Below you will find links to articles from the ANA Experience Class Website presented by ANA (All Nippon Air), the JAL (Japan Airlines) Guide to Japan Website, Japan Guide and other sites. You can find the whole sites here, here, and here.
Etiquette at Temples and Shrines
One of the things to consider is the proper etiquette while visiting shrines and temples, this site is a recommended read.
Top Etiquette Tips When Visiting Temples and Shrines in Japan
Dining in Japan
Some important information for our students to understand before visiting Japanese restaurants and entering their homestays.
5 Tips For Perfect Chopsticks Etiquette
Sakura – The Cherry Blossom
We will be visiting Japan during the season of Sakura and likely will see many trees in bloom throughout our travels and witness many hanami (flower viewing) parties. Additionally students will have the chance to try Sakura flavoured treats, from pastries to ice cream.
It is strongly recommended to practice your Japanese before departing.
An Overview of Some of Our Week One Japanese Experiences
Kyoto
Kyoto is our first stop in Japan, a city with a very long and rich history, being the former capital of Japan and home to many historic temples and shrines and an UNSECO World Heritage site. Our first full day in Kyoto we will be visiting Kinkaku-ji Temple, Ryoan-ji Temple, the Yasaka Shrine and Higashiyama District with an optional visit to Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Here is the official Kyoto Tourism Site: Kyoto City Official Travel Guide
Kyoto will be our home-base for visiting neighbouring Nara, Japan’s first permanent capital and home to sacred deer and Todaiji Temple, whose Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall) was the largest wooden building in the world, at 2/3 its original size! From Kyoto we will also be visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima represents the most serious element of our experiences in Japan. Famous as the site of the world’s first atomic weapon dropped in anger, Hiroshima is a relatively new city, especially by Japanese standards, having been rebuilt since the end of the Second World War.
During our stay in Hiroshima we will visit Hondori Street in downtown, we will spend most of the day at the Peace Memorial Park and Museum leaving Origami cranes at the Children’s Peace Memorial in support of the enduring call for peace.
Uncover Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park’s Enduring Anti-War Message
Students will be encouraged to try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki a local specialty.
Before leaving Hiroshima we will visit Miyajima (Shrine Island) and its famous sacred deer and Itsukushima Shrine best know for its ‘floating’ torii gate.
Here is the official Hiroshima Tourism Site: The Official Guide to Hiroshima
Takayama
Our final destination before visiting Chiba and our Inage hosts is (Hida-)Takayama in the Hida region the Gifu Prefecture (province). Tucked into the Honshu’s mountainous interior students will have a scenic train ride as we travel to and from Takayama.
Unfortunately we will be in Takayama a few days after the annual spring festival, though hopefully will still have the opportunity to see some of the festival floats. Students are encouraged to visit the Miyagawa and Jinya-mae Morning Markets and Sanmachi Historic District (and more info here) before we visit Hida no Sato, a recreation of a traditional Hida farming village.
Chiba
During our stay in Chiba, most of our student’s experiences will be with their homestay families.
Tokyo
As a group we will be taking a day trip into Tokyo to give students a sense of the nation’s capital. We will be visiting Sensōji Temple in the Asakusa area of the city followed by a trip to the top of Tokyo Skytree currently the third-tallest structure in the world and the tallest building in Japan. From the viewing platform at the top of Skytree students will get a sense of the size of the Greater Tokyo Metropolis with a population of 40.8 million (more than the entire population of Canada!
Japan 2024 