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CREATIVE
TRAVEL - LEARNING VACATIONS
Please contact me if you wish to make a deposit for 2025, or you can make a $1000 USD deposit for 2025 on my PayPal link in the BOOK NOW section of the website. Explore the magic of this rich and diverse culture in the colourful autumn season. Excursion Highlights
We are spending 17 nights in Japan, 7 of which are in the rich jewel of Kyoto. Our tour includes a wide variety of temples and gardens, some famous such as the Kenroku-en Garden in Kanazawa (one of Japan’s “great three” gardens), and some less known ones such as the Shisen-do temple and garden in the Kyoto region.
Arrangements are underway for visits to a traditional Washi paper making workshop.
Garden in Kurashiki I have made arrangements with several potters including a “National Treasure” artist for studio, kiln and showroom visitations. This excursion has a healthy, although certainly not exclusive ceramics focus. It is suitable for anyone interested in the art, culture, people and history of Japan. Ceramics play an important role in Japanese culture in the serving of both food and tea.
Teahouse in the Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa There is a rich interwoven tradition involving the Japanese tea ceremony (Way of Tea), Zen Buddhism, the use of handcrafted ceramic tea bowls, a particular type of flower arranging (Chabana), calligraphy in the form of hanging scrolls, tatami mats and the use of lacquer ware trays for serving food. The setting of the teahouse within the Japanese garden is also an important part of this tradition. Look forward to experiencing tea in such a setting. Marumatagama – multi chambered climbing wood kiln in Shigaraki There are several important pottery kiln sites on our agenda including Mashiko, Bizen and Shigaraki. We will also visit traditional and contemporary artist studios in Kaga. In the Kyoto area, our group will visit many museums including the Raku Museum, Miho museum and the Kawai Kanjiro house, studio and kiln museum. We will also visit the Yakimono Gallery which houses a wide selection of Japanese pottery from all regions. In Kurashiki, we will visit the Ohara museum. This museum contains important collections of Japanese painting,woodcuts of Munakata Shikoand dyeings of Serisawa Keisuke. Here, we will explore the great collection of the potters and artists of the Mingei tradition, including members of Yanagi’s core group Shoji Hamada, Kanjiro Kawai, Kenkichi Tomimoto and Bernard Leach. Mingei is a term coined by Yanagi Soetsu in 1926, and it refers to the Japanese folk-art movement, where beauty was appreciated in everyday and utilitarian objects created by nameless and unknown craftsmen. Yanagi’s influential book, ”The Unknown Craftsman”, examines the Japanese way of viewing and appreciating art and beauty in everyday crafts, including ceramics, lacquer, textiles and woodwork. Our studio visitations provide an ideal vehicle for a deeper connection with Japanese people, as one can ask questions through our interpreter and observe and photograph their everyday life. I have set the time of the year and the route sequence so as to best experience nature’s extraordinary display of autumn leaves.
We have a very special access to a region of Japan that is less visited by tourists. This is possible due to the personal connections made through the sister city relationship that my home, Salt Spring Island, has with the small town of Yamanaka. Yamanaka has one of the three leading hot springs in Japan. We will be welcomed by locals and taken to woodturning, lacquer ware, fabric and ceramics studios. Our accommodation in Yamanaka is nestled over the scenic Kakusen Gorge next to two important bridges. The lovely autumn foliage of the gorge can be viewed from the KÅrogi Bridge (Cricket Bridge), built completely of cypress wood, and from the Ayatori Bridge, famous for its avant-garde form, designed by Teshigahara Hiroshi. The famous natural hot spring supplies mineral water for the Onsen bath in our accommodation, available for your soaking pleasure. This is a very special opportunity.
Tranquil stream below our accommodation in Yamanaka Onsen We will travel in a small group with Rumiko, our Japanese woman guide, interpreter and escort, and a professional Japanese guide and tour leader. Japan 2025 tentative itinerary including main activities: Day 1. November 13, 2025 Individual arrivals to hotel in Asakusa district in Tokyo. Day 2. Orientation meeting. Tokyo tour including Senso-ji temple,Yanaka Street (historical district),walk to Nezu Shrine via Hebi-michi,optional Ueno Park or National Museum of Art visit. Day 3. Visit to the pottery town of Mashiko. Day trip by private coach with local guide, Hamada studio, kiln and museum, studio visits. Day 4. Tokyo T.B.A. Day 5. Fast train to Kaga Onsen and Yamanaka.Visit Ishikawa Prefectural Lacquerware Centre in Yamanaka to learn about how lacquerware is made.Dinner included at our hotel. Optional soak in the Onsen. Day 6. Day trip to Kaga. Ichizo Yamashita pottery studio, Hisaichi Nakamura wood fired pottery studio and kiln, lunch at café and art showroom Kasanomisaki, Kutaniyaki Museum, Kutani ancient kiln, dinner at our Yamanaka hotel with special menu included. Day 7. Yamanaka. Studio visits to famous wood turner, Takehito Nakajima and world class lacquer ware master Mushu Yamazaki, free afternoon, gorge and river walks from hotel. Day 8. Travel by train to Kurashiki. Orientation, canal walk, free time, dinner.
Day 10. free day Day 11. Day trip to ancient pottery town of Bizen with local guide, visit to National Treasure potter, kilns and showroom (to be confirmed); lunch served on Bizen ware plates, Co-op Bizen showroom. Okayama. Visit Koraku-en, one of Japan’s “famous three” gardens. Train to Kyoto. Day 12. Kyoto. Guided visits to Honen-in temple, Ginkaku-ji temple (Silver Pavilion), Robert Yellin Yakimono Ceramics Gallery and talk( to be confirmed), Philosophers walk, Day 13. Kyoto. Kawai Kanjiro memorial museum, house, studio and kiln, Kyoto National Museum or Katsura Rikyu Imperial Villa (to be determined). Day 14. Activities T.B.A. Kodaji temple, evening garden light up. Day 16. Kyoto North. Private guided tour. complex, Shinnyodo Zen temple and garden talk by expert.Nanzen-ji Temple and garden, Raku Ware Museum. Ryoan-ji temple and garden. Day 17. Miyama day trip with private coach and local guides. traditionalv thatch roof houses, lunch and cooking with locals in 4 private houses. Day 18. November 30, 2025 Breakfast. Tour ends.
Tentative Timetable
If you must cancel, the following cancellation fees will apply:
There is no refund for arriving late or leaving the trip early. Discovery Art Travel reserves the right to cancel the trip due to low enrolment, or if we feel that the quality of the trip or the safety of travelers would be compromised. In such a case, we will refund all payments received to date, which constitutes full settlement. A "guaranteed departure" staus will be given for the tour 4 months prior to the start date of November 13, 2025. if you wish to book air or early arrival hotels before the guaranteed deprture date, please include a free cancellation option. Japan: November 13-30, 2025
The revised 2025 payment schedule is as follows: The ESTIMATED total excursion cost is $9895 USD. An additional interim payment of $2000 USD is payable on or before June 30, 2025, and the final payment is due in our office on or before August 15, 2025. An invoice for the remaining balance will be sent out to you on or before August 5, 2025. The single supplement amount is ESTIMATED to be $1850 USD. Please contact us to receive a current estimate of this rapidly changing price. The single supplement is also due and payable on or before August 15, 2025.
For More Information: Ph/Fax (250) 537- 4906 • E-mail: Denys James. |
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