The Imperial Palace Hyakunin Bansho (100-man Guardhouse) PHOTO BY MASAAKI KAMEDA
The Japan Times 40,000th Issue Tour Staff would like to sincerely express our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the victims of the Tohoku Pacific Earthquake.
Due to multiple reasons regarding disrupted transportation, power outages and safety concerns, it is with disappointment that we must inform our readers that the 40,000th Issue Special Tour in Yamanashi has been postponed.
We offer our deepest apologies to everyone who applied for this tour and for the inconveniences that this decision would cause. We thank you for your understanding.
We pray that those in the affected areas are able to return to normalcy as soon as possible.
The Japan Times
40,000th Issue Tour Staff
[We are no longer accepting applications for this tour]
Enjoy a vivid atmosphere in the hustle and bustle of the fish
market and a divine atmosphere of esoteric ritual service!
Date of tour: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Meeting time and Place:
9:00 a.m. Tsukijishijo Station → Visit to the fish market (no tuna auction) → Monzen-nakacho Station → Fukagawa Fudo
Temple → Tomioka Hachiman 12:30 p.m. Tour disbands.
Number of participants:25
Eligibility requirements:Japan Times subscribers. Max 3 people per application.
Under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee: Free except for transportation and entrance fees.
Selection method:lottery
Meeting Place: Tour starting place.
Hello, everyone. I am quite interested in the history and culture of Japan. I passed the certification exams on history and culture of the following old cities: 1. Edo (present Tokyo) 2. Kamakura (capital city about 800 years ago) 3. Nara (the oldest capital city, about 1,300 years ago; placed on World Cultural Heritage list) 4. Kanazawa (the city of the Maeda clan, the biggest local lord during the Edo period) 5. Nikko (famous for its gorgeous shrines and temples; placed on World Cultural Heritage list).
One of the most popular tours of mine is a One-Day Walking Tour in Tokyo and vicinity with only your friends and families (only one group). Friends who are guides are also available for this tour. tour "Ukiyo-e Museum and Shinto Shrine" is on the JGA Walking Tour site.
Please contact Susumu Yoshida yoshi-su@ops.dti.ne.jp
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Fukagawa Fudo; Tomioka Hachiman (below)
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[We are no longer accepting applications for this tour]
Discover something new in two popular spots in Tokyo!
Date of tour: Thursday, November 11, 2010
Meeting time and Place:
9:00 a.m. Otemon of Imperial Palace → San-no-maru Shozokan (Museum) → Higashi Gyoen (East Garden) → Yasukuni Shrine 1:00 p.m. Tour disbands.
Number of participants:25
Eligibility requirements:Japan Times subscribers. Max 3 people per application.
Under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee: Free except for transportation and entrance fees.
Selection method:lottery
Meeting Place: Tour starting place.
I have been a housewife most of my life, however, I think one of my essencesas a guide was fostered during so-called "Yomeiri Shugyo" (valuable training for finding a good husband): To master tea ceremony, flower arrangement, sewing kimono and Western clothes; cooking; how to clean rooms; calligraphy; playing Japanese musical instruments and so on. I am also sure that my long-term volunteer activities gave me enough historical and cultural knowledge for my own country. "Seeing is believing" is my favorite saying, so I do hope every visitor has a good time in Japan. My walking tour "Ukiyo-e Museum and Shinto Shrine" is on the JGA Walking Tour site.
Please contact Tomie Shibata y.shibata@sweet.ocn.ne.jp
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Yasukuni Shrine; Shozokan (below)
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[We are no longer accepting applications for this tour]
Enjoy bird-watching at Sanbanse, vast tidal flats and shallows with a lot of fish, shellfish and seaweed.
Date of tour: Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Meeting time and Place:
8:45 a.m. Tokyo Station, Yaesu Central Ticket Gate 1F → Futamata-shinmachi Station → Funabashi Sanbanse Kaihin Park → 13:30 Tour disbands at Tokyo Station
Number of participants:One to 10
Eligibility requirements:Japan Times subscribers. Max 3 people per application.
Under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee: Free except for transportation and entrance fees.
Selection method:lottery
Meeting Place: Tour starting place.
Note:
1. The site may be changed to Kasai Rinkai Park according to circumstances on that day.
2. Bird-watching available under a light rain, but not under stormy weather
3. Sneakers strongly recommended.
4. Bring rain gear and binoculars (if available)
If you share my passion for bird-watching, I would be more than delighted to not only show you historic places, cultural sites and scenic spots in Japan, but also at the same time enjoy bird-watching with you as well. After many years of bird-watching, I realized that I could no longer enjoy simply watching wild birds without introducing them to international visitors.
Please contact Eriko Bando erbando@za.cyberhome.ne.jp
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Sanbanse
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[We are no longer accepting applications for this tour]
Explore the museum and find what Edo was and what still remains in Tokyo!
