, you will have the chance to enjoy a sushi making experience with a professional sushi chef. Whatever you prepare, you will get to eat! Afterwards, we will proceed to the Tsukiji Outer Market, where various restaurants and shops line the streets. Then, pay a visit to the Imperial Palace, the former site of Edo Castle and current residence of Japan's Imperial Family. In the afternoon, we will visit the the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower. At 333 meters high, Tokyo Tower is 13 meters taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower. You will be able to sightsee 150 meters up at the main observatory deck and get a bird's eye view of the city.

Note: For Sushi Making Experience, if you are vegetarian, on gluten-free diets, have seafood allergy, or don't eat raw fish, please contact us for other ingredient options.

Day 4 - Mt Fuji, Hakone (Hakone Ropeway / Owakudani), Shinkansen Bullet Train Ride

We will depart from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji on our private coach. Along the way, enjoy the changing scenery, from thick vegetation to lowlands to rolling clouds. Stop at Mt. Fuji 5th station (depending on weather) to admire the world famous peak. Next, we will travel to Hakone, which is among Japan's most popular hot- spring resorts, and view the forested slopes of Hakone National Park. We will take a 20 minute ropeway ride from Togendai to Owakundani. Most of the area around Owakundani is considered an active volcanic zone since its creation from the eruption of Mount Hakone some 3,000 years ago. Now, you can experience hot springs and hot rivers there, where sulfurous fumes still linger. Owakundani also has splendid views of Mount Fuji in good weather. Next, take a Shinkansen bullet train ride for experience, which can reach speeds of up to 300 km/hr. We will stay at the Onsen Hotel at Hamanako Kanzaiji Onsen, where you can soak in the therapeutic waters of a spa bath and feast on a traditional Japanese Kaiseki banquet dinner.

Day 5 - Koka (Koka Ninja Mansion / Miho Museum), Kyoto (Fushimi Inari Shrine)

After breakfast at the hotel, our group will visit the Koka Ninja Mansion. This mansion used to be resided in by ninja, equipped with many ingenious traps and devices, designed to prevent intruders and to provide a means of escape in times of need. Then proceed to Miho Museum, a stunning architecture that accentuates the surrounding nature while exhibiting a variety of items from different ancient civilizations. It was designed by the renowned architect, I. M. Pei, and is named after Koyama Mihoko, one of the richest women in Japan and the founder of the museum. Moreover, the museum has been listed as one of the "1000 Places to See Before You Die". We will then continue to Kyoto, a historical city that was spared from air raids and saved from the atomic bomb during World War II for its cultural and historical value. The tour will continue to the scenic and historic Fushimi district to see the stunning vermilion-colored Fushimi Inari Shrine. This architectural wonder boasts an approximately 2.5-mile (4-km) tunnel of torii gates, showcased during a critical scene of the hit film 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. We will stay two nights in Kyoto.

Note: If Miho Museum is close, we will visit Kyoto National Museum or Sagawa Art Museum instead.

Day 6 - Kyoto (Arashiyama - Tenryuji Temple & Garden - Sagano Bamboo Forest - Togetsukyo Bridge / Golden Pavilion / Green Tea Ceremony with a Maiko / Gion Geisha District)

Then we will tour the Arashiyama district. First is a visit to see Tenryuji Temple where you can catch a glimpse of the traditional rock landscape garden design. Then proceed through a dense bamboo grove, past several small shrines, tea shops, and private houses before arriving at the Togetsukyo Bridge over Hozu River. Visit Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, so known because it is covered with 18-karat gold leaf. This three-story structure was originally built by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu in 1397. Next, you will enjoy a relaxing Green Tea Ceremony. This activity was once only available for the social elite. Today, it will be even more special as your host will be an apprentice Geisha, known as a Maiko. We will end our day in the Gion Geisha District, where its streets are lined with ochaya (teahouses), exclusive establishments where guests are entertained by Geisha and Maiko.

Day 7 - Kyoto (Kiyomizu Temple), Nara (Todaiji Temple / Deer Park), Osaka (Osaka Castle / Dotonbori - Shinsaibashi)

Today, we will visit the famous Kiyomizu Temple, best known for its wooden stage that juts out from its main hall, 13 meters above the hillside below. The stage affords visitors a nice view of the numerous cherry and maple trees below that erupt in a sea of color in spring and fall, as well as of the city of Kyoto in the distance. From there we continue to Nara, the oldest capital city of Japan. We will visit Todaiji Temple, the largest wooden building in Japan. The temple also houses the largest bronze statue of Buddha at 16.3 meters high, and the surrounding park is filled with over 1,000 Sika Deer. In the afternoon, we will travel to Osaka by private coach. We will visit Osaka Castle; whose construction began in 1583 on the ruins of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple. The castle was the largest of its time and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century. Our last visit for the day is Dotonbori, which runs parallel to the Dotonbori canal. A popular shopping, entertainment, and food district, Dotonbori is known for the hundreds of neon and mechanized signs that line the street, including the famous Glico Running Man and Kani Doraku Crab signs.

Day 8 - Tour Ends

After breakfast, our tour officially ends. Checkout time is 11 am and Osaka Kansai Airport can be reached in a three minute walk.

Journey to Japan, home of anime and manga culture, and explore popular sites and events that any anime enthusiast would enjoy.

Experience the highlights of Japan with a unique anime twist. Whether you consider yourself a mega-fan of Japanese animation or manga, a casual admirer, or just someone who wants to see Japan's quirky side, our Japan Anime Tours (Anime Flavor Tour Series) are fun for all ages! In addition to visiting anime attractions, you will also learn more about Japan's culture and historical sites from our experienced, English-speaking guides.

Start your tour in Japan's capital and busiest city, Tokyo. Visit the one-of-a-kind "Studio Ghibli Museum", a museum that showcases the work of the popular anime studio and the famous Hayao Miyazaki. Its whimsical and fantastical architecture will provide an immersive experience, making you feel like you are in one of Miyazaki's featured films. Another Tokyo highlight included in our Japan Anime Tours is Akihabara, a place known and loved by anime fans around the world. Shop for that exclusive anime figure you've been wanting, or test your skills at one of the many arcades!

Visit AnimeJapan on select tours, the largest anime convention in Japan! Enjoy the atmosphere with thousands of fans dressed as their favorite characters. If the season is right, visit Ueno Park to see lush pink cherry blossoms, which often decorate the backgrounds of anime or manga scenes. Visit Mt. Fuji 5th Station, then take an exhilarating bullet train ride before unwinding at your Japanese-style inn (Ryokan), where you can enjoy the natural bath waters of the hot springs.

Kyoto, once Japan's capital, offers a glimpse into the past and is rich in culture. Visit Kinkakuji Temple and Tenryuji Temple, seen in the anime "Keijo!!!!!!!!" and "K-On!" During Anime Flavor Cherry Blossom Tours, visit Maruyama Park in Kyoto, famous for its weeping cherry tree. Shinsaibashi, a popular shopping district in Osaka, features shops geared towards anime fans, such as the Sanrio Store and the JUMP Store, which features "Naruto", "One Piece", and "My Hero Academia" products exclusive to Japan.

Several tours will also include the highlights of the Shikoku Island and Chugoku regions (Hiroshima & Miyajima) and offer the chance to try Kobe Wagyu Beef which was used in "Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma". From museums about anime, to full blown anime-inspired streets, Anime Flavor tours are a great way to discover exclusive anime products and culture unique to Japan. Anime Flavor tours offer dates to see the country’s famous cherry blossoms in spring, or visit during summer and autumn vacation holidays.