Summer School Break 2021

SAPPORO TO TOKYO

June 5th – June 14th, 2021

8nts/10days from: $3695 triple $3795 double $4195 single

Cancel for any reason up to 60 days prior-FULL REFUND!

Maximum Tour size is 24 tour members!

“Along the Cassiopeia Road” is named after the famous night train that operated between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo. This luxury train, the Cassiopeia, a Japanese version of the Orient Express made its debut in 1999 and completed its final journey on March 21st, 2016 with the launch of the Hokkaido Shinkansen.

Join us on this unique tour as we journey from Hokkaido’s northern capital of Sapporo to Japan’s southern capital, Tokyo. We begin with two nights in Sapporo followed by visits to Hakodate, Lake Toya, Otaru, Aomori, Morioka, and our last three nights in Tokyo.

What is included you ask? How about, 2 fish market visits, sake brewery, sightseeing cruise, ropeway ride, 2 bullet train rides, viewing rice field art, a day at Tokyo Disneyland, and Shibuya Scramble Square, a new landmark facing the world-famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Quality shopping time, an afternoon in Sapporo and a full day in Tokyo. What is not to like!

Itinerary/Details

Day 1 – June 5th, 2021 Saturday – Depart from Honolulu

Hawaiian Airlines #441 Departs Honolulu 1:20 pm – Arrive Chitose 5:00 pm + 1

Please meet your Panda Travel representative at the Hawaiian Airlines international check-in counters located in Terminal 2, Lobby 4, a minimum of 3 hours prior to the departure time.

Day 2 – June 6th, 2021 Sunday – Chitose-Sapporo

After clearing customs, our local English-speaking guide will meet our group and then we are off to Sapporo. The drive time is approximately one hour.

Welcome to Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Sapporo began as a frontier town some 130 year ago, but now has an average population of 1.8 million.

Prior to the establishment of the city, the area occupied by Sapporo was a quiet hunting and fishing ground home to many indigenous Ainu settlements. With the construction of a canal at the end of the Edo Period, early settlers established a village which then became a city in 1868.

Accommodations for our stay in Sapporo is at the Century Royal Hotel, ideally situated in the heart of Sapporo with direct access to the JR Sapporo Station.

With our early arrival there is time to enjoy a leisurely dinner and even get in some shopping. Your Panda Travel escort will be on hand for those who would like to meet up for a walk around the immediate area to get you familiarized.

Accommodations: Century Royal Hotel free

Day 3 – June 7th, 2021 Monday – Sapporo (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:30am as our day begins with a short drive to visit Hokkaido Shrine, a deeply spiritual place, and the resting place of four deities. With origins that date to 1869, the grounds, lush in nature, are filled with history as well, a variety of wild animals such as the Hokkaido squirrel. Enjoy free time to explore.

From here, off to Okurayama Ski Jump for a ride on the lift to its peak. This ski jump stadium was used at the Winter Olympics held in Sapporo in 1972.

Once at the top enjoy time at the viewing lounge and the panoramic views of the city of Sapporo, the Ishikari Plain, and Ishikari Bay. It is also an ideal location to view the start line of the ski jump right before your eyes - looking directly down at the steep slope of the approach will certainly give you an idea of how the skiers are feeling when they begin their jumps!

Next, a visit to Nijo Fish Market, over 100-years old and said to have developed in the early Meiji Period when fishermen from Ishikari Bay began selling fish here. Over time, the number of bars and greengrocers in the area began to increase, laying the foundations for today’s Nijo Fish Market. The market continues to serve residents’ culinary needs and is also popular with visitors.

As Hokkaido is surrounded by the sea, the market offers up a treasure trove of seafood. With Sapporo as its main city, the freshest catches from all over the island are sold here. Each store has its own unique selection and it is interesting to see the differences between them. Besides an array of seafood, they offer dried fish and other processed seafood products.

