2023 AUTUMN CIRCLE KYUSHU
Featuring ‘Huis Ten Bosch’ Theme Park & Sumo Tournament

November 6 - 18, 2023  (13 days & 11 nights)

Haneda, Fukuoka, Toto Museum, Dazaifu Tenman-gu, Imari Okawachiyama, Kujuku-shima Cruise, Huis Ten Bosch Theme Park, Kingdom of Lights Festival, Nagasaki, Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki Heiwa-koen, Nagasaki International Peace Memorial Hall, Nagasaki Castellla Land, Ferry to Kumamoto, Suizenji-koen, Kumamoto Castle, Kagoshima, Sengan-en Garden, Shoko Shuseikan Museum, Chiran, Tokko Heiwa Kaikan, Samurai Street, Nichinan Kaigan Coast, Oni-no-Sentakuita , Miyazaki, Takachiho-kyo, Beppu, Umi Jigoku, Yufuin, Yufuin Floral Village, Fukuoka Kirin Beer Factory, Persimmon Picking, Kirin Beer Park Cosmos Festival, Hakata Doll Hall Shoketsudo, Hands-on-Experience Hakata Doll Painting, Fukuoka Grand Sumo Tournament, Fukuoka, Haneda

(Group airfare is not included in land tour cost)
(Individual arrangements to meet group are not included) 

Monday, November 6  (Day 01)
HONOLULU TO HANEDA
Our tour commences this morning when we assemble at the check-in lobby at the airport for baggage check-in procedures.  We will depart Honolulu for Haneda International Airport.  Lunch and a snack will be served on board the flight.

Tuesday, November 7  (Day 02)
ARRIVE HANEDA * FUKUOKA  (B)
We’ll arrive Haneda Airport in the afternoon and after completing entry and customs formalities, we’ll transfer with our luggage to the domestic ticket counter to check-in our luggage for our flight to Fukuoka International Airport in Kyushu, the third-largest and southernmost island of Japan.  We’ll transfer to our hotel to check-in for two nights in downtown Fukuoka, the largest city in Kyushu and capital of Fukuoka prefecture.

Accommodations at ANA CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL FUKUOKA or similar

Wednesday, November 8  (Day 03)
FUKUOKA  (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll travel to Kitakyushu to discover the interesting world of toilets at the Toto Museum, Japan’s premier manufacturer of toilets and washroom products.  The museum provides us with the history of Toto and its innovative products.  One of the highlights is to view the super-modern architectural design of the building.  We’ll travel to the cultural city of Dazaifu, to explore the grounds of Dazaifu Tenman-gu, one of Japan’s most important Shinto Shrine, dedicated to the enshrined Sugawara Michizane or Tenjin.  His rise to power during his political career resulted in a rivalry with the Fujiwara clan and he was later exiled to Dazaifu.  The entrance to the shrine is a lively pedestrian street lined with many local shops, restaurants, cafes and sweet stands.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening.

Accommodations at ANA CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL FUKUOKA or similar

Thursday, November 9  (Day 04)
FUKUOKA * IMARI * ARITA * SASEBO * HUIS TEN BOSCH  (B)(D)
The pottery towns of Arita and Imari in Saga prefecture has been a major manufacturing source of ceramics for centuries with Imari-yaki and Arita-yaki as the most famous and distinctive.  Korean potters were brought to Imari to produce porcelain mainly for the Nabeshima domain.  Enjoy a stroll through Imari Okawachiyama (The Village of Secret Kilns) - a small artisans’ village located in the city of Imari that has been producing unique pottery for centuries and kept its methods a secret - hence the name ‘Village of Secret Kilns’.  We’ll proceed to Kashimae Port to board a sightseeing boat and enjoy a relaxing and scenic cruise around Kujuku-shima (99 pine-studded islets) in the inland sea.  Enjoy some of the most breathtaking natural scenery in Japan as you cruise through the islands.  We’ll continue on to spend two nights at an elegant hotel in Huis Ten Bosch.  Enjoy dinner and as an option, you may want to relax in the hot springs of our elegant onsen hotel this evening.

Accommodations at HOTEL OKURA JR HUIS TEN BOSCH or similar

Friday, November 10  (Day (05)
HUIS TEN BOSCH  (B)(D)
Enjoy a full day at your leisure to explore Huis Ten Bosch, a theme park in Sasebo which recreates the Netherlands featuring an European atmosphere with iconic windmills, picturesque canals, beautiful gardens and unique Dutch architecture.  Subject to confirmation, we’ll enjoy a performance of a Takarazuka style show with singing and dancing by female dancers called the “Broadway in Japan.  In the evening, enjoy the Kingdom of Lights Festival, featuring a brilliant illumination of thousands of lights.  This attraction is noted as the ‘No. 1 night scenery in Japan’.  Our hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the park.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at our hotel.

