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Day 2 - KYOTO
Spend the day exploring the cultural center of Japan, what the Japanese call Nihon no Furasato (the Heart of Japan). The capital of Japan for over 11 centuries, Kyoto remains a living museum of Japan’s artistic and cultural heritage. The Ryoanji (Peaceful Dragon) Temple, founded in 1450, is world famous for its 13-stone Zen garden and considered by many to be the single greatest masterpiece of Japanese culture. The brilliant Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) is named for the gold leaf on Japanese lacquer that covers the temple’s entire second and third floors. BLD

Day 3 - SIGHTSEEING IN KYOTO
Nijo Castle has thick stone outer walls, a moat, hidden rooms where the shogun’s samurai could observe visitors and corridors constructed with “nightingale floors” that squeak as you walk over them, warning of your approach. Visit Kiyomizu Temple, dedicated to the 11-faced Buddhist deity, Kannon. Built on stilts, this UNESCO World Heritage site boasts a spectacular view of the city. BL

Day 4 - SIGHTSEEING IN NARA/KOBE
Stand at the foot of Todaiji Temple’s mighty bronze Buddha, the Daibutsu (the largest bronze statue in the world ) and look up. The seated giant weighs 550 tons and incorporates 290 pounds of gold. Horyuji Temple, founded in 607, is the oldest intact temple complex in Japan, and houses the world’s oldest wooden buildings. This UNESCO World Heritage Site holds more than 2,300 items considered of historical importance, including a vast collection of Buddhist art. Transfer to Kobe and check into your deluxe hotel. BL

Day 5 - KOBE
Perched between the coast and the mountains, Kobe is one of the most livable and attractive cities in Japan. Visit Himeji (White Egret) Castle, Japan’s most beautiful stronghold. Your adventure continues with the cruise portion of your cruise/land tour. Board the Spirit of Oceanus in the late afternoon. BD

Day 6 - OKAYAMA / KURASHIKI
The ancient castle town of Okayama, ruled by the Ikeda clan, is home to Korakuen Garden, one of the three most famous gardens in Japan and the first place in Japan where grass was used in landscaping. Indulge in Zen perfection as you stroll past the garden’s picturesque shrines, hills, tea fields and ponds, keeping an eye out for red-crested white cranes.

Kurashiki’s 300-year-old rice warehouses, Meiji-era factories and homes of samurai and wealthy merchants have been preserved and converted into museums, craft shops and art galleries. Visit the Ohara Museum, hosting an eclectic mix of classical European, Chinese and Japanese folk art, and tour the Ohashi House, once home to a Kurashiki merchant. BLD

Day 7 - UWAJIMA
Situated deep inside the saw-toothed coast of Uwajima Bay, the city of Uwajima is emerging as the nation’s largest pearl cultivation center. Learn the process of implanting, harvesting, extracting and sorting pearls on a visit to a pearl farm and explore the beautiful and rarely visited Tenshaen Garden, boasting a colorful array of wild irises, wisteria and over 20 species of bamboo. Here you will also receive a warm welcome into the mountainside home of a 4th generation abbot, sip tea with his family and admire his beautiful gardens strewn with hand-carved stone lanterns. BLD

Day 8 - YAKUSHIMA
This island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, is blanketed in nearly 2,000 Yakusugi, or Japanese cedar. In this well-protected and unique environment you’ll walk through the thick forest, take in the sweet fragrance of diverse flora and keep and eye out for Yakuzaru monkeys and the dwarfed Yakushima deer. Here you will also traverse a stretch of warm-temperate primeval forest, unique to the region and home to countless waterfalls. BLD

Day 9 - KAGOSHIMA
Once the castle town of Lord Shimazu (and the movie set of The Last Samurai), Kagoshima is nestled in the crevasses of steep hills on the shore of beautiful Kinko Bay. Its mild climate, palm-tree-lined streets, easy-going attitude and impressive volcano, Sakurajima, have earned it the nickname of the “Naples of Japan.” Feel the rich texture of a piece of hand-woven silk and the smooth glaze of a piece of Satsuma, an earthenware pottery dating back to the 16th century. Explore a green-tea farm, the Kamikaze Museum and the coastal town of Ibusuki with optional visits to a pottery museum or geothermal spa. BLD

Day 10 - NAGASAKI
Receive a warm welcome in Nagasaki, one of the few ports open to foreign traders during Japan’s 250-year period of isolation. It has the highest Christian population in Japan and is the most westernized of all Japanese cities. It was also the second city to be destroyed by an atomic bomb in World War II. Tour the Atomic Bomb Museum and the Peace Memorial Park with its sculpture garden containing pieces from countries all over the world. Explore Nagasaki on your own or visit Glover Garden, an open-air museum exhibiting Victorian mansions and gardens built by an enterprising Scotsman. Back onboard you’ll be treated to a scarf folding performance. BLD

Day 11 - ULSAN / KYONGJU, SOUTH KOREA
Ulsan is home to Hyundai Motors and is a big industrial town. Board buses there for Kyongju. Walking around Kyongju, capital of the Shilla Kingdom (and essentially a giant open-air museum) is to explore 1,000 years of history. Soak up Korea's sights, sounds, history and tastes alongside local guides as you explore colorful Korean Buddhist art, pagodas, temples like Bulguksa, a large Buddhist temple where worship ceremonies are always going on, palaces and markets. A Korean barbeque introduces you to culinary delights of the region and includes a Korean dance performance. You’ll also see Kyongju Market, an eclectic produce market of narrow alleys full of stalls, and Tumuli Park, a 7-story-tall burial park with replicas of jewelry and weapons. BLD

Day 12 - HAGI
Japan’s revolution began here in Hagi. It is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Japan and is a pottery center. Your morning tour includes a samurai home and a walk through Hagi’s traditional streets and buildings that have survived for decades. Visit the Yoshida Shrine and the Tokoji Temple, a Buddhist temple and burial site of half the Mori daimyo (feudal lords) - each grave surrounded by 800-900 stone lanterns. BLD

Day 13 - MIYAJIMA / HIROSHIMA
Bright orange torii (gates) welcome you to Miyajima as you approach the mountainous “island of the shrines,” a land once regarded as so sacred that people were forbidden to till the soil, give birth, or be buried there. Use inflatable excursion craft to transfer to the island where you’ll witness an exclusive Bugaku dance performance in front of the shrine. You’ll have free time to tour through the shrine and sample food there, like oysters.

Lunch is served onboard before the hour-long ride to Hiroshima. This once battered city is now thriving and devoted to peace. In memory of the 1945 atomic bomb explosion, a Peace Flame, never to be extinguished until all nuclear weapons are abolished, burns in front of the Memorial Cenotaph. Tour the Peace Park, Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Museum. Back onboard ship you’ll be entertained with a kimono program and volunteers will be recruited to try on a full-dress kimono. BLD

Day 14 - TAKAMATSU
Takamatsu served as the feudal capital of the powerful Matsudaira clan from 1642 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The Matsudairas are responsible for Takamatsu’s most famous site, Ritsurin Koen, one of the most outstanding gardens in Japan, set against the beautiful backdrop of Mt. Shiun. This park covers 240 acres, and is over 300 years old. Stroll the garden and admire the bonsai. Choose to visit either Shikokumura Village or Yashima Temple after your trip to the garden. BLD

Day 15 - KOBE
After a short tour of Kobe, transfer to Kansai International Airport for your return flight home.
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10/09

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