You can find a variety of sit-down restaurants to enjoy lunch or wait a bit until we cross over to Tanukikoji Shopping Street, Sapporo’s oldest covered shopping arcade. This covered arcade stretches for 10-blocks with over 200 stores. Here you will find old and traditional merchants selling kimonos, tea, or incense side by side

with modern stores specializing in computers and software or state-of-the-art electronics and digital cameras – all of which lends it a bazaar-like quality. Some of the popular shops that Hawaii folks enjoy are here, a multi-story 108-yen Daiso, as well 24-hour Mega Don Quijote. A variety of additional dining options are available along the street.

We are allowing for plenty of free time to browse and shop at your leisure; however, if you prefer to remain longer and return to the hotel on your own, choose between the easy unground path or taxi, less than $10.

Accommodations: Century Royal Hotel free

Day 4 – June 8th, 2021 Tuesday – Sapporo-Otaru-Lake Toya (B/D)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we bid Sapporo good-bye and journey on to Otaru and Lake Toya.

The morning begins with a visit at the Shiroi Koibito Park, a theme park by Ishiya, a local chocolate company. The company’s flagship product is the Shiroi Koibito cookie, which consists of two thin butter cookies and a layer of white chocolate in between. It is one of the most famous souvenirs from Hokkaido.

The park consists of a free area with a shop, cafe and restaurant and a paid area with various chocolate related exhibits and, most interestingly, a few large windows through which you can observe the candy production process in the factory.

Shiroi Koibito Park

Now, off to Otaru and once there a visit at the Tanaka Sake Brewery, founded in 1899. Here, they brew sake in stone warehouses that has an atmosphere reminiscent of the good old days of Otaru. This group of stone building have been designated as historic by the city.

Enjoy time here to see how sake is produced, sample the products and opportunity to purchase items in their gift shop. This area is known to produce some of Japan’s best sake because to its access to clean spring water.

Welcome to Otaru! Otaru is one of Hokkaido’s most popular spots for Japanese visitors. It is a romantic port town steeped in a rich history that dates to its glory days as a major herring center. Once the terminal station for Hokkaido’s first railroad, today nostalgic warehouses and buildings still line the picturesque canal district. There are great options for foodies and if you enjoy music boxes or any kind of glass objects, this is the place!

From old days, when they sailed trading boats from Honshu-mainland to Hokkaido, Otaru played important roles as the center of trade or commerce, not to mention fishery in Hokkaido. Walking along the main streets, you find a charming and nostalgic city filled with historic architecture.

Here you will find the old remnant of Otaru’s major industry, glassware shops. Glass buoys were used to light up fishing boats at night to attract herrings. A glass industry flourished in Otaru to support the herring trade. When the herring fishing industry declined in the 1950s, the makers of glass buoys diverted their business to produce refined glassware, as the demand for buoys plunged. The result today are numerous glass shops, which now cater mainly to souvenir hungry tourists. If you think that blown glassware is only made in Venice, then you are wrong.

The city is renowned for its glassworks, music boxes, and sweet shops that can be found lining Sakaimachi Street. As you near the end of Sakaimachi Street, look and listen when you come to the vintage steam clock at the front of the charming Music Box Museum. The nostalgic atmosphere inside the main building of the museum takes you back in time. The museum houses almost 15,000 music boxes, ranging from matchbox sized souvenirs to precisely tuned masterpieces. The Music Box Museum has something for everybody, from The Beatles to the latest J-pop hits.

Another must stop is at the Kitaichi Glass Shop where you can enjoy looking and shopping for beautiful glassware. How about making glassware on your own with the help of the artisans?

Another famous landmark in Otaru is the Kitakaro confectionary shop. The cake and confectionery store is a popular stop for tourists and locals alike. There is a cult like following of its famous honeyed wheeled layered cakes and there are good reasons why. The layered cakes are delicate and the honey flavored intense, but not too sweet. Sit and enjoy at the small café right in the store. Coffee, tea, and ice cream are also available.

Enjoy some free time for a leisurely stroll, shopping, and lunch on your own. For lunch, there are many options, either a sit-down restaurant or walk and find a variety of street food. If sushi is more to your liking, a stroll down to Sushi-dori Street is well worth your time.

Otaru

From here, we make our way to Lake Toya area. The drive is approximately 2.5 hours and we will make a rest stop along the way.