Accommodations at HOTEL OKURA JR HUIS TEN BOSCH or similar

Saturday, November 11  (Day 06)
HUIS TEN BOSCH * NAGASAKI * KUMAMOTO  (B)(D)
We’ll continue our journey to the Shimabara Peninsula to Nagasaki, the second city after Hiroshima to be devastated by a nuclear weapon on August 9, 1945.  We’ll visit the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum featuring photos, relics and documents related to the bombing and the Nagasaki International Peace Memorial Hall, built in memory of those who perished in the atomic bombing.  The Nagasaki Heiwa-koen (Peace Park) was established near the hypocenter of the explosion and remnants of a concrete wall of Urakami Cathedral are still visible.  At the park’s north end stands a 10-meter-tall Peace Statue and the south end features a Fountain of Peace.  A popular food product of Nagasaki is castella (fluffy & moist sweet sponge cake).  Enjoy visiting the Nagasaki Castella Land for an interesting factory tour of the facility.  We’ll continue on to the Shimabara Port and board a ferry to cross the Ariake Sea to Kumamoto Port.  On arrival in Kumamoto, we’ll visit Kumamoto Castle, a hilltop castle considered as one of three premier castles in Japan.  The castle suffered extensive damage in 2016 and efforts to rebuild are ongoing.  We’ll spend the night in the city of Kumamoto.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening. 

Accommodations at ANA CROWNE PLAZA KUMAMOTO NEW SKY or similar

Sunday, November 12  (Day 07)
KUMAMOTO * KAGOSHIMA  (B)(D)
This morning, we’ll visit Suizenji-koen, a spacious and beautiful Japanese-style landscape garden designed with an impression of views seen when traveling along the Tokaido - the old highway between Kyoto and Edo (present day Tokyo).  As you stroll around the park, you’ll have a magnificent feeling of nature with its small ponds, lakes, and trees.  Featured at the east end of the park is Horaitsukiyama, a beautiful representation of a miniature Mt. Fuji.  Our journey continues on south to Kagoshima, the southernmost major city in Kyushu and capital of Kagoshima prefecture.  The city is often compared with its Italian sister city Naples, due to its similar mild climate and Sakurajima, Kagoshima’s Vesuvius.  The city’s main attraction is Senganen, a picturesque Japanese-style garden with one of the most impressive pieces of ‘borrowed scenery’ - Kagoshima Bay and the fuming peak of Sakurajima beyond the bay.  Enjoy a leisure stroll through this beautifully landscaped garden featuring small ponds, streams, and a bamboo grove.  Located adjacent to the garden, (subject to confirmation), we’ll visit the Shoko Shuseikan Museum, featuring exhibits and historical materials about the Shimazu family related to the Satsuma clan.  Both the garden and the museum were recognized as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2015.  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Kagoshima.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening.

Accommodations at SHIROYAMA HOTEL KAGOSHIMA  or similar

Monday, November 13  (Day 08)
KAGOSHIMA * CHIRAN * MIYAZAKI  (B)(D)
We’ll travel to the little town of Chiran, noted for its fine collection of preserved samurai houses and gardens,  Enjoy a stroll through ‘samurai street’, a nicely preserved district to visit a few old samurai residences and beautifully landscaped gardens.  We’ll visit the Tokko Heiwa Kaikan (Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots), a museum featuring an extensive collection of correspondence, photographs, relics, and mementoes belonging to members of the Special Air Fore Attack Group also known as the Kamikaze Pilots.  Displayed are photos and letters presenting a positive image of these pilots as they willingly gave their lives for their country and their families to establish peace and prosperity for Japan.  We’ll continue on to the scenic Nichinan Kaigan Coast, located on the southern area of Miyazaki prefecture.  Enjoy the view of eroded rock formations known as Oni-no-Sentakuita (Devils Washboard) on Ao-shima Island.  The island is located in the northernmost area of the Nishinan-Kaigan Quasi National park.  We’ll spend the night in Miyazaki, capital of Miyazaki prefecture.  Dinner will be provided for you this evening at the hotel.

