• Application Deadline

    31.07.2023

  • Price

    CHF 1’395

What’s awaiting you

Have you ever wished to explore a country that mesmerizes you with both, its deeply rooted traditions and its hyper-futuristic technology, at the same time? If so, don’t hesitate and come with us to experience Japan, the land of the rising sun. This trip allows you to learn more about Japan’s unique culture, dramatic history and current challenges, while discovering also its beautiful nature – by bullet train, boat, bike and foot. Last but not least, experience the world famous and amazingly diverse Japanese cuisine, including sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki and much more. Got interested? Then join us on this journey to the Far East.

The Trip

The trip starts in Tokyo, capital of Japan and with its 37 million inhabitants currently the largest city in the world. After witnessing a few highlights of Tokyo, you will take the Shinkansen bullet train to travel to Kyoto, a former capital of Japan, where you will explore the city with its many temples, such as the zen temple Ryoan-ji with its rock garden, by bike. A day trip to Nara, Japans first capital, will allow to explore the Todai-ji, which has been the worlds biggest wooden building for a long time. The Shinkansen ride will take you further to the south to Hiroshima. Here you will learn about the dramatic events during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and explore the beautiful island of Miyajima, including a hike to its highest peak – Mt. Misen. From there you will take a ride to the vibrant city of Osaka, where you will experience its famous aquarium featuring whale sharks, see its famous castle and walk through the famous Dotonbori area at night. From Osaka, you will venture with the Thunderbird express to Kanazawa, where you will discover one of the most famous Japanese gardens in Japan. After that, you will return to Tokyo, where the trip will be concluded (after some more highlights including a day trip to the world heritage site Nikko) with a good-bye dinner in a traditional Japanese izakaya restaurant.

Highlights

  • Explore the largest city in the world, Tokyo, with its skyscrapers, shrines, museums, shopping streets and endless restaurants
  • Ride by bicycle through Kyoto to discover many of its wonders, such as temples, shrines and bamboo forests
  • Visit the mighty Todai-ji temple in Nara, being the largest wooden building in the world for a long time
  • Learn more about the history of the atomic bombing in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
  • Take the ferry to the beautiful island of Miyajima with its iconic “floating” Tori gate and hike to its highest peak, Mt. Misen – or take the cable car if you prefer
  • Gain an understanding of the ocean and its inhabitants in the giant aquarium of Osaka
  • Visit of one most famous Japanese Gardens, Kenrokuen, in Kanazawa
  • Explore the world heritage site Nikko with its decorated shrines and mausoleum
  • Take a relaxing bath in a traditional Japanese hot spa, Onsen
  • Delve into Akihabara electric town, Tokyo, with its electronic retailers, manga shops and arcade gaming towers
  • Visit the largest fish market in the world and try some of the freshest sushi available, if you like
  • Cross the worlds busiest and most famous pedestrian crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo
  • Visit a traditional Japanese izakaya restaurant, which can be reached by going exactly 35 steps underground
  • Try your best at singing songs at a traditional Japanese Karaoke party

Meet the Organizer

Philipp Kuert

Philipp originates from the countryside of the canton Bern and has been fascinated by Asian culture since he was introduced to the history of China and Japan at high school.  In 2012, he made his first trip to Asia with the IFIL trip to Japan. This trip instantly caused him to fall in love with the country and prompted him to move to Tokyo for a 1.5 yearlong research project in 2015. He has since moved back to Bern, where he enjoys all sorts of mountain-related activities such as hiking, mountain biking and skiing in his free time. He holds a PhD degree in Genetics from the University of Basel and works for the Federal Office of Public Health as a scientific officer on projects related to the therapeutic products law.

 

Aoi Nissato

Aoi is an office worker in Japan, working for a foreign owned subsidiary. Her major at university was German. She lived in Basel, Switzerland for one year as an exchange student during her university years, working on the research theme “city planning”. She misses Switzerland very much and hopes to travel there again someday. She likes to try new things and has lived in New Zealand. At that time she was working to support Japanese students studying abroad. Now she lives with her cat near the sea, dreaming of another adventure someday…

Detailed Programme

  • 03.09.2023

    Arrival at Tokyo

    Following up your arrival, meet up in the hostel to receive a first Japanese lesson in order to learn the most basic expressions! Afterwards, enjoy a well-deserved meal in a traditional Japanese izakaya restaurant.

