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Japan

Northern Japan: Ancient History and Scenic Beauty

Program No. 23090RJ
Experience a uniquely beautiful side of Japan as you venture back to its roots through ancient temples, elaborate shrines and colorful gardens on expert-led excursions.
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  • Northern Japan
  • Northern Japan
  • Northern Japan
  • Northern Japan
Regional StudiesSmall Group
Length
14 days
Rating (4.5)
Activity Level
Starts at
7,149
Flights start at
1,450
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
14 days
13 nights
What's Included
27 meals ( 12B, 7L, 8D )
1 expert-led lecture
18 expert-led field trips
1 hands-on experience
An experienced Group Leader
12 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 2:00 p.m. Meet group in hotel lobby at 6:45 p.m.
Afternoon:
Transfer to and settle into the hotel. This program will be accompanied by both a Group Leader, who will primarily handle logistics, and a Study Leader who will lead most lectures and field trips, unless otherwise specified. Meals will include water and tea; other beverages will be available for purchase. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel, we’ll have a tasty buffet meal for our Welcome Dinner, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Walking approximately 5 to 6 miles throughout the day; gentle pace. Use of transportation including assorted rail and subway transfers; about 2 hours total; some stairs, flat city streets, elevators/escalators sometimes available. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sites today.
Breakfast:
At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a breakfast buffet with juice, coffee, tea, water.
Morning:
We’ll begin in a lecture room in the hotel with orientation, where we will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, and logistics, followed by a talk by our instructor on the mega metropolis of Tokyo. Afterwards, we will use Tokyo's efficient train system to go to Shinjuku, one of the city's most interesting areas, where many of the movie "Lost in Translation" scenes were filmed. Passing through the "Skyscraper District", we will head up to the Observation Deck in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for 360 degree views of the city.
Lunch:
In a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll head out to spend the afternoon walking through the Omotesando neighborhood of Tokyo. Originally made as the main approach to Meiji Shrine, Omotesando is reminiscent of an Eurporean Boulevard, lined with trees and trendy shops. As we walk, we will see some fascinating architecture before visiting a nearby art museum, whose impressive collection will allow us a glimpse into the fine arts of the region.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning. Main luggage will be collected in the morning and sent to Sendai via overnight courier; be sure to pack overnight belongings in a daypack for our first night in Sendai.
Activity Note
Walking approximately 2 to 3 miles throughout the day; gentle pace. Use of transportation including assorted rail and subway transfers; about 1 hour total; some stairs, flat city streets, elevators/escalators sometimes available. Bullet train ride to Sendai is approx. 200 miles; about 1.5 hours. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sites today.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We start the day with a presentation on Japanese food. Textures and smells are just as important as taste in Japanese cooking and we learn about why this is as well as the history of Japanese food. This is followed by an excursion to a part of Tokyo with a focus on the culinary delights of 'Washoku' Japanese cuisine.
Lunch:
After our food lecture, we put our newly learnt knowledge to use and purchase Obento "lunch" boxes for the train ride.
Afternoon:
For our first journey on the Tohoku Shinkansen Bullet Train we transfer to the city of Sendai. On arrival we visit the nearby Sendai City Museum. Local volunteers will guide us through the comprehensive exhibitions.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Train rides roundtrip total approx. 25 miles; about 1 hour combined. Boat ride to Matsushima is about 6 miles; approx. 1/2 hour. Walking approx. 2 to 3 miles throughout the day; mostly flat roads/pavement, some steps. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sights today.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
A short local rail journey will take us from Sendai to Matsushima-Kaigan port, where we will board a boat that will take us in and around the islands of Matsushima Bay, partially tracing the route that the famous Edo-period poet, Matsuo Basho, took on his sea journey to Matsushima, renowned for being one of the three most beautiful places in Japan.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Arriving in Matsushima, we’ll take a stroll through the precincts of Matsushima’s historic (and UNESCO registered) Zen temple, Zuigan-ji, where caves carved into a rock face once accommodated monks in ascetic retreat. Then we’ll move on to the nearby Entsu-in, famed for its beautiful gardens and pond, before returning by rail to Sendai.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking about 3 miles total throughout the day at the fortress ruins; mostly flat and even, some stairs. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sights today.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We go on an exploratory walk with our Study Leader through the ruins of Aoba Castle. Built in 1600 by the Date (Dah-teh) clan, the castle stood on Mt. Aoba, 100 meters high, overlooking Sendai.
Lunch:
On your own to sample the local fare.
Afternoon:
Free time to explore the area independently. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities in the attachments. The Group Leader will be happy to offer other suggestions as well.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning. Main luggage will be collected in the morning and sent to Hanamaki via overnight courier; be sure to pack overnight belongings in a daypack for the first night of our stay in Hanamaki.
Activity Note
Bullet Train Ride, approximately 30 minutes; driving approx.. 45 miles, 65 minutes. Walking approximately 3~4 miles throughout the day; mostly flat, but some paved inclines and some steps. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sites.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we will board the shinkansen bullet train for a short journey to Ichinoseki. After arrival, we visit an indigo dyeing studio, for a hands-on experience making our own “tenegui” hand towels made using traditional dyeing methods in a very traditional deep blue color. Boarding our coach, we transfer to Hiraizumi, one of mainland Japan's newest UNESCO World Heritage Sites. During the reign of the Fujiwara clan (866-1184), Hiraizumi was said to rival Kyoto in grandeur and sophistication. Now though, the only significant reminders of this past glory are the temples of Chuson-ji and Motsu-ji. Upon arrival, our first stop will be the excellent new World Heritage Visitor Center where we will learn from our Study Leader about the decline of the Fujiwaras, the demise of Hiraizumi as a cultural and religious center, and Japan’s Warring States Period (approx.1450-1600).
