HOKKAIDO, TOHOKU
TRAIN TOUR with 5 Winter Festivals
Feb. 3 ~ 13 (9 nights, 11 days)
| A tour to see the Sapporo Snow Festival and unique festivals in Tohoku. Don't have to worry about your big luggage train tour. The luggage will be delivered by driving it to the next hotel. Travel by train and sightseeing by charter van or bus. The scenery from the train running through the snowy landscape is very beautiful. For dinner, hotels are near the station so there are choices of restaurants. You can select your choice what you want to eat. Alternatively, you can buy an eki-ben for dinner and eat it in your room. A local festival in Japan that you have never seen before is waiting for you. |
| Date | Place
and Hotel
♨=onsen |
Activity | B | L | D |
| Feb. 3 (Mon.) |
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Depart Honolulu to Shin-Chitose airport in Hokkaido. |
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| 4 (Tue.) |
CHITOSE AIR TERMINAL HOTEL |
After arriving at Shin-Chitose airport, then we go to the hotel in the airport terminal. |
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| 5 (Wed.) |
SAPPORO
HOTEL MYSTAYS♨ 
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From the hotel we go to Aeon Mall to buy any cold and snow weather items. Then we go to Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival. Other ice festivals showcase elaborately carved ice but the sculptures here are created by spraying water and allowing it to freeze, lending a particular natural beauty to the massive creations. After lunch we go to the hotel and after a short break we visit Sapporo Snow Festival, it is one of Japan's most popular winter events. We can enjoy Projection Mapping show. And we go to Susukino area to see Ice sculptures and return to the hotel. | × |
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| 6 (Thu.) |
HAKODATE
LAGENT HOTEL♨  
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From the Sapporo station we ride a limited express Hokuto and go to the Onuma Park station. Lunch will be the 100-year-old specialty ekiben, Ishikari Sake Ben (salmon and salmon eggs). After arriving at the Station, head to Onuma Park, enjoy riding the snow mobile or snow rafting. If you want on the frozen the lake you can experience Wakasagi fishing. Whatever you catch you can have it cooked there like tempura and eat right away. Then we visit Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden, has a lot of Japanese monkeys. In winter, the pool in the breeding ground is filled with hot spring water and we can see the monkeys soaking themselves in the hot water happily. Next we go to Mt.Hakodate and see the night view. Then we go to the hotel. |
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| 7 (Fri.) |
HIROSAKI
ART HOTEL  
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In the morning we go to Hakodate Morning Market. Enjoy shopping and browsing at the market and be sure to check out the live crabs and shellfish in their massive tanks. Then from the Shin Hakodate station riding the H5 series Hokkaido shinkansen go to Shin Aomori station. On the way we go through the Seikan tunnel, world’s longest undersea tunnel. Lunch is Hakodate famous eki-ben Kita no Eki-Ben, A really great bento box that collects popular side dishes from Hakodate eki-ben. After arriving at the Station, we visit The Aomori Museum of Art. There are woodblock prints and paintings by Munakata Shiko, the pop art and almost cartoonish work of Nara Yoshitomo, as well as a huge 8.5 meter tall Aomori-Ken dog statue also by Nara. Then we go to the hotel. | × |
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| 8 (Sat.) |
HIROSAKI ART HOTEL   |
Sightseeing within Aomori area by car (van or bus). From the hotel we go to Goshogawara Station, then ride the Stove Train. A classic train ride through the snowy landscape in a retro “stove train” to warm your body and soul. Then we go to the Takayama Inari Shrine, the corridor made up with thousand Torii is famous, which creates a unique and attractive Japanese atmosphere. After lunch we go to the Tsuru no Mai Bridge, it is the longest wooden bridge in Japan. The bridge is triple arched and is 300 meters long. The bridge resembles a crane flying in the sky. Next go to the Neputa Village, is a museum about Hirosaki's famous festival, the Neputa Matsuri, and also introduces the city's other cultural specialties. Then we go back to the same hotel. |
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| 9 (Sun.) |
AKITA
HOTEL METROPOLITAN  
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From Hirosaki station, we ride the Resort Shirakami train, the most beautiful scenic train ride in Japan. It travels between Aomori and Akita, following the scenic coastline of northern Tohoku. Watch the Tsugaru shamisen played in the train. Lunch is famous eki-ben Tamatebako (many local cuisine of Aomori) Bento. After we arrived at Akita station, we go to the hotel. Then when it gets a little dark go to see the Namahage Sedo Festival, it is an important intangible folk cultural asset. The Namahage is a kind of scary masked men who roam the region looking for lazy or disobedient children. It‘s a folk festival handed down for generations and Sedo is a Shinto festival “Saitosai.” The two merged and the current version festival was started, to also attract tourist to the area. Returning to the hotel around 9 pm. |
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| 10 (Mon.) |
OMAGARI
ROUTE INN  
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Sightseeing within Akita area by car (van or bus). Departing hotel at a leisurely time. We visit a Citizen’s Open Space Market where you'll find Akita food items, misc. goods, souvenirs all in one place. Next visit the Akita Maiko theater. Enjoy lunch with Maiko show. After lunch we go to the hotel. When it gets a little dark we go to see the Paper Balloon Festival of Kamihinokinai, Each year on February 10, massive paper balloons with drawings of warriors, beautiful women, and other pictures are released into the midwinter night sky to convey new thoughts and prayers for the year to heaven. It is a wondrous sight to see almost 100 litted paper balloons soaring in the midwinter night sky. Returning to the hotel around 9 pm. |
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| 11 (Tue.) |
YAMAGATA
ROUTE INN 
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Sightseeing within Yamagata area by car (van or bus). We will go to Tendo city to see the Hina dolls. And we’ll try Safflower dyeing. After lunch we go to see Kasedori (strawbird) Festival, it is a unique yet bizarre Japanese event. Performers gather dressed in straw coats - meant to honour the legendary bird “Kasedori”. It's believed that for fire prevention and brings prosperity. Then we go to the hotel. If you want to go to Costco after arriving at the hotel, we will take you there. |
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| 12 (Wed.) |
TOKYO
TOBU HOTEL LEVANT 
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After leaving the hotel we ride the Zao Ropeway to see snow covered trees called “Juhyo” (Snow Monsters). Then from the Yamagata station riding the E8 series Shinkansen go to Tokyo station. Lunch is eki-ben Imoni Bento. Imoni is iconic food of Yamagata. After arriving at Tokyo station, we go to the hotel. After check-in hotel then you can enjoy shopping at places like, Daiso, Yodobashi, Muji, Uniqlo, etc. near the hotel. | × |
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| 13 (Thu.) |
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Sightseeing within Tokyo area by car (van or bus). From the hotel, we visit to the Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai, is a new facility that aims to carry on and further develop the unique excitement of Tsukiji. In collaboration with Toyosu Market, this destination will offer invigorating, exciting times unique to Toyosu. Then we go to Team Lab Planets, is a unique art space in Toyosu, that you experience barefoot. Consisting of a Water Area and Garden Area, together they form a museum where you walk through water, and a garden where you become one with the flowers. After lunch, we go to Aeon Mall for last minute shopping before going to Narita airport for your departure. |
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