DARK JAPAN 10 DAY TOUR

DAY 1: 

Kon’nichiwa! Welcome to Japan! After your arrival in Tokyo, you will be taken to your hotel. Have an early night because the next day is going to start your nuclear-sized adventure. 

DAY 2: 

Ohayō (Good Morning). Waking with the sunrise, we will meet early at 07:50 at the Tokyo Station Marunouchi-Kitaguchi (Marunouchi North Exit). 10 minutes later we will leave the safety of Tokyo and venture north towards the Fukushima region. First stop, Futaba – Yōkoso (Welcome). Fun fact: The population of Futaba in April 2020 was zero! Actually, it had been that way since the catastrophic event in March 2011. You are really about to see a place completely evacuated by the devastating nuclear disaster. Luckily, a few residents (3%) have opened up their home for you to explore. After some lunch, which received some “glowing” reviews, you’ll meet some locals who are bringing life back to the area – in this case with flowers. Then prepare yourself for one of the adventure highlights of the tour – Urbex tourism at level 10! We will take you to the Ukedo area which was inundated by the tragic tsunami. You’ll explore the ruins and get a feel for what happened that fatal day. After, we head to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial to learn more about the challenges the Japanese faced. Time for a wind down in the evening exploring the J-Village area, but don’t worry it’s where the hotel is too. 

Itinerary Day 2

07:50 Meeting at Tokyo Station Marunouchi North Exit.

08:00 Departure from Tokyo Station.

11:30 a.m. Visit to the Futaba area

12:30 Lunch

13:40 Visit a flower grower

14:50 Visit to the Ukedo area attacked by the tsunami

16:00 Visit to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial

18:00 Arrival at the hotel (village J)

(Free time)

DAY 3: 

Filling up on some Asa gohan (breakfast), this epic tour continues. We will leave the hotel at 09:00 and make a “quick” stop at the Fukushima community center, CANvas, where you can wander around the different art installations. Continuing along over to an amazing farm, where you’ll meet cows that survived the horrific disaster. Don’t worry, they don’t talk…much! Afterwards, we head south to another region in the Fukushima region, Tomioka City, where there is an important science museum called TEPCO (a decommissioning archive center), which has artifacts and multimedia displays about the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant, focusing on the 2011 destruction. At 16:30, we jump on the train and journey back towards Tokyo for one night. 

Itinerary Day 3

09:00 departure from the hotel

09:15 Visit to CANvas

10:45 a.m. Visit to the farm where the cows survived the disaster

11:45 Departure from the farm

12:30 Vista Tomioka City

13:30 Arrival at the TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Center

15:50 Departure from the TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Center

16:30 Return to Tokyo

20:00 Arrival at the station in Tokyo

DAY 4: 

We will transfer for the long train journey to the first occupied city targeted and hit by a Atomic bomb, Hiroshima. Here we will witness and inspect the ruins made by “Little Boy” and causing the deaths of over 160,000 people that fateful day in 1945. We will proceed to a museum to learn more about the transformation of a city torn apart at the end of World War 2, and then resurrected into the national city of peace. A small sign on an unassuming street states that here 600 meters above the bomb exploded. Near the sign are monuments and statues spread out on the streets and parks trying to remind all of us that the only way to move forward is through peace. Such symbols of peace include the Clock Tower and Bell of Peace, the Cenotaph with all the names of those who perished, the children’s monument to remind us the true victims of power, and the Industrial Promotion Hall, laying on the banks of the Motoyasu River, which is left hollow and bare as it has been since the war. You will see them all.

DAY 5: 

Hiroshima Day 2

Your stay in Hiroshima is at the Hotel Hiroshima, where you will experience lovely, welcoming hospitality, some needed rest, and some delicious food and drinks. Hiroshima started its life as a humble fishing village on the shores of Hiroshima Bay. After establishing a connection with a Zen Buddhist temple, and some economic growth through the clan era, Hiroshima transformed into the bustling city of over one million. Signs of life before the infamous bomb changed everything are seen today in places like the Hiroshima Botanical Gardens. Speaking of nature, to satisfy your cultural appetite, a trip to Japan would not be complete without a stop at a traditional Japanese Kōen (garden). Explore the koi ponds, flowering trees, and original landscapes of a historic icon. After an exhausting two days,  