Lunch:
In a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Our next site visit will be to the Konjiki-do, or Golden Hall of Chuson-ji, which has been reconstructed and is probably the most elaborately decorated Buddhist structure in Japan. Konjiki-do is a National Treasure and the only 12th century structure to have survived at Chuson-ji Temple. We’ll then travel onward to Hanamaki, and our Japanese accommodation, a ryokan, for two nights.
Dinner:
Buffet dinner at the ryokan or Kaiseki meal at the ryokan. Tea and water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Coach ride to Rikuzentakata, approx. 60 miles, 1.5 hours each way. Walking approximately 3 miles throughout the day; mostly flat, but some paved inclines and some steps. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sites.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We journey to the coast by coach to the Iwate Tsunami Memorial centre to learn about the devastation of the 2011 disaster.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We learn about traditional Kagura dance from a local dance troupe. A Shinto ritual dance, this type of dance is specific to the area and we will gain an understanding about the costumes and musical instruments used during performances.
Dinner:
Buffet dinner at the ryokan or Kaiseki meal at the ryokan. Tea and water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Luggage will be sent by overnight courier before check-out and transfer; be sure to pack overnight belongings in a daypack as we will be without main luggage for our first night in Aomori. Train ride is approx. 120 miles to Aomori; about 2 hours. Walking approx. 3 miles around the exhibition center and art museum. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sites.
Breakfast:
At the ryokan, we’ll be treated to a tasty breakfast buffet.
Morning:
Once checked out of our ryokan, we’ll transfer to Aomori. by coach
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we visit the Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site and the adjacent Jomon Jiyukan exhibition center for another look into the lives of the earliest inhabitants of Japan. The area comprises one of the largest and best-preserved Jomon Era (13000 – 300BC) settlements in Japan. Then we're off to the Aomori Museum of Art, which was designed in the style of a Jomon-period building. We will have time to view the permanent collections here together with our Study Leader and have some time to explore independently before making our way to our accommodation in the center of the city.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Main luggage will be gathered in the morning and sent to Tokyo via overnight courier, be sure to pack overnight belongings in a day pack for your second night in Aomori and the night in Utsunomiya.
Activity Note
Luggage will be sent by overnight courier to Tokyo. 1.5 hour round-trip, approx 50 miles, local train ride to Hirosaki. Short taxi transfers to the castle and back. Walking approx. 5 miles through the castle, the grounds and the garden, throughout the day. Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sights today.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After breakfast we transfer to Hirosaki by local train. Upon arrival we visit Hirosaki castle. Constructed in 1611, it was the seat of the Tsugaru clan during the Edo period. We take a stroll around the castle grounds, donated and turned into a park in 1895, before heading to lunch.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We explore the delightful Fujita Memorial Garden before transferring back to Hirosaki station. We take the train back to Aomori in the mid to late afternoon where you will enjoy a free evening.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Approx. 380 mile, 3.5 hour transfer by train, including the bullet train.Shoes may need to be removed to visit some of the sights today.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
Once checked out, we’ll start the day by visiting Aomori’s impressive Nebuta (Festival Float) Museum Wa Rasse. While here, we’ll learn from our Study Leader about Japanese festivals, what some of them mean to the culture and society of Japan, and about the floats. Weather permitting we will take a stroll around the port area of the city.
Lunch:
Purchase lunch to eat on the train.
Afternoon:
We transfer by train for approximately 3.5 hours to Utsunomiya.
Dinner:
At the inn, we enjoy a plated meal, with tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Approx. 80 miles, 2 hour train journey to Tokyo. Walking approximately 3 ~ 4 miles throughout the day; mostly flat, city sidewalks and roads, some steps.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We travel to Tokyo, arriving late morning. After leaving our overnight bags at the hotel, we venture out to explore Tokyo once again.
Lunch:
In a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
On our second visit to Tokyo we focus on the historical parts of the city in the East. Amongst the skyscrapers, there are signs everywhere pointing to the city established in the early 17th Century. We explore some of Tokyo's older neighbourhoods that showcase its authentic, local charm.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
Evening at leisure.
Activity Note
Walking up to approximately 3 miles during the morning; gentle pace, flat city streets, elevators/escalators sometimes available. More in afternoon depending on personal choice.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We set out on a walking exploration of the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Edo, as Tokyo used to be known in the feudal period, was the de facto political and military center of Japan. Nihonbashi was Edo’s heart with the five main highways of Japan terminating here.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy local fare.
Afternoon:
The afternoon will be free for independent exploration and preparations for onwards journeys.
Dinner:
We’ll enjoy our celebratory farewell dinner. Share some of your favorite experiences from the program with new Road Scholar friends.
Evening:
At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 10:00 a.m. Train transfer to Narita International Airport, approx 1 hour. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
Hotel plated meal.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we’ll transfer by train to Narita Airport. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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Please Note: This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Sep 16, 2025 - Sep 29, 2025
Sep 30, 2025 - Oct 13, 2025
May 17, 2026 - May 30, 2026
May 31, 2026 - Jun 13, 2026
Sep 20, 2026 - Oct 03, 2026
Oct 04, 2026 - Oct 17, 2026