Date of tour: Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Meeting time and Place:
1:00 p.m. Edo-Tokyo Museum 1st floor ticket counter (3 minutes by foot from Ryogoku station of JR Sobu line) → 3:30 p.m. Tour disbands.
Number of participants: 25
Eligibility requirements: Japan Times subscribers. Max 3 people per application.
Under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee: Free except for transportation and entrance fees.
Selection method: lottery
Meeting Place: Tour starting place.
Modern Tokyo has captured the world's attention through the dramatic skyline of Shinjuku to the fashion-forward streets of Harajuku. However, to know this dynamic and vibrant city truly, we must go back to its source: Edo. The life and culture of the Edo Period directly informs modern Tokyo life.
The Edo-Tokyo Museum is an invaluable source of the city's unique history. Through interactive displays and detailed scale models, we can be transported back to this inspiring period.
I have adopted Tokyo as my hometown. It is the city where I have been educated, worked, made my family and built my life. Maybe you have, too? I would like to invite you to the Edo-Tokyo Museum tour and I will be happy to respond to any questions you may have about Tokyo, Japan.
Please contact Kyoko Yamashita kyoko@spn8.speednet.ne.jp
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Edo-Tokyo Museum
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[We are no longer accepting applications for this tour]
Feel at ease and find peace of mind at a tea ceremony in a Japanese
home. A pleasant, elegant atmosphere is waiting for you!
Date of tour: Monday, Feb. 28, 2011
Meeting time and Place:
9:30 a.m. Ogikubo Station, East Ticket Gate → Ms. Fukuda's home (a 15-min. walk) → 10:30 a.m. Tea ceremony experience → Ogikubo Station → 1 p.m. Tour disbands.
Number of participants:One to eight
Eligibility requirements:Japan Times subscribers. Max 3 people per application.
Under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Fee: Free except for transportation and admission fees.
Selection method:lottery
Meeting Place: Tour starting place.
Note:
2. Bus available (210 yen) in case of bad weather.
3. Other Japanese outside the tour will be in attendance.
Different languages, cultures, traditions and ways of thinking might occasionally be embarrassing.
However, the excellence of culture, heartfelt hospitality and deep consideration can transcend these
differences, and can unite people around the world. Visitors to Japan can feel a little embarrassed
by various different things in our country. However, they can be encouraged to be
more curious and more excited through various experiences in Japan. The tea
ceremony is the perfection of art and embodies these elements. On this tour, I will
provide the opportunity for you to experience the tea ceremony in a typical Japanese
home. You can enjoy an elegant atmosphere from the heart and feel how relaxing the
tea ceremony is. Please keep in mind that wearing a kimono is not required. Be
relaxed in a casual way, apart from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Please contact Noriko Matsuishi nmatsuish@gmail.com
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[We are no longer accepting applications for this tour]
Enjoy Ikebana, flower arrangement, a traditional Japanese culture in
a tatami-mat tea room at the Tokyo Budokan.
Date of tour: Saturday, Mar. 5, 2011
Time
Start at 1 p.m., finish at 3 p.m.
Place
Tokyo Budokan,.3-20-1 Ayase, Adachi-ku, Tokyo Tel. 03-5697-2111
Fee: Free except for transportation and admission fees.
Maximum number of participants: 15
Transportation: 5-minute walk from Ayase Station of JR Joban Line or Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line.
Eligibility requirements:Japan Times subscribers. Max 3 people per application.
Under 15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Selection method:lottery
Meeting Place: Tour starting place.
We are no longer accepting any applications for this tour
I am a licensed lecturer of flower arrangement, tea ceremony and Japanese
manners/protocol. This time we will have an ikebana, flower arrangement class
in a tatami-mat tea room, so it will be a good opportunity for you
to experience traditional Japanese culture. You can place the
flowers you arranged in a vase in the alcove of the room and
appreciate them. If you are interested in visiting historic sites,
cultural spots or popular tourist destinations, I would be
delighted to guide you.
Please contact Nobuko Nozoe nobuko0916nozoe@yahoo.co.jp
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Past tours
No. 1: Tokyo Morning Tour
Enjoy a vivid atmosphere in the hustle and bustle of the fish
market and a divine atmosphere of esoteric ritual service!
No. 2: Tokyo Morning Tour
Discover something new in two popular spots in Tokyo!
No. 3 Bird-watching Tour
Enjoy bird-watching at Sanbanse, vast tidal flats and shallows with a lot of fish, shellfish and seaweed.
No. 4 The Edo-Tokyo Museum Tour
Explore the museum and find what Edo was and what still remains in Tokyo!
No. 5 Tea Ceremony Experience Tour
Feel at ease and find peace of mind at a tea ceremony in a Japanese home. A pleasant, elegant atmosphere is waiting for you!
No. 6 Ikebana, Flower Arrangement Class
Enjoy Ikebana, flower arrangement, a traditional Japanese culture in a tatami-mat tea room at the Tokyo Budokan.
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