japan
This is our dream list. The itinerary changes depending on group pace, weather and priorities.
Days 6-10
Saturday 17/1/26
Sunday 18/1/26
Monday 19/1/26
Tuesday 20/1/26
Wednesday 21/1/26
Day 6 Saturday 17 Jan
OSAKA 大阪
Sunrise 07:03 Sunset 17:13
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Day 06: Past half way! Today we are going on another big trip to Awaji Island which connections Japan’s Honshu (main island) to Shikoku (one of the other 3 main islands). We will catch the train to Maiko station and climb the massive bridge to take the bus to Water Temple by Ando, a walk down the hill pass some rice farms. Then we will walk about 40 minutes to Yumebutai nearby. A massive Ando project we call “Andoland”. There is a Japanese restaurant there and we aim to have lunch there before exploring the complex. After we have had enough Ando, we shall see more of Ando! From the Maiko station we head one stop on a local train to see Ando’s 4×4 House. After that we head back to Namba station to see Namba Parks area quickly before dinner. Go explore the Dontonbori area on your own. Some of us might go and have Yakiniku (grilled Kobe beef) for dinner before some 🎤 karaoke
1hr train Namba > Maiko
15 min bus, then 15min walk
Hompukuji Water Temple
★★★+
1991 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Info | Location | Drawings | Vlog
40min walk
30min bus Awaji > Maiko
5min train Maiko > Nishi Maiko
4x4 House
★★
2003 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Info | Location | Drawings | Reel
5min train Nishi Maiko > Maiko
1hr train Maiko > Namba
Accommodation: Osaka
APA Hotel Namba Shinsaibashi
Map: Google
Day 7 Sunday 18 Jan
OSAKA 大阪
Sunrise 07:03 Sunset 17:15
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Day 07: a pretty chill day today. Our main objective is the Takenaka Carpentry Tool Museum. We might sneak in a SANAA designed canopy at Osaka/Umeda station area. I have also discovered another Frank Lloyd Wright designed house on the way there and it’s open on Sunday. It is unusual as it actually has Japanese tatami rooms which would be interesting. After the Carpentry Tool Museum, can go back to Shin-Osaka via Shinkansen then explore a bit of Osaka. I am keen to check out Tenma area at night which I have never been.
10min train Namba > Umeda
20min train Osaka-Umeda > Ashiyagawa Station
10min walk
Yodokō Guest House
★★★+
1924 - Frank Lloyd Wright
Wiki | Info | Location
Note: ¥500 cash only
10min walk
15min train Ashiyagawa > Kobe-Sannomiya
2min train Sannomiya > Shin-Kobe
Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
★★★+
2014 - Takenaka Corporation
Wiki | Info | Location | Reel
Note: ¥700
20 min Shinkasen from Shin-Kobe to Shin-Osaka
20 min Shin-Osaka > Namba
Namba Parks
★★
2007 - The Jerde Partnership
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
Accommodation: Osaka
APA Hotel Namba Shinsaibashi
Map: Google
Day 8 Monday 19 Jan
OSAKA 大阪
Sunrise 07:03 Sunset 17:15
-
Day 08: catching trains directly from
Namba to the metro station closest to our hotel in Kyoto. We then go to our hotel (all same place) and drop off bags together. We then head to Kyoto ICC which we have a booking at 11am. After our tour, we have the option of having lunch there in their time warp of a restaurant or we continue on to Gallery of Fine Arts (an outdoor gallery of large reproductions of paintings in tiles). We then take a walk to see this cute house in Shimogamo. After which there could either be a nice little walk down the river and cross on the rocks on our way back to the accommodation. There is a great ramen place which also has beautiful adaptive reuse architecture that we recommend.
Namba > Sanjo
Local Train
KYOTO 京都
Sunrise 07:02 Sunset 17:14
DROP OFF BAGS
30 min train Sanjo > Kokusaikaikan
Garden of Fine Arts Kyoto
★★★
1994 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Info | Location | Drawings
Note: ¥100
House in Shimogamo
★★★
2021 - Tomohiro Hata 畑 友洋
Info | Location | Drawings | Reel
Note: Private house, exterior only
Time’s I+II
★★
1984, 1991 - Tadao Ando 安藤 忠雄
Info | Location | Drawings
Accommodation: Kyoto
Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo
Map: Google
Day 9 Tuesday 20 Jan
KYOTO 京都
Sunrise 07:01 Sunset 17:15
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Day 09: For those wanting to visit Fushima Inari shrine, I suggest you get there before sunrise to avoid the crowds. If you are going, let me know the night before. We are meeting at Uji (Keihan Line, not JR) station to have a look at that beautiful station first before heading to Byodo-in, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Japan and the one on the 10 yen coin. The museum there is also a beauty. Uji is best known for their tea and I am sure some of you would be doing some tea shopping. After that we shall head back to Kyoto Station from the Uji (JR) station. We shall have lunch there and for the competitive ones, a giant stair race. After lunch we will see a couple of hotels and end up at one of the main shopping streets in Kyoto to see Kyukyodo Paper Shop.
