TID Travel Journal "US Agency Group Educational Trip"   By TID, Summer 2006 update

In March this year Hyogo Tourism Association and Himeji City jointly invited five US travel agents to Hyogo Prefecture. They came from the states of Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey and Tennessee(2). The aim of this program was to ask them to make up a tour plan to Japan including attractive tourist spots in Hyogo Prefecture. We showed them some of the famous spots in Awaji Island, Himeji, Kinosaki, Izushi and Kobe.

They made a bus trip from the southernmost point of Awaji Island to the northern part of Hyogo. On March 13 we guided them to Awaji Island. On our way to Fukura Port, Minami-Awaji City we picked up two female volunteer guides living in Awaji City, who explained the facts of important tourist spots in Awaji to them.

The first program was the Whirling Ocean Current Watching Cruise. At Fukura Port we went on board the m.v. Kanrinmaru (384 gross ton, capacity is 500 persons). When the boat left the port the weather was fine but when it reached the famous whirlpools, it had begun to snow. We had a great view the whirlpools and were very satisfied. At lunchtime we ate seafood but some of our guests from inland states left their food half eaten because they were not used to eating seafood.

Then we led them to the Awaji Puppet Theater. That day, the drama titled "Keisei Awa Naruto" was playing. The story is: "Awa no Jurobei is a ronin (masterless samurai) of Tokushima. In order to seek the treasure of his dead lord, he has moved to Naniwa and became a thief. His daughter, Otsuru, has been left with her grandmother. Years later a pilgrim girl comes to his hideout begging. It is Otsuru, who has journeyed all over searching for her parents. The mother, Oyumi, fearing that the child may suffer someday if the authorities apprehend her lawless parents, pretends not to know her, and weeping, she sends the child away. As Otsuru continues her journey, she is robbed and killed by a thief---her own father, who, not knowing the child is his own, commits this tragic deed in order to get the money she carries."
After the play finished the puppeteers kindly gave us a chance to touch the puppets and our American guests manipulated them with great interest. The puppeteer said that it takes 7 years of experience operating the legs of puppets and a total of 20 years to become a full-fledged puppeteer.

Then we proceeded to Awaji City. We called at Kunjudo Co., Ltd. that is a manufacturer of incense and incense sticks having a history of more than 100 years. The plant manager made a presentation on their company's profile and later we watched a video on the production process of incense and incense sticks. After he showed us around the production lines of the factory, we were given the opportunity to make incense ourselves. First we poured water and powder into a bowl and kneaded it. Then we added scented herbs, jasmine or lavender depending on what you preferred. When it hardened they spread it out with a wooden pole and made incense in a shape of stars, diamonds, hearts, clovers, triangles, squares, etc. using a metal mold. Finished products are sandwiched between paperboard to dry and packed in a plastic box to bring back home as souvenirs. I heard that their products are exported to France and they wish to export their products to the US as well. In the evening we moved to Himeji via the Akashi Straight Bridge.

On March 14, we took them to tourist spots in Himeji.
First we visited Himeji Castle. A veteran volunteer guide of Himeji Castle guided us inside the castle. We entered the castle from the Otemon (Front) Gate and went up to the castle tower. At each important point in the castle the guide kindly explained the facts in detail. In spite of being a weekday many tourists including students on a school excursion, young couples, and tourists from abroad were visiting. After lunch we showed them to the Kokoen Garden situated at the southwestern corner of the castle. Kokoen is an area of nine landscaped gardens with ponds for strolling around, each garden having its own unique features. There was a Japanese tearoom where our guests could experience a Japanese tea ceremony. There are also lakes, waterfalls, streams, around which flowers and trees flourish. Then we walked through the shopping streets and bought some souvenirs and local products.
Then we guided them to Nadagiku Co., Ltd., a famous sake brewery in Himeji that still retains the atmosphere of the wooden house built in the 1950s. They heard from the staff how sake is made and took a tour inside the factory and tasted some fresh sake.
In the evening we arranged a business meeting between the US travel agents and representatives of hotels and ryokans in Himeji. The representatives made presentation on their business outline and then frank opinions were actively exchanged. Main questions from the American side were as follows; Are there any bus services between the hotel or rhokan and Kansai International Airport? Are there any bus service between the hotel and main tourist spots in Himeji? If Americans wish to hold a wedding ceremony, what kind of service can we expect from the hotels? Can we make a reservation by e-mail? Can Americans pay by credit cards?
That night we stayed at a hot-spring ryokan in Shiota Onsen (hot springs).

The next day, March 15, we guided them to Engyoji Temple on Mt. Shosha opened by the holy priest Shoku in 966. Shoku had received a revelation from the Budhisattva Monju and said that anybody who had climbed the mountain would be inspired to pursue spiritual awakening, and living at its crest would have any sins originating in the six senses purged. It was the first time for me to visit and was surprised to see that there was a large temple in Hyogo Prefecture. The Shinto Priest kindly showed us around the temple and explained about each of the important temple structures. Recently it has become a popular tourist spot on tours that visit movie sets as many movies and TV programs are shot here, including the Hollywood movie, "The Last Samurai", and the popular NHK TV program "Musashi".
In the afternoon we visited Himeji City Shosha-no- Sato Art and Craft Museum, where various traditional fine crafts found in the Harima Area that surrounds Himeji City and provincial artistic toys are exhibited. There, the American travel agents attempted to paint artistic Himeji paper masks.
In the late afternoon we left for the northern part of Hyogo, Kinosaki-cho, Toyooka City. Surprisingly, in spite of it being March, the Toyooka area was covered with snow. The American travel agents got to experience traditional Japanese accommodations and bath in the hot springs.

In the morning of March 16, we visited the Mugiwara-zaiku Densho-Kan Museum (Japanese Straw Working Transmission Museum). We were lucky to see the Exhibition of the Philipp Franz von Siebold Collection. Dr. Siebold was a Dutch doctor who came to Japan at the latter part of the Edo Era. He and his son brought back various Japanese things to the Netherlands and among them was some Japanese straw working, which was made in Kinosaki. Contemporary craftsmen make the items that are now on display.
Next we visited the Bungeikan (Art & Literature) Museum. Works of poets, authors, artists, and other famous people reflecting on Kinosaki are displayed. The Americans tried to make Mugiwara-zaiku (Japanese straw working). They pasted dyed parts of straw on paper or post cards. Designs were flowers, birds, animals, yachts, etc. They did very well. After that we moved to the Homeland for the Kounotori-no-Sato (Oriental White Stork) Park. When we visited, Dr. Yoshito Ohsako, D.Sc. received us and made a presentation on how they tackle the issue of breeding and training the storks before releasing them into the wild. The last Oriental White Stork living in captivity in the Toyooka basin died at the breeding ground in 1986. In 1992 the project to return Oriental White Storks into the wild began. The homeland for the Oriental White Stork opened. Kounotori Park has bred over 100 of the oriental white stork and last year 5 storks were released into the wild for the first time.
After lunch we left for Izushi where we visited the ruins of a castle and the Samurai residence where arms and armor were exhibited. They looked at them with interest and sometimes asked questions. We left for Kobe in the afternoon.

The last day, March 17, we arranged to visit the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution. They experienced the Great Hanshin Earthquake through video, panels and models. In the afternoon, the American travel agents left from Kansai International Airport to head home.

All of them appreciated this educational tour and found the tourist attractions to be fascinating. Especially, Himeji Castle and the Engyoji Temple. The Hyogo Prefectural Homeland for the Oriental White Stork was also highly regarded.