DAY 6: 

We are now over the halfway mark of the tour and we cross the country of Japan again. We will travel further south to the large natural harbor port of Nagasaki, which is found on the island of Kyushu. For those keeping track of historical significance, Nagasaki is synonymous with the second and last nuclear attack in combat in 1945, this one killing 35,000 people in less than a second. We will tour the epicenter of this once blasted area, visit the National Peace Park in the middle of the city, where we will see the Peace Statue (think of a worshiped Japanese Hercules built to promote peace), Foundation of Peace, and other honorable monuments. Next stop to explore is the port of Nagasaki, which changed from a village, Spanish Jesuit port of call, Portuguese trading hub, to a rangaku (meaning Dutch Learning). Some say it was Japan’s only eye on the world when the whole country went into a 250 year lockdown by a military government (known as the Edo period). 

From the port we will cross the sea by boat to the ghost island of Battleship Island (Hashima or Gunkanjima in the local tongue). An old coal mine used in Japan’s industrialisation (1887-1974), it was abandoned for 30 years, it’s now on the top 10 CNN list of “freakiest places around the world.” If you were after a one-of-a-kind Urbex adventure, then this UNESCO site is sure to have you drooling. 

DAY 7: 

Day 7 and 8 takes us to one of the oldest districts and the cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto. This former capital city of Japan survived WWII with minimal damage, thus preserving the heritage sites of UNESCO, including the large number of Zen Buddhist temples, beautiful shrines, and stone gardens. We will explore one of the most popular and fascinating structures in Kyoto, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. This marvel’s history stems back to the 14th century and is covered in gold leaf, which gives it a mysterious glow. 

DAY 8:

Kyoto Day 2

Kyoto is also home to the Gion district, which is famous for its female entertainers, known as geisha, but you’ll meet one further on the tour. When you get hungry the Japanese cuisine, drinks, and hospitality are on show and will leave you absorbed in the Japanese culture – you might even start wearing a kimono to every meal. Explore the secrets of the Fushimi Imari Taisha (Shinto shrine), with hundreds of gates along a stunning path. Debate with your group if you see red or orange! If you plan your tour at the right time of year, you may even witness the spectacular Hanami, the blooming of the cherry blossoms in March. But don’t worry there are many amazing festivals to experience in Kyoto. 

DAY 9:

A few hours North of Kyoto, is the beautiful mountain city of Nagano. We jump on the road to hit the spiritual high points of the tour. In Nagano, we check out the Zenkō-ji Temple, which is the second largest wooden temple in Japan and speaking of uncovering secrets, here we can try to search for the “secret” Buddha, a statue that is rumored to be the first image of Buddha in Japan. After all that hunting, it’s time to head further into the mountains to the spa village of Shibu Onsen (onsen is Japanese for hot-springs). Poke around the narrow streets and discover the traditional wooden ryokan inns created for the adventurers like you, try the original sake (rice wine), where we will have a taste testing, and visit the local shops and admire the local art in the galleries. Finally you can put your feet up or instead soak them in one of the many tranquil hot springs, but don’t get too relaxed, there will be a special geisha performance just for you during a traditional kaiseki dinner, which is a multi-course meal served at the highest level. Bet you’re ready for that futon (bed) now!  

DAY 10:

The last full day of the tour doesn’t disappoint. Once the sake wears off and you rise from your futon, we will show you the reason Shibu Onsen is a real “hot” spot. In 9 different locations around town, using 9 different sources of minerals, for 9 different beneficial treatments are the 9 public hot springs. This route is called Kyu to Meguri, and for your external to internal remedies we will visit them all. We will also take a trip to Jigokudani Monkey Park also known as Hell’s Valley. After getting dropped off and hiking for about 20 minutes through the Japanese mountains, we visit the place the snow monkeys convene and warm up in the hot springs. The official page of the park says that it doesn’t matter what time of the year you visit, the hundred plus snow monkeys are a staple part of the magical location. After the hot springs of Nagano, we venture South-East to Tokyo, hopefully glimpsing the massive peak of Mount Fuji along the way. 

DAY 11:

– Tokyo, transfer to Narita airport in the evening