JOE 2023
JOE 2023 itinerary has been updated (5/6/2023). There are hyperlinks to many of the locations we will be visiting! These are the hotels we will be staying at. Some changes may be made to the order of various sightseeing activities. Get excited!
| Day | Date | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Thursday 14 Sept BNE AIRPORT Departure from College 7.00am Arrive Haneda coach to hotel Stay TOKYO | JOE Team will depart by bus from the College. (pre-departure meeting 6.15am) Departure Day: Brisbane International Airport Brisbane Airport QF 0061 Departs 11:40 BNE— HND Arrives 20:00 Terminal 1 Brisbane to Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Travel to TOKYU STAY TAKANAWA |
| 1 | Friday 15 Sept Stay KYOTO | JR RAIL Pass exchange. Travel to Kyoto. Bento Lunch on train. Drop luggage at hotel. Sight seeing Higashi Honganji, Explore Kyoto Eki and have dinner in small groups in the underground mall area. HOTEL: HOTEL ELCIENT KYOTO |
| 2 | Saturday 16 Sept Stay KYOTO | Depart for Himeiji Jo – Climb Castle visit Kokoen Garden. Picnic Lunch. Return to Kyoto. Dinner at Aeon Mall. HOTEL: HOTEL ELCIENT KYOTO |
| 3 | Sunday 17 Sept Stay KYOTO | Early morning visit to Fushimi Inari Jinja. Walking lunch at the market stalls. Local train travel to Mustard Seed Church Kyoto. Special theatre show; GEAR . Dinner in small groups in the mall area near theatre. Subway back to HOTEL: HOTEL ELCIENT KYOTO |
| 4 | Monday 18 Sept Stay KYOTO | Sightseeing by private coach Nara in the morning then return to Kyoto – Kinkaku – ji Temple, Explore Nijo – jo Castle; and Kiyomizudera, Lunch and Dinner on tour. HOTEL:HOTEL ELCIENT KYOTO |
| 5 | Tuesday 19 Sept Back Packing Stay HIROSHIMA | Send Luggage by TAKUBIN to Minokamo HIgh School. (Back packing from this point) Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Travel to Miyajima & the Itsukushima Shrine by JR Ferry. Dinner at HOTEL: WASHINGTON HOTEL HIROSHIMA |
| 6 | Wednesday 20 Sept Stay HIROSHIMA | Up early to visit the Peace Museum. Walk from our hotel. Lunch then bus to visit Iwakuni; Kintaikyo; 100 Icecream! Return to Hiroshima. Dinner at HOTEL: WASHINGTON HOTEL HIROSHIMA |
| 7 | Thursday 21 Sept Back Packing Stay NAGOYA | Leave Hiroshima and travel to Nagoya by Shinkansen. Visit the Nagoya Planetarium, Dinner in small groups near Nagoya station. HOTEL: CYPRESS HOTEL NAGOYA EKIMAE |
| 8 | Friday 22 Sept Home Stay 1 | Walk around Nagoya castle. Lunch in the castle grounds; Travel to Minokamo. (Special Express Train – HIDA 11 12:48 arrive 13:27) arrive in the afternoon at Mino Ota Station. Picked up by school bus. Luggage is waiting. Meet and greet, orientation, hand over to host families of Minokamo School |
| 9 | Saturday 23 Sept Home Stay 2 | Students will have free time with their Host Families. |
| 10 | Sunday 24 Sept Home Stay 3 | Students will have free time with their Host Families. |
| 11 | Monday 25 Sept Home Stay 4 | Welcome Assembly. Students attend class with buddies, Japanese lessons. CHADOU Japanese Tea Experience; Home Stay (Schedule Changeable) |
| 12 | Tuesday 26 Sept Home Stay 5 | Students attend class, visit with buddies. KENDO Experience. Home Stay (Schedule Changeable) |
| 13 | Wednesday 27 Sept Home Stay 6 | Students attend class, visit with buddies. JUDO Experience Home Stay (Schedule Changeable) |
| 14 | Thursday 28 Sept Stay HAKONE | Depart Minokamo early (7.00am) to Hakone by private coach. (Our bags stay under the bus for the next 2 days.) Travel to the Hakone region. Drive-up Mt Fuji to the 5th Station; Travel to Hakone Sekishisho and sightseeing around Lake Ashinoko – Owakudani, Hakone Ropeway Hakone Open Air Museum (Some locations will be dependant on weather) HOTEL: REMBRANDT PREMIUM FUJI GOTEMBA (MODERN RYOKAN) |
