Awesome Asia: The Best of Japan With Your Grandchild

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A Parental Consent Form is required for minors and should be returned at least 5 weeks before the program start. This form must be signed by ALL custodial parent(s) / legal guardian(s) of the minor and notarized. Completed forms can be emailed to programadmin@roadscholar.org or mailed to Road Scholar, PO Box 56033, Boston, MA 02205. When emailing your form in please clearly state your program number and the date of departure. A visa is not required for stays of less than 90 days. Participants must ensure that they have one blank page in their passport for the entry stamp. Currency amounts equivalent to ¥1,000,000 or above are subject to declaration on arrival and departure. All foreign nationals are required to provide fingerprint scans and to be photographed at the port of entry.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

A signed Parental Consent form is required for this program. The form must be signed by both parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of the child participating in the program and returned to the program provider prior to the start of the program. You will receive the form as part of your program information packet. You will also be able to access the form through your online account.

You should travel with your own face masks. We recommend you also carry a personal supply of Rapid Antigen Test kits just in case. Please note that this is an active "Keep The Pace" program. If you require wheelchair assistance to get through an airport, you are not fit enough to participate in this program. You must be able to carry your own luggage. Health Concerns We want you to arrive healthy, stay healthy, and return home healthy! The full schedule is demanding and can be tiring, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. It is important to arrive well rested and free from illness to take full advantage of our time together. While we take appropriate health and safety precautions on all programs, we urge you to be informed and to share in the responsibility for your well-being. If you have specific concerns regarding your participation in this program, please consult your physician and feel free to contact us with your questions. Medications Pack a supply of all medications you take regularly. Japanese law allows for one month's supply of prescription medication. It is recommended to bring along copies of your prescription and, if you have an unusual prescription, carry a letter from your physician explaining your need for the drug. As an extra precaution, carry the generic names of your medications with you because pharmaceutical companies overseas may use different names from those used in the United States. Medications available by prescription or over-the-counter sale in many countries do not necessarily meet the standards for safety, quality, and consistency found at home, and familiar brands may not be available. Thus, the safest course of action is to pack plenty of what you are likely to need. Please note that any prescribed medication containing amphetamine is completely illegal in Japan and thus may not be brought into Japan in any circumstances. To prevent problems in case your luggage is lost or misrouted, keep medications in their original containers and pack them in carry-on luggage.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on June 26, 2025

Meet the group at Sunshine City Prince Hotel in Tokyo

Start of Trip:  2:00 p.m. hotel check-in; Day 3 morning orientation.

Getting to the site: For those who have booked their flights through Road Scholar and are arriving on the day the program commences in Tokyo, a transfer service will be provided from whichever of Tokyo's two international airports eligible participants are landing at. Those who have booked their own flights to Japan are responsible for making their own way to the Tokyo hotel. For independent arrivals into Narita Airport, the easiest way to get to the hotel is via the Airport Limousine Bus service which stops right outside the hotel. This will take approximately 90 - 120 minutes. For independent arrivals into Haneda Airport, the Airport Limousine Bus will take approximately 55 - 85 minutes depending on traffic. Alternatively, from Haneda take the Monorail to Hamamatsucho Station and transfer there to the JR Yamanote Line where you take the train to Ikebukuro Station. From the east exit of Ikebukuro Station it is an 8-minute walk to Sunshine City Prince Hotel.

Getting to the site by train or bus: For independent arrivals into either Narita or Haneda Airport, there are regular bus or train options to get to our Tokyo hotel.

Your trip ends on: Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Osaka at Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

End of Trip: After breakfast; 11:00 a.m. hotel check-out.

Getting to the airport: For those who have booked their flights through Road Scholar, there will be a single motorcoach transfer from our Osaka hotel to Kansai International Airport (KIX) on Day 14. This will be at 1:00 p.m. For those making their own transfers, Hommachi Station is a short walk from the hotel. From there, take the train to Tennoji Station and change there for the train to KIX. The journey should take 50 - 60 minutes.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.