Once there, check in to our hotel by 4:30pm followed by a buffer dinner at 6:00pm. Dinner is in the hotel.

Accommodations for the evening is at Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace, located on the shores of scenic Lake Toya. The hotel offers a natural hot-spring baths, karaoke bar and an indoor pool.

Accommodations: Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace free

Day 5 – June 9th, 2021 Wednesday – Lake Toya-Hakodate (B/D)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we make our way to Hakodate.

The morning begins with a boat cruise on Lake Toya, a large caldera, 43 kilometers in diameter, formed more than 100,000 years ago when a volcanic eruption diverted a stream, creating this massive pool. The lake is ice-free year-round due to geothermal heating, and trout and smelt fishing is plentiful.

The surrounding scenery is spectacular and best appreciated from the water. Let us board the pleasure-boat cruise and circle around this tranquil, picture-perfect lake with some islands.

Next, a ride on the Usuzan Ropeway, opened in 1965, the line climbs Mt. Usu, the active volcano in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The volcano has erupted four times in the past 100 years, the last time in 2000.

The ropeway brings you close to the volcano's summit. The upper station's observation deck offers panoramic views of Lake Toya and neighboring Showa Shinzan. From a second observation deck a short walk away, there are views of the ocean and Mount Usu's largest crater, which was formed from an eruption in 1977. Enjoy free time here for lunch on your own.

This afternoon we are off to Hakodate, the drive time approximately 2.5 hours including a rest stop.

Once here, we will be visiting the popular Konbukan Kelp Shop and Museum. In Japan, konbu is only gathered in Hokkaido and Touhoku. Long ago, konbu was gathered in Hokkaido and shipped all over the country using a water route called "Konbu Road".

A total of 120,000 tons is produced every year within the country. 95% of that amount is gathered along the coastal lines of Hokkaido. In Japan, there are 45 different species of konbu.

This facility has a planetarium-like movie theater, museum and a shop that sells a variety of kelp products. Kombu or kelp seaweed is a healthy and popular cooking ingredient in Japan. Here you will find almost all kelp products from kelp powder to candies, snacks, soup, and condiments. Don’t forget to try the kelp tea while here.

Now, off to visit Mt. Hakodate, a 334-meter-high, wooded mountain at the southern end of the peninsula on which much of central Hakodate is located. On clear days, the views from the mountain are spectacular.

From here to our onsen hotel, La Vista Hakodate Bay, ideally located right on the waterfront in the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse District. This onsen hotel features six types of hot spring baths on the top floor, offering spectacular night views of Hakodate.

Our arrival will be by 6:30pm, followed by dinner at 7:00pm.

After dinner, enjoy a walk over to the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses, a row of red brick warehouses that conjures up a feeling of nostalgia, built more than a century ago. Today, they house shops, restaurants, and event facilities hosting over two million visitors a year.

Accommodations: Hotel La Vista Hakodate Bay free

Day 6 – June 10th, 2021 Thursday – Hakodate-Aomori (B/D)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am. Please prepare a small overnight bag for this evening as our larger bags will be transported separately to our Tokyo hotel.

The morning begins with a visit to the Hakodate Morning Market, which spans four city blocks is held daily from 5am-12noon. You will find a cluster of some 300 shops tempting visitors with an array of delectable fresh Hakodate produce. Seafood, vegetables, fruits, and sweets are just some of the edibles available for purchase. Enjoy shopping at the market and be sure to check out the live crabs and shellfish in their massive tanks.

Next, a visit to Goryokaku Park & Tower, a five-cornered fort, Japan’s first Western-style fort. The fort was completed in 1864 after 7 years of construction work. Hijikata Toshizo and Enomoto Takeaki fought against the new Meiji government here and it was the last stage of the Boshin War. It has the distinction of being only one of 2 European-style forts built in Japan. The architectural style is an eclectic mix of Japanese and European.

The star-shaped fort has been developed into a park and is well-known for its 1,660 beautiful cherry trees. From the observation platform of the 107-meter high Goryokaku Tower in the park, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the Goryokaku and the surrounding area.

