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Itinerary

What Is This Tour Like

This tour explores more of beautiful and less populated Kyushu, and the hidden treasures of the far south island after a racy start in Osaka. See Osaka  Modern Art Museum and downtown area.  Fly down to Kagoshima, then get really slow and off the beaten track at Ibusuki, hot sands onsen. Visit the Satsuma area pottery towns. This exotic region is the most volcanic and mountainous  in all Japan. Visit the City in the shadow of Sakurajima (volcano).

Get lost in time at the very remote mountain villages of Onta and Koishiwara, unchanged since the Meiji era. Here ceramics is all made by hand with no electricity. Clay is crushed by water driven crushers and 10 climbing kilns dominate the small village. Quicken the pace as we go to Fukuoka, the party capital of Kyushu.

Learn about Imari porcelain at Imari and about it’s Korean origins. By shinkansen we travel to Okayama and then over  the inland sea to Takamatsu. Enjoy the small town life, food, gardens, sculpture studios, then catch the ferry to Naoshima Art Site. Up to Kyoto for some temples and museums, then check out a new sculptural art site at Nara. End up in Tokyo with a whirl of galleries, museums and nightlife. See some of the hotspots such as Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku, Roppongi, Ueno.

This one is something different. This is not a standard commercial tour, they are run approx once per year for people who love to learn and at times involve lots of walking. So as a bonus you will get more fit and possibly even lose weight.

Dress

April can be cool. Around 18 to 20 degrees during the day, but sometimes it can get down to 14 or less. Warm clothing and a jacket are essential. Some lighter clothing is also recommended as it can be warmer in Kyushu during the day. Always have an umbrella handy. Slip on good quality walking shoes make life easier.

Costs

$6700.00  Land Only Package. Contact us for help in arranging flights, transfers and insurance.

$977.00  Single supplement (Single rooms are available in hotels but limited in Ryokans).

Includes group flight from Osaka to Kagoshima, extensive coach travel in Kyushu and bullet train.

Prices are at current variable exchange rates.

Prices are dependant on tour reaching 15 participants. Tours may be cancelled with insufficient numbers.

Insurance is essential.

Accommodation

We stay in comfortable 3 or 4 star hotels or ryokan style hotels, except for 1 night in a traditional Japanese style mountain ryokan, where single accommodation is limited. We aim to be centrally located or near to main train stations to make travelling easy.

What does the cost include

This tour includes all internal travel with flight from Osaka to Kagoshima. All accommodation, internal travel, internal freight of luggage to main centres (limited to 1 piece per passenger), most museum and gallery entry fees, welcome and farewell dinners and some meals.

What is not included

Personal expenses, travel insurance – essential,  laundry, meals not on the itinerary.

Booking

Bookings can be made by downloading  and completing the booking form. All signed booking forms should be sent to Bruce McWhinney and be accompanied by a photocopy of the ID page of your passport and a deposit cheque of $1,500.00 made out to:

Arts of Japan Tours
33 Station Street
Naremburn NSW 2065

About Bruce McWhinney

I am an artist and tertiary level ceramic arts teacher and head of department. I run very selective tours to Japan usually only once or twice per year, which focus on the arts of Japan. These often have a strong ceramics emphasis,  however the tours also contain visits to temples and gardens, sculpture parks, art sites, studios, museums and galleries. We look at both traditional and contemporary art. I have a Japanese tour guide that accompanies the tour.

Testimonials

"My husband and I loved this trip so much we went three times. We also recommended it to friends who thoroughly enjoyed it.  Japan is so multi-layered, there was so much to embrace. Apart from the potters and their villages, we went to museums, art galleries, a kimono atlier, temples plus ate the best food and met extraordinary Japanese people. It is now one of our favourite destinations."

Pennie and John Wilson

"I have been on two of  Bruce McWhinney’s trips to Japan. I have come to love Japan and I think this is because I have had opportunities through these trips to see a Japan not normally available to tourists. I think these trips reflect Bruce’s love of art, Japan and its people and can recommend them to anyone with an interest in Japan and art."

Tricia

Personally I can't get enough of Japan, but to experience Japan on tour with Bruce was sensational. There is a great sensitivity, creativity and depth of knowledge of Japan and its culture which Bruce brings with him on tour which made the trip for Steve and me absolutely unforgettable and just wet our appetites for the next, which I have no doubt will be even better, if that's possible.

Dianne and Steve Oliver