Japan: Culture, Nature & Technology


PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

  • Variety of customizable options available, inc homestays
  • Tokyo
  • Stay in a traditional Japanese Ryokan
  • Kyoto
  • Mt Fuji
  • Hot springs (Onsen)
  • Skiing!
  • Lots of traditional workshops available

THIS PROGRAMME CAN BE APPLIED TO THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS:

  • Japanese
  • Geography
  • Business studies
  • Technology
  • IT
  • Construction
  • Natural sciences
  • Art

DESCRIPTION

Our Japan programmes are so varied that we simply cannot feature all the different variations on this site or it would go on for days! We have a great humanities programme based out of Tokyo & Kyoto, natural sciences in the North (Hokkaido) and gaming technology in Tokyo, to name a few (and that doesn’t include the skiing options!) We like the below programme as it can be easily added to most of our Japanese cultural programmes, which include food tours, traditional homestays and fishing experiences, sword making, sumo practice, Mijayama excursions and exclusive cultural dinners with Maiko.

So what is the Kunisaki peninsula?

The Kunisaki Peninsula is an isolated mountainous region deep in rural Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. It is known as sacred place where ascetic Buddhist monks trained to attain spiritual enlightenment. The landscape is shaped by volcanoes, such as Futago-san Mountain located in the centre of the peninsula, and therefore the area is rich in natural resources such as andesite and tuff.
Kunisaki has been certified as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. As the region consisted of ridges and gorges and arable lands were limited, there was no land to create ponds and furthermore, low rainfall and volcanic soil made difficult to obtain enough water. Their ancestors planted Kunugi, Sawtooth Oaks to collect water and build connected system of Sawtooth Oak forests and multiple interlinked irrigation ponds. Sawtooth Oaks are regularly cut and logs are used to cultivate Shiitake mushrooms. It helps to stimulate the forest’s metabolism and to conserve the various ecosystems. Thanks to this rich natural environment and recycling-based agricultural systems, it is also the only area in Japan to cultivate Shichitoi rush, which used to weave luxurious tatami mats.

SAMPLE KUNISAKI TWO DAY ADD-ON

Day 1:

Meet your guide at Oita Airport (Approx. 2 hours flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo).
Learn about Shichitoi from local craftsman, and try your hand at weaving tatami mats!
After lunch, relax and enjoy the Onsen (hot spring), and enjoy the spectacular views on the way.

Evening check in at farmers inn. Experience traditional living by Japanese farmers – enjoy freshly picked vegetables from nearby fields and mountains for dinner and sleep on tatami mats.

Day 2:

Join your tour guide after breakfast to pick and harvest vegetables in season.
Experience the traditional festival of the region – Shujo Onie Fire Festival.

Visit the temples where the festival is held and watch a short film on the festival at Prefectural Museum. In the nearby area, you will find a unique Shinto Shrine which worships Myo-o that carved in rocks in the river.

After a traditional lunch, hike and enjoy Japan’s oldest and largest Magaibutsu (stone Buddha carved in the cliff), before visiting a shrine where Shinbutsu-shugo, syncretisation of Shinto with Buddhism said to begun. If arriving in winter months, you can also visit a local sake factory and sample their wares…if youre over 18 of course… 😉

 

Days 3-7:

Head back to Tokyo or Kyoto for one of our many other cultural experience programmes

Downtown Tokyo
Traditional sushi board

WHATS INCLUDED

As standard in our quotes we include the following (based on our experience this just works best):

  • Half Board Accommodation
  • Activities as mentioned above
  • All excursions
  • Private transfers in destination
  • Group travel Insurance
  • Assistance of local in-destination partners on the ground
  • 24 hrs emergency contact locally & in the UK
  • Parents evening representation
  • Glo-Ed Basic Travel Pack: Travel t shirts, lanyards, ID cards, wristbands

WHATS NOT INCLUDED

As standard in our quotes the following are not included but most can be added for a supplement:

  • Flights (unless otherwise stated - please add to your quote form)
  • Visas - please see your country's embassy or home office website
  • Inoculations - as above
  • Airport transfers in your country of origin

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

  • Glo-Ed Travel Pack Premium: Everything in Basic, plus team travel hoodies, water purification/filtration bottle, Glo-Ed trucker hat, day pack, micro-fiber towel, sweatband, sanitizer, torch, sunscreen.
  • Glo-Ed Luggage Bonanza: Canvas backpack, canvas holdall, bumbag/fannypack, rip wallet