| 15 | Friday 29 Sept Stay TOKYO Near Disney Resort | Depart early from Hakone, travel directly to Tokyo Disney Resort – DISNEYSEA Stay to the end of day Night Parade then stay at HOTEL; HILTON TOKYO BAY (This is connected to Disney Resorts by monorail) Our bags will be dropped off at the hotel. |
| 16 | Saturday 30 Sept Stay TOKYO | Travel into Tokyo for city tour. National Museum of Nature & Science—Ueno ,Shibuya (?), Asakusa Temple and Nakamisedori, SKYTREE night view. Lunch and dinner on tour. Travel to HOTEL: TOKYU STAY TAKANAWA |
| 17 | Sunday 1 Oct Depart Tokyo for Haneda Airport 17.00 | Teamlab Planets. Lunch. Miraikan—National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. Travel to Haneda Airport – 17:30. (Sort luggage) QF 0062—21:30 Terminal 3—Haneda to Brisbane |
| 0 | Monday 2 Oct Arrive Brisbane 7.30am | Arrive Brisbane Airport 07.30am Parents to collect from Brisbane International Airport. |
| This is a draft itinerary and there are likely to be some changes. Thank you for your understanding |
genesis2japan 
Hi Learna,
This is Vrishin’s Dad.
We are all very excited for wonderful journey planned and look forward to all the updates on the blog site.
Hi Rachel, I hope you are enjoying your school lessons. It looks like lots of fun from what we can see in the photos. Have a great day off with your host family tomorrow. xxx
Hi Ben Turner, Angela’s dad. Looks like it is going well.
Hi Kyeria look like you are happy and having fun
Hey everyone everything is going well and I am having so much fun!!!
Hi Kyeria – it is great to hear that you are having so much fun. Can’t wait to see all your photos. Take care – love from Dad, Mom, Ryan and Sky.
Hi Kyeria how’s it going, On the second stage.
Hey family I am having a great time in Japan. I have so many great photos.
Miss you all!!!
Love you
Hiya great photos,everyone is looking happy
Hope you got lots of photos to share with us.
HIII DADDY!
The itinerary looks amazing! Some new experiences this time (different from 2012). The art/samurai activity in Kyoto and the food art place would be interesting. The kids are going to need a week to recover!
I always try to mix it up, and try something new. Going to Matsumoto Jo is a new place for me! Great students so should be an amazing trip, feeling blessed indeed!
Wow under a week to go. Learna you have done an amazing job. God Bless to you and the JOE Team.
Not long now. (I just noticed the 4am Airport dropoff !!) Claire (Michael’s mum)
Hi Claire…thank you for bringing that to my attention…I sent out an email and changed the time in the students survival manual for drop off to be between 4:30 to 4:45 sharp… I’ll change it on the blog! Regards
The itinerary sounds amazing! Everyone is going to have a blast!
Learna you have done an amazing job!
Wishing the team all the best, Alicia will have a blast, just like I did back in the day 🙂
PS I’ll book my ticket now 😛 haha!
Only 58 days to go…..how exciting !! Mandy Brydon – Mitchell Clarke’s Mum
Hi Mandy, thank you for your post. Let me know if you can now see the future posts. Regards Learna Shimizu
I want to go too!! – Jody Taylor (Meegan Hannon’s mum)
I often receive that request from parents! I see it as a compliment… Only 80 days till the team leave.
Yay less than 3 months to go!!
Soo excited for this :DDD
Tomorrow I’ll show you all a few more new places we are going to! Very exciting!
It’s gonna be so fun!
Yes it is, I know you are going to have an amazing time!
Sue Gant – Zoe Gant’s Mum
Welcome to our blog Sue. I hope you find this site helpful and when we are over there you will be able to follow Zoe’s adventures everyday!
I’m so excited to go! 😀