Now, off to the Shin Hakodate Hokuto Station to catch our first of two bullet train rides to Aomori on Hayabusa 28 departing at 1:39pm and arrives at 2:38pm. Enjoy time at the station to shop and have lunch on your own.

Once we arrive in Aomori, an afternoon of touring is on tap. We begin at the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse, which highlights some of the most spectacular Nebuta floats from Aomori's annual Nebutamatsuri. Housed in a unique building covered in red metal slats along the waterfront district, this museum is dedicated this annual August festival.

The museum attempts to capture the spirit of the festival and gives visitors a taste of its lively atmosphere, history, and traditions. Upon entering the second-floor entrance to the exhibitions, visitors are presented with the sights of the festival along a red corridor lined with photos and images from the Nebuta Matsuri's 300-year history. Lanterns in the shape of red goldfish, another symbol of the festival, hang along the corridor where the recorded sounds of taiko drums, flutes, and voices play.

From here, a visit to the A-Factory, a market-style shopping center selling all local products such as sweets, processed goods, fresh vegetables, and fruits. The most featured facility in A-FACTORY is the apple cidre (cider) factory which makes cider and juices using Aomori grown apples.

Besides the Cidre Factory, the first floor has several restaurants while the second floor features a galette specialty shop, French style crusty cake made with buckwheat. It is said that it goes perfectly with the cider.

Now off to our hotel, Minamida Onsen Hotel Apple Land, where you can enjoy an apple bath which is said to be good for the skin. It is also said that the delicate sent of the apple is relaxing for the mind and body.

Our arrival will be by 5:30pm and after time to freshen up, join us for dinner at the hotel at 7:00pm. After dinner, the remainder of the evening is free.

Accommodations: Minamida Onsen Hotel Apple Land free- Japanese style

Day 7 – June 11th, 2021 Friday – Aomori-Morioka-Tokyo (B/L)

After breakfast, please meet your guide by 8:30am as we journey off to Morioka and then onto Japan’s capital, Tokyo.

This touring day begins with a unique stop at the rice field observatory. “Rice Paddy Art”, known as “Tanbo Art” in Japanese, held annually in the village of Inakadate. Its detailed description and high artistic quality bring many tourists here to see every year.

The rice paddy art began in 1993 when purple and yellow rice plants were used to take a picture of Mt. Iwaki along with letters on rice paddies. The main purpose behind the creation was to take advantage of the tradition of manual work in rice cultivation to give people an opportunity to learn more about rice farming and agriculture.

The rice paddy art uses various colored rice plants as paint on a rice-field canvas. The massive pictures are elaborately designed using perspective drawing methods to make them look their best when seen from the observation platform. The art has gained media attention from domestic and international media because of its uniqueness. Every year, over 100,000 visitors from Japan and abroad come to see the fields, including the Emperor and Empress of Japan in September of 2014.

From here, off to Tsugaru Neputa Village which houses some former Neputa floats from the Neputa Festival held in August. The village also offers a variety of opportunities to experience Tsugaru traditional crafts. Today, we will enjoy a hand-on Tsugaru kite making experience.

Next on the agenda is lunch, included in today’s touring, a Japanese lunch.

This afternoon, a drive to Morioka, approximately 2.5 hour, including a stop along the way. Once here we will be taking the bullet train, Hayabusa 32, from Morioka Station to Tokyo’s Ueno Station. Our departure will be at 3:50pm and arrival in Tokyo at 5:58pm.

Once in Tokyo, our charter bus will take us to our hotel, Sunshine City Prince Hotel in the Ikebukuro section of the city. After check-in, for those who are not familiar with the surroundings, our guide will set a time to meet for a short walking tour.

The lobby of our hotel connects to a huge shopping and entertainment mecca with four towers, including a 240-meter-high skyscraper with an observation deck on the top. Sunshine City is typically open from 10 am to 8 pm seven days a week. We are also less than a 10-minute walk from the Ikebukuro JR Station. The third floor of the mall is practically all restaurants and stays open until 9:30pm.

There is 24-hour Family Mart convenience store right off the lobby in case you would like to pick up food, snacks, or beverages. Within a 5-minute walk is a 24-hour supermarket, Seiyu, in case all you want is a light dinner bento to bring back to the room.

