Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Hi Everybody,

As most of you know, I have been leading at least one Annual Tour  to Japan since 1980, and many of you have come with me more then once. It is the kind of tour that is also good for spouses and non-Shakuhachi people! In 2008, I will be going two times. Here are some of the Highlights:

TENRI TOURS 2008 -- ITINERARY

Friday, April 4, 2008 -- depart around noon from JFK Airport in New York (or from another airport) -- arrive at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Saturday afternoon -- fly by small jet to Itami Airport in Osaka -- ride a commuter bus into Tenri City, a beautiful village in Nara Prefecture, the spiritual home of the Tenrikyo religion.

5 days in Tenri -- while acclimating to the time change, listen to presentations about the history of the Tenrikyo religion -- tour the main sanctuary of Tenrikyo -- shop in the Hondori shopping arcade, where you can find great deals on traditional Japanese clothing -- visit Iso no Kami-jingu (the oldest Shinto shrine) and walk along Yama Nobe no Michi (the oldest mountain road in Japan) -- tour Horyu-ji (one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan) -- spend a day in Nara, visiting the Nara-koen (a city park with bowing "sacred deer"), the Nara National Museum of Art, and Todai-ji (a Buddhist temple and largest wooden structure in the world, containing the largest bronze Buddha) -- accommodations are provided at one of the many Tenrikyo pilgrim dormitories

4 days in Kyoto -- take a commuter train into the ultra-modern Kyoto Station -- have shakuhachi lessons with Yoshio Kurahashi-sensei at his home in Rashomon, near the famous Toji pagoda -- visit Meian-ji (the temple where shakuhachi playing was developed) -- meditate in the beautiful rock garden of Tofuku-ji -- visit Sanju sangendo (the temple of 1,001 Kannon statues) -- tour Kiyomizudera (the famous mountainside temple with a balcony on stilts) -- marvel at the beauty of Katsura Rikyu and Shugaku-in (two imperial villas) and Heian-jingu (a large Shinto shrine) with their exquisite gardens -- buy souvenirs at the Kyoto Handicrafts Center -- spend a day in Uji (the village where the tea ceremony was developed), buying tea, witnessing a demonstration of the ceremony, and touring Byodo-in (famous for its Phoenix Hall, as featured on the 10-yen coin) -- accommodations are provided at a Tenrikyo branch temple

5 days in Tokyo -- ride the Shinkansen ("bullet train") into Tokyo -- stroll along the Ginza, partaking in the gourmet delicacies of the food stalls at Mitsukoshi department store -- attend a 5-hour performance of the grand Kabuki-za -- stare in awe at the bright lights of Shinjuku (Tokyo's night-time entertainment district) -- spend a day in Kawasaki City at the Nihon Minka-en (an outdoor museum of traditional houses and architecture) -- travel to Kamakura to admire the Dai-Buttsu (the largest outdoor bronze Buddha) and to climb the endless stairs of Hasadera temple -- visit the home and studio of Sadao Chinone (a famous shakuhachi maker) in Hitachi City -- accommodations are provided at a Tenrikyo grand temple near Asakusa (the bustling shopping district, famous for its Kaminari-mon ("thunder gate").—We will also visit an Onsen (Hot Spring) near the Pacific Ocean.

During the tour , you can get as many Shakuhachi lessons as desired!

Sunday, April 20, 2008 -- depart from Tokyo's Narita Airport, arriving back in New York around noon the same day (because of the International Dateline)

(From November 17, 2008- December 2, 2008, I will basically repeat the same Itinerary)
Please contact me with any questions you may have at<nyogetsu@nyogetsu.com>
or call 917-207-6724.