Monkey See, Monkey Do
Wed 7th to Tue 20th,
February 2024
14 days / 13 nights Minimum 4 people Maximum 8 people
This Tour was postponed from 2021 due to COVID
Please Note :
This is the general idea, and we will refine the itinerary as we get closer to the days
as we have a range of options to choose form, so we will pick the best.
We might even do it in reverse ! Final itinerary announced DEC 1 2023
Fee $A 6000 includes ALL accommodation, ALL breakfasts *
and dinners, transport on the tour, admissions and hires.
There are Triple R and Early Bird** discounts available (either / or)
but ask us anything , we are open :-)
** Commit by the end of Aug 2023
You pay for your own international airfare, rail pass, airport transfer, drinks and souvenirs. * except breakfast on the run.
Single supplement about $ 500 where available.
A combination of :
Monkeys: Snow monkeys we "discovered" dipping in the hot spa in early 1980s. Struth. One of the world's biggest monkey parks.
Art: Roppongi gallery hopping. Taro Okamoto. Arty stroll in the arty suburbs of Tokyo. Arty Kanazawa.
Monkeys and art and fun , that's the vibe.
Dinner: Variety is the spice of life, that is our dinner theme. We will never make you bored with dinner. Our selection will include the finest funnest meals and places we can find , maybe world cuisines, amazing Yakitori and home cooking, Izakaya food, all at its best.
You will never be disappointed. Or hungry. Extraordinary selection, a culinary journey on its own, like no other.
Accom: From an assuming heritage listed guesthouse, built in the arty 1930s, miraculously survived the destruction of the war in 1940s, retro modern, to the real Edo period ryokan, which is an architectural marvel as well.
In between, we have western style hotels, and all sorts of strangeness.
The tour will begin and end in Tokyo
Day -1 (TUE FEB 6 ) Tokyo
Pre Tour, we arrive in Tokyo, and gather, priob in Akasaka. Dinner and accom NOT included, but can be arranged for keen beans.
Day 1 (WED FEB 7 ) Tokyo
Tour kicks off around 10am after breakfast when we are assembled. The overnight flyers arriving early morning join at the hotel.
We will do the Roppongi Art Lobrow Septangle. After lunch we will head towards Shibuya, via the house and workspace of Taro Okamoto. In Shibuya, we see a giant mural by Taro Okamoto, recently recovered and restored, and the railway station designed by Tadao Ando. Art and design hidden in plain view. It’s an arty strolling day.
Dinner at a good hearty Japanese style restaurant. Where else?
Day 2 (THU FEB 8 ) Tokyo
After breakfast in the hotel, we will prob move to a pre-war ryokan in the suburbs.
We will study the arcane arcades of incidental art, for the first chew on Chuo Line . We will move by foot and rail to visit various suburbs along the line and maybe Arty Tachikawa, where we will play "I Spy" the art, as well as an outdoor sculpture park, and then some stop in Nakano.
Day 3 (FRI FEB 9 ) Tokyo
TBA
Day 4 (SAT FEB 10th) Tokyo to the Japanese Alps
After breakfast and a short train ride, we take a bullet train, and a local train we will head to the Japanese Alps for SNOW
Day 5 (SUN FEB 11th) Monkey Town
This morning we head to the onsen where we have been welcomed for the last 30 plus years! Old school Japanese style.
Afternoon at leisure. Strolling around the old hot spa village in the traditional garb, and taking in the Nine baths of Hardship, public hot springs, to wash away your hardship, and then we will have the dinner of a lifetime at our ryokan.
Day 6 (MON FEB 12th) ) First Monkeys
After breakfast (easily the biggest and the best Japanese style you would say), we visit the Monkeys in the snow, having hot spa,
maybe joining in and then stroll back down the mountain for the second dinner of a lifetime,
same place, same time as the evening before but different. Have another round of bathing and walk, it’s a blissful place.
Day 7 (TUE FEB 13th) Kanazawa
We take the bullet train to Kanazawa, and then have for a trip around the local area
inc some post modern Easter Egg style art and maybe some samurai architecture action
Dinner will be one of the local alley / drinking / eating establishments, within strolling distance,
so many to choose from, but research has been done, and we have chosen!
DAY 8 (WED FEB 14 ) Kanazawa
Today we go strolling down to the 21st century gallery,
to see the award winning building itself, which houses Leandro Erlich’s swimming pool, James Turrell’s Blue Planet Sky
as well as other arty delights in the art pearl of the West Coast.
Maybe a Zen museum, maybe a Ninja Temple which still holds samurai protection secrets
Dinner will choice Kanazawa cuisine.
DAY 9 (THU FEB 15 ) Kanazawa
We aren't done yet in KZ, we don't think
Work is in progress to slot in some other eye candy.. TBA
DAY 10 (FRI FEB 16) Osaka
After breakfast, we travel to Osaka on the "Thunderbird" train. Through the Japanese Alps mountains, this is a Great Train Ride.
We drop the stuff and then have an afternoon around Osaka, and head to see the arty sights
inc the ultimate arty rubbish moment at the world’s largest garbage incinerator, and its sister sewage treatment plant.
It’s art, not shit, and was agreed to be the highlight of past tours.
To cap it all, we will take in a secret steampunk bar for a beer,
then a local Japanese izakaya where we can bring our own music if we want !
DAY 11 (SAT FEB 17) Osaka / Kyoto
Today we do a day trip to Kyoto including the sensational samurai Nijo Castle
and the informative and exciting eye candy of the Manga Museum, or Oyamazaki Sanso gallery.
Dinner back in Osaka, local and appropriate.
We might go out exploring the Arashiyama area on old tram, visiting the samurai film theme park, and you can visit
as many shrines and temples as you like! More monkeys are on parade at a fine monkey park.
Dinner, as always, will be somewhere interesting, stay tuned.
DAY 12 (SUN FEB 18 ) Osaka / Kobe
Today we will do a day trip for art exploration at the Tadanori Yokoo museum, and maybe check out the world’s largest Gigantor.
Perhaps a trip to a Frank Lloyd Wright guesthouse, and some ancient (really old) or recent (funky arcades and markets ).
DAY 13 (MON FEB 19) Osaka
Today's plan is a visit an ancient time (well , the 1970's) and see the trippiest evolutionatry art available,
as well as immerse ourselves in retro futurist ideas and also some mind boggling ethnic art, who knows?
Its all in the one place.
Day 14 ( TUE FEB 20 ) Back to Tokyo
Following our final breakfast, we will head back by bullet train to Tokyo (with lunch on the go), either to the airport,
or perhaps some stay on in Tokyo. Whichever, we will assist you to get to your destination. Domo Arigato Sayonara!!