Art or Rubbish 2019
When: FRI OCT 11 to THU OCT 24 , 2019.
Duration: 14 days / 13 nights, from Tokyo to Tokyo.
Minimum 4 people Maximum 8 people.
Fee: includes choice accommodation (twin share*), dinners and most breakfasts,
and admission to the attractions, plus additional public transport cost.
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The tour starts from Tokyo and finishes in Tokyo. *Single supplement about $ A 500 where available.
Not included: JR Rail pass, lunch, drinks, souvenirs, international airfare to Japan and transfers to the airports.
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Pre tour (WED Oct 9 ) Tour group arrives Wed night.
Accom optional extra.
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Pre Tour (THU Oct 10) Tokyo here we are
Today we can give you various simple options and maps and plans to visit places in Tokyo that we don't cover on the tour.
Accom : Optional extra.
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Day 1 (FRI Oct 11) Art Roppongi and Okamoto in Shibuya
Tour starts around 10am after breakfast when we are assembled.
We will do the Roppongi Art Lobrow Septangle, Shibuya, some Taro and Ando art and design hidden in plain view,
and visit the house and workspace of Taro Okamoto.
Its an arty strolling day, with a dinner at a great favourite Japanese restaurant in Akasaka.
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Day 2 (SAT Oct 12) First chew on Chuo line
After breakfast in the hotel, we will move to a pre-war ryokan in the suburbs and stroll the hidden delights of the Chuo Line.
An architectural walk featuring Fujimori stuff and a visit to the large public art space in Tachikawa are on the menu.
Dinner will be World style cuisine in a little back alley haunt we like.
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Day 3 (SUN Oct 13)
Traditional breakfast in the ryokan, then we will have a further chew on the Chuo line,
maybe the sculpture park with major works by Kitamura, or some of the other arty attractions,
and / or back to unfinished business in the Omotesando area/ one-off/ new / old / whichever looks most appealing.
Dinner will be at the local Mom n Pop / Jap Thai with 20,000 vinyl albums, yes they take requests !
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Day 4 (MON Oct 14) Further chew on Chuo
Following breakfast, we will visit to an Art Factory where the Japanese queen of Art or Rubbish, Kimiyo Mishikma,
oversees the action, and then a visit to the mind bending digital art immersion Planets before returning via Tokyo Teleport.
Dinner at a renowned beer and dumpling joint, or maybe somewhere equally interesting.
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Day 5 (TUE Oct 15) Osaka
Following breakfast , we aim to leave around 9 and travel by bullet train to Osaka arriving early afternoon.
Lunch on the go, then drop the bags and head to the ultimate arty rubbish moment at the world’s largest garbage incinerator,
and its sister sewage treatment plant. Its art, not shit, and it's agreed to be a major highlight of the Art or Rubbish tour.
To cap it all, after checking in and a short rest, we will take in a secret steampunk Submarine bar for a drink ,
then a great local Japanese izakaya where we can bring our own music if we want !
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Day 6 (WED Oct 16) Osaka
Today we will do a day trip for art exploration to check out the world’s largest 18m tall Gigantor.
Wonder around(sic), get the feel, absorb the size.
Then on to observe a 22m tall fish, Fish Dance, created by Frank O Gehry, supervised by a fellow architect, Tadao Ando.
There are a few other pieces around here. Lunch in the Kobe port area and the Kobe port earthquake memorial park
which preserves the damaged area as it was. Then we head to the Yokoo Tadanoori museum,
then down to the Prefectural Museum of Art, the building of which was designed by Tadao Ando.
There is a dedicated room /gallery displaying miniature of Ando’s works.
Outside of the museum stands the giant “Sun sister” by Yanobe Kenji, which kind of completes the Big Kobe Day.
After watching the sun going down with the Sun Sister, we head back home for another cool dinner spot.
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Day 7 (THU Oct 17)
We will train it, trammit, stroll it, maybe check out the retro Expo 70 site with Okamoto's Tower of the Sun, maybe check out parks,
a very old shrine, maybe have an earthquake experience, and stroll the area where retro futurist kitsch is king.
Dinner will be Japanese in a gawdy former old school brothel in the red light area.
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Day 8 (FRI Oct 18) Art island Teshima
Today we will leave Osaka by trains inc bullet train and then ferry for Teshima, the island of garbage turned to art, yet another Art or Rubbish location. We will stay in a humble old ryokan at the wharf, by ourselves, with some heading to the Teshima Museum in the afternoon, or just resting, or maybe just a leisurely stroll around, with sensational fishy snacks, Yum.
Dinner at our friend Yuki's joint, just down the street.
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Day 9 (SAT Oct 19) Naoshima Day Trip
We ferry out early-ish and head to Naoshima. After exploring the smaller of two ports and the art for a few hours,
we head to the world famous renowned Bennesse House area , inc Chi Chu Museum , Li Lan Fan, heaps of art installations,
the Bennesse museum, amazing views and a stroll back to the bus which we then take to the big port,
where you can bathe in the segregated psychedelic bath-house, or just stroll around ....
before ferrying back to Uno on the mainland for Japanese dinner then a ferry home to Teshima.
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Day 10 (SUN Oct 20) Day in Teshima
There are electric bikes on offer to ride around the island to see all the art installations;
and some of those who haven't been to the Teshima Museum will do that also.
Leisurely day, followed by an alfresco BBQ at Yuki's over the road.
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Day 11 (MON Oct 21) Inujima Day Trip
We ferry over to Inujima, to complete the Lobrow Art Or Rubbish Seto Sea Trio Semi-ennale, and ferry back in the afternoon,
for some well earned rest and recreation. Scrabble anyone ? Local dinner, we’re locals not yokels tonight.
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Day 12 (TUE Oct 22) Teshima to Ise, via Seto Ohashi
We will leave early morning by ferry and then catch it across (well, underneath. actually) the Seto Ohashi bridge,
the longest single span bridge in the world, and one of the best across-the-water train rides.
We hop a bullet train and then a local train or two to Ise, where we will catch a local bus to our accommodation at
our amazing centuries old former brothel, which we will pretty much have to ourselves.
Dinner is a short stroll away at an excellent local fish and local produce delight.
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Day 13 (WED Oct 23) Ise
Following traditional breakfast at the ryokan , in our ancient digs, there is a choice of day trips.
You have a chance to check out shrines and gardens and see why Ise is the spiritual home of Japan.
OR visit to the Ninja and Samurai village theme park for all sorts of ninja nonsense action,
and then a final dinner at our beloved magnificent ryokan.
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Day 14 (THU Oct 24) Off to Tokyo
Following our final breakfast, served again at our hundred of years old lodgings, we will leave around noon
to take people back by bullet train to Tokyo (with lunch on the go) arriving mid afternoon.
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Post Tour (FRI Oct 25) ) Tokyo here we are again
Today we can give you various simple options and maps and plans to visit places in Tokyo that we don't cover on the tour
Accom : Optional extra.
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One of the post AoR tour activities we recommend is to take part in the "Kumano my House" tour.
"Kumano" starts immediately following the AoR and takes you to the UNESCO world heritage listed old pilgrimage path,
wonderful onsen hot spas and the best tuna you can have. And a bit more art and rubbish (and the ruin).
You can take the "Kumano" option before the AoR tour too.
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