After checking in, please meet your guide in the lobby as we will enjoy a buffet dinner at our hotel. After dinner, the remainder of the evening is free.

Newly remodeled Sunshine City Prince Hotel & lobby Family Mart in hotel lobby

Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel

Day 8 – June 12th, 2021 Saturday – Tokyo (B/L)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:30am as we are off to tour Tokyo!

If you have ever dreamed about melt-in-your-mouth, out-of-this-world sushi, then you might have heard of Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world. Most of Tokyo, and even high-end sushi restaurants in Hong Kong and San Francisco, gets their fish from this cultural landmark near the center of Japan's capital city.

Tsukiji sits on some of the most valuable real estate in Tokyo. While the inner acution has moved to reclaimed land on Tokyo Bay, the popular outer market is still bustling with locals and tourists.

Opened in 1935, Tsukiji sprang to life after the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed most of Tokyo in 1923. It has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. Every morning sightseers start lining up at 3 a.m. to watch the frozen tuna auction. The more expensive fresh tuna auctions – where a single Bluefin once sold for nearly $1.8 million- are privately conducted.

If you are a foodie, love markets, enjoy photography – or simply like visiting unique places – then you’ll probably love Tsukiji.

After a good stroll around the market, there is nothing like a sushi breakfast to complete the experience. There are plenty of sushi shops – make sure to choose one where you see locals dining. If you do not feel like sushi, there are other options including ramen, donburi and more.

Tsukiji Fish Market

From here we are off to Ameyoko Shopping Street, famous throughout Japan for its wide variety of products.

The name "Ameyoko" is a short form for "Ameya Yokocho" (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold there. Alternatively, "Ame" also stands for "America", because a lot of American products used to be available there when the street was the site of a black market in the years following WWII.

You can get just about EVERYTHING here, clothes, bags, cosmetics, fresh fish, dried squid, and spices are sold along Ameyoko. It is quite the scene to just walk around through the very crowded and narrow streets. An awesome place to sightsee, shop and eat! Enjoy some free time here to explore on your own.

It is lunch time and we off to a local restaurant so that you can enjoy a buffet lunch.

After lunch, we are off to Shibuya Scramble Square, a new landmark facing the world-famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. It is without a doubt the busiest and most iconic pedestrian crossing in the world and we will be part of the action. After the crossing, off to Shibuya Sky, the new 360° open-air observation deck with unobstructed views of Tokyo’s skyline.

In addition to the breathtaking views, the rooftop also features hammocks for cloud watching and an observation compass to help you identify major landmarks in the distance, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Stadium and even Mt Fuji, on a clear day.

On your way down, enjoy free time to explore any of the 212 shops, ranging from skincare to fashion, hone décor, books, groceries, and electronics. There is something here for every shopper. We will be visiting here for 2-hours. You may want to have something to eat here.

While in the area, a must stop is at one of Japan’s unofficial landmarks, the Hachiko statute, a homage to the faithful Akita dog. He waited at Shibuya Station every day for his master, even after his death. Today, it is one of the most popular meeting places in Tokyo.

The return to the hotel will be by 6:00pm and the remainder of the evening is free.

Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel

Day 9 – June 13th, 2021 Sunday – Tokyo-Tokyo Disneyland-Tokyo (B)

After breakfast, please meet your guide in the lobby by 8:00am as we are off to enjoy a full day at Tokyo Disneyland.

Please meet back on the bus by 5:45pm as we will depart at 6:00pm for our hotel.

Accommodations: Sunshine City Prince Hotel

Day 10 – June 14th, 2021 Monday – Tokyo-Haneda (B)

After breakfast, enjoy a complete free day to shop, sightsee or maybe a bit of both. We have arranged for a late check-out and you have access to your rooms until we meet in the lobby at 3:30pm for the drive out to the Haneda Airport.

We will arrange for a bag pick up from the rooms, but if you prefer to keep with you until our departure time, please bring down on your own.

Hawaiian Airlines #864 Departs Haneda 8:15 pm – Arrive Honolulu 8:50 am