  • 04.09.2023

    1st Day in Tokyo

    You will get a first glimpse of the giant city, travel around it with the subway and explore the University of Tokyo with its famous red gate, akamon. Further program points will be added on this day. In the evening, try delicious running sushi, also known as kaiten sushi.

  • 05.09.2023

    Kyoto

    You will travel to Kyoto with the Skinkansen bullet train (don’t forget to pick-up your bento box for lunch!). After arriving, you will receive a rental bicycle and join a bicycle ride through the city, enjoying many of its highlights, such as: the Ryoan-ji zen temple with its rock garden, the fushimi inari pathway and the arashiyama bamboo grove. Overnight stay in Kyoto.

  • 06.09.2023

    Nara

    Day trip to Nara, first capital of Japan. You will be exploring its beautiful nature, temples and shrines. Visit the Todai-ji temple, containing one of the world’s largest bronze Buddha statues, the Kasuga Taisha Shrine and wander around with free-roaming deer in the Nara park!

  • 07.09.2023

    Hiroshima

    After a bit longer bullet train ride, arrive in Hiroshima to visit the Peace Memorial Museum, documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II, with the associated Peace Memorial Park. Enjoy the typical Japanese pancake dish okonomiyaki as its “Hiroshima-style” version in the evening in okonomi-mura, also called okonomiyaki village.

  • 08.09.2023

    Miyajima

    Travel with the JR-Ferry to Miyajima, a small island less than an hour outside of Hiroshima, also known as Itsukushima. It is most famous for its giant red Tori gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. You will explore the Itsukushima shrine and then hike (or take the cable car) to the highest peak of the island, Mt. Misen.

  • 09.09.2023

    1 st Day in Osaka

    Shinkansen ride to Osaka, second largest metropolitan area of Japan after Tokyo. Visit Kaiyukan, one of the largest aquariums in the world, featuring the world’s biggest species of fish, whale sharks. In the evening, enjoy a walk through the neon-light filled streets of Dotonbori and enjoy again okonomiyaki, however this time as “Osaka-style” version.

  • 10.09.2023

    2 nd Day in Osaka

    Venture through the city of Osaka, exploring its famous castle. In the afternoon, you will take the Thunderbird express to the city of Kanazawa.

  • 11.09.2023

    Kanazawa

    Explore the city of Kanazawa including Kenrokuen, one of Japans most beautiful Japanese gardens, before taking back a Shinkansen ride to Tokyo.

  • 12.09.2023

    2 nd Day in Tokyo

    The daily program will incorporate more highlights in Tokyo, such as visiting Akihabara electric town and a museum, a view from the top of Tokyo in Shinju-ku and an evening in the Golden Gai district.

  • 13.09.2023

    Nikko

    Day trip to Nikko. Visit the highly decorated Toshogu shrine and the mausoleum of Tokugawa leyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Afterwards, enjoy a relaxing bath in a Japanese traditional spa, Onsen, next to lake Chuzenji.

  • 14.09.2023

    3 rd Day in Tokyo

    In the morning you will take a trip to the artificial island Odaiba in the Tokyo bay to visit the Toyosu wholesale fish market. If you like, you can try some of fresh sushi in one of the shops. In the afternoon, you will visit the Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, where you can buy some souvenirs. There is also a shop nearby where you can taste the apparently most rich-tasting Match ice cream in the world! The trip will wrap up in Shibuya. You will be walking through the famous Shibuya crossing to reach an izakaya restaurant, located 35 steps down underground, for the good-bye dinner. Itadakimasu! (Let’s eat!) The evening will be concluded with a Karaoke party.

  • 15.09.2023

    Closing of the program

    Return to the airport

You like what you’ve just read?

Yes

I would like to apply for the Study Trip to Japan.

Apply

Yes

But I’d rather have a look at the other Trips first.

See other

Yes

But I’d like to ask a few questions.

Write Us