Accommodations at SHERATON GRANDE OCEAN RESORT MIYAZAKI or similar

Tuesday, November 14  (Day 09)
MIYAZAKI * NOBEOKA * TAKACHIHO * MOUNT ASO  (B)(D)
Located in the northwestern region of Miyazaki prefecture in the center of the Kyushu Mountains is the little town of Takachiho.  This village is a remote mountain resort and is considered one of the most sacred places in Japan - known for its myths, legends and traditional sacred music and dancing.  Its major attraction is Takachiho-kyo, a scenic v-shaped ravine created by the Gokase River featuring breathtaking waterfalls, overhanging rocks, and sheer cliffs.  Weather permitting, the colored leaves along the gorge and the surrounding area should be at its peak, providing an awesome sight.  We’ll spend the night at a hot spring resort in the vicinity of Mount Aso and Aso National Park.  Enjoy dinner and relax in the soothing hot springs this evening.

Accommodations at HOTEL GREENPIA MINAMI ASO or similar

Wednesday, November 15  (Day 10)
MOUNT ASO * BEPPU  (B)(D)
We’ll continue on to visit Hitome Hakkei, one of the best scenic sights in Oita Prefecture located in the Oku Yaba Valley to view colored leaves (weather permitting).  We’ll continue on to spend the night in Beppu, famous for its numerous hot springs, also noted as one of Japan’s Three Great Hot Spring Resorts.  Beppu produces more hot spring water than any other resort in Japan.  The city is also known for its unique thermal vents that create water too hot to bathe in and are known as jigoku or hells.  The city is divided into eight spectacular jigokus and we’ll visit one of the most beautiful - Umi-Jigoku (sea hell), a pond of boiling, steaming blue water.  In the spacious garden area is another reddish-colored jigoku and another clear water pond with lotus flowers floating on the surface.  Enjoy dinner and relax in the soothing hot springs of our onsen hotel this evening.

Accommodations at BEPPU SUGINOI HOTEL SORA TOWER or similar

Thursday, November 16  (Day 11)
BEPPU * YUFUIN * FUKUOKA  (B)
We’ll proceed to the quaint little town of Yufuin in Oita Prefecture surrounded by picturesque landscape with a relaxed atmosphere featuring themed cafes, boutiques, and art galleries.  Located nearby, we’ll visit the Yufuin Floral Village, a new British-style theme park that reproduces the cityscape of the Cotswolds region of England with a fairytale world setting inspired by the movie “Harry Potter” - featuring squirrels & rabbits, an owl forest and beautiful flowers  (weather permitting).  We’ll continue on to enjoy a hands-on-experience to pick persimmons at a local farm.  We’ll travel to Asakura City and enjoy a tour of the Fukuoka Kirin Beer Factory to observe the beer making process with an opportunity to sample some of their delicious products. (subject to confirmation).  The factory is located adjacent to a panoramic field of cosmos flowers in bloom to enjoy the festivities of the Kirin Beer Park Cosmos Festival. (weather permitting).  We’ll continue on to overnight in Fukuoka/Hakata for two nights.  Dinner will be on your own this evening.

Accommodations at MIYAKO HOTEL HAKATA or similar

Friday, November 17  (Day 12)
FUKUOKA  (B)
This morning, we’ll enjoy a hands-on-experience to paint your own creation on a Hakata Doll to take home for your souvenir at the Hakata Doll Hall Shogetsudo.  Enjoy a special day at the Fukuoka Grand Sumo Tournament held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center (subject to confirmation).  Dinner will be on your own this evening to try some delicacies of this prefecture at various restaurants located at the Hakata Station nearby our hotel.

Accommodations at MIYAKO HOTEL HAKATA or similar

Saturday, November 18  (Day 13)
FUKUOKA TO HANEDA TO HONOLULU  (B)
The morning is at your leisure for your own activities or do some last minute shopping for souvenirs and omiyage to bring home.  In the afternoon, we’ll transfer to the Fukuoka Airport for our domestic flight to Haneda Airport.  On arrival at Haneda Airport, we’ll transfer by shuttle to the Haneda International Terminal for our evening flight to Honolulu, arriving in the morning on the same day due to the crossing of the International Date Line. 

Land portion based on 135 Yen = $1.00 U.S.

The tour price is based on double occupancy and a minimum group size of 20 passengers. Fare adjustment may apply for groups of 20 or under. The rate is based on tariffs and exchange rates effective 6/1/2022. Tour fare is subject to change according to any airfare increase, additional fuel surcharges and fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency. In the event of revaluation, the land portion of the tour price may be adjusted prior to your final statement.

Tour Registration Form