35min train from Sanjo > Uji (Keihan) OR
30 min train Fushimi-Inari (Keihan) > Uji (Keihan)
Uji Station
★★★+
1995 - Hiroyuki Wakabayashi 若林 広幸
Location | Reel
Organ I
★★
1995 - Katsu Umebayashi (FOBA)
Info | Location
Byodo-in Museum
★★★+
2001 - Akira Kuryu 栗生 明
Info | Location
35min train Uji (JR) > Kyoto
Kyoto Station
★★
1997 - Hiroshi Hara 原 広司
Wiki | Info | Location | Drawings
The Thousand Kyoto
★★★
2019 - Tohata Architects & Engineers
Info | Location
Wedding chapel behind banquet hall
Higashi Hongan-ji Reception Hall
★★★
1998 - Shin Takamatsu 高松 伸
Info | Location
Ace Hotel Kyoto
★★
Kengo Kuma 隈 研吾
Info | Location | Drawings
Kyūkyodō Kyoto
★★★+
2020 - Hiroshi Naito 内藤 廣
Wiki | Info | Location | Reel
Accommodation: Kyoto
Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo
Map: Google
Day 10 Wednesday 21 Jan
KYOTO 京都
Sunrise 07:01 Sunset 17:15
-
Day 10: our last day and we shall make it relatively chilled. We shall begin the day visiting Nijo Castle, quintessential Japanese imperial villa architecture. There we will be able to experience the Nightingale floors. After the castle, we shall head to Face House as the studio is open from 10am. We shall then make our way over to the Gion area to have lunch (opens at 11:30) at the Gion Ishi Building. There is a 70s time warp cafe and a soba restaurant upstairs (not sure what situation of getting seats would be like but we can try). After lunch we aim to be at a small residential church that’s opening for prayer meeting at 14:00. It is a 35min bus ride from Gion. Around there are the 2 famous tourist spots, the Ryoan Temple (one with the most famous 15 rocks) and Kinkaku Temple (the one with the golden pavilion). I guess there is the option of going to those or if you want to avoid tourists sites, we could go see another house by Tomohiro Hata in the outskirts through rice fields and maybe one last building quite far south by Shin Takamatsu. Finish the tour with a wrap up at the hotel meeting area.
10min walk
Face House
★★★
1974 - Kazumasa Yamashita 山下 和正
Info | Location | Reel
20min bus Bunkacho-mae / Fucho-mae > Gion
Gion Ishi
★★★+
1969 - Hiroaki Misawa 三澤 博章
Info | Location | Reel
35min bus Gion > Kinugasako-mae
Seito Church
★★★
2011 - Shigenori Uoya 魚谷 繁礼
Info | Location | Drawings
Prayer meeting 14:00 Wed.
15min bus Kinugasako-mae > Nishioji Shijo
10min train Saiin > Rakusaiguchi
15min walk
House in Muko
★★★
2023 - Tomohiro Hata 畑 友洋
Info | Location | Drawings
Note: Exterior only
15min walk
30min bus Rakusaiguchi > Senbon Jujo
5min walk
Pharaoh Dental Clinic
★★★
2011 - Shin Takamatsu 高松 伸
Info | Location
Note: Exterior only
20min bus Gochobashi > Kyoto Station
5min train Kyoto Station > Karasuma Oike
2min train Karasuma Oike > Shiyakusho-mae
5min walk
Accommodation: Kyoto
Hotel Resol Kyoto Kawaramachi Sanjo
Map: Google
END OF TOUR
Day 11 Thursday 22 Jan
KYOTO 京都
Sunrise 07:01 Sunset 17:15
Kyoto 京都 > Tokyo 東京
08:01 > 10:15
Nozomi 220
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Brandon Lopez
Brian Burch
Andrew Michler
Yann Broillet
Naghmeh NovbakhtianCarriage 12, Seat 15D
Carriage 12, Seat 15E
Carriage 12, Seat 16D
Carriage 12, Seat 16E
Carriage 12, Seat 17E