Itinerary

1. Day 1: Nara - JR

   • 08:00 am- Get ready at your hotel and leave for JR Nara Station.

   • 09:20 am- Visit the Todai-Ji area with a big south gate, giant Buddha, and several attached temples, such as Nigatsu-do 

   • 11:10 am- Pay your respects at Kasuga Taisha Shrine: a well-renowned power spot, and you have to feel significant power when you go through God’s forest.

   • 01:40 pm- After having lunch, explore Nara Park. Wild deers will say hello to you, ask you to give them rice-crackers here. Then leave for the Kofuku-Ji Temple, where a Five-storied stupa can be seen from the Sarusawa, which represents the old capital and is located inside the park.

   • 03:30 pm- Proceed to Nara machi area. See traditional townhouses with gratings, together with retrospective Japanese restaurants and cafes.

   • 05:20 pm- Head to Nanba Station and walk along the Dotonbori area.

   • 06:30 pm- Go to Ganko Sushi, Hozen-Ji and have dinner at a Japanese restaurant.

2. Day 2: Kyoto / JR

   • 09:10 am- Visit the JR Kyoto Station. This is a major architectural masterpiece, comprising of a huge glass façade, a grand staircase, an aerial walkway from where you can enjoy a magnificent vista of Kyoto.

   • 10:30 am- Visit the Nijo Castle. Walk down a corridor of the palace to hear a nightingale’s song.

   • 11:40 am- Walk in the Arashiyama Park and see the Tenryu-Ji temple, Bamboo forest, Rakushisya, and Togetsu-Kyo bridge.

   • 12:30 pm- Have lunch; Soba or Udon noodles.

   • 02:20 pm- See the Daitoku-ji Temple. This old temple consists of more than ten sub-temples, each of which has a famous history that has appeared in the school texts.

   • 03:00 pm- Go to the Nishijin Textile Center for a Kimono show and Kimono wearing experience.

   • 04:30 pm- Walk in the Nishiki Market. This kitchen of the old capital comprises about 130 shops selling a variety of Japanese foods.

   • 06:00 pm- Have dinner at a Japanese restaurant.

3. Day 3: Osaka / JR, metro

   • 09:00 am- Head to the Umeda Sky Building. The Sky Building is a 40-story high-rise (173 meters high) twin building, the top of which is connected by the observation deck. You can enjoy 360-degree panoramic views, including that of Awaji Island (more than 70 km away), when the sky is clear.

   • 10:30 am-  Head to the Osaka Jyo Castle area, which has Hideyoshi's headquarters built in 1598 when the top warlord completed dominating the whole country of Japan and the Osaka Museum of History wherein you can explore time travel from the era of Old capital (7th century) to the modern Great Osaka.

   • 12:30 pm- Have lunch at Chibo Dotonbori ("Okonomiyaki" Osaka local food); Thin and flat pancake cooked on a hot plate with bits of meat, seafood, and chopped cabbages.

   • 02:30 pm- Go to the Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street and see kitchenware or many kinds of daily tools shops near Dotonbori. You can see many Japanese tools.