School Art Trip to Tokyo

An art school trip to Tokyo will open your students’ eyes to completely different styles and traditions!

Japan is an excellent destination for a school art trip abroad - and discovering the art and culture in and around Tokyo is certainly a real highlight. Art takes many forms in Japan, including but not limited to pottery designs, ink painted silks and bonsai, as well as the more vivid designs of exotic gardens and buildings.

And it’s not surprising that so much beautiful art has been created here – Japan is a naturally beautiful country highlighted by the pinks of cherry blossom in the spring and an explosion of warm colours in the autumn. If you want to open up your trip to more students, why not join forces with the geography or business studies department to make your trip cross-curricular?

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Evening

Overnight flight to Tokyo

Day 2

Morning

Arrive in Tokyo Meet guide and transfer to accommodation

Afternoon

Free time to explore with your guide

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 3

Morning

Visit Asakusa and Nakamise Street Optional kimono-wearing experience (supplement applies)

Afternoon

Visit the Amuse Museum Visit Tokyo National Art Museum

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 4

Morning

Visit the Imperial Palace

Afternoon

Visit the Nezu Museum Visit the Meji Shrine

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 5

Morning

Full day tour to Hakone with views of Mt. Fuji Enjoy the Komagatake Ropeway and a cruise on Lake Ashi

Afternoon

Visit the Hakone Open Air Museum before returning to Tokyo

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 6

Morning

Visit the National Art Centre of Tokyo

Afternoon

Visit the Mori Museum and Roppongi Hills Observation Deck

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 7

Morning

Visit the Anime Museum

Afternoon

Free time for last-minute sightseeing and shopping

Evening

Evening meal at local restaurant or accommodation

Day 8

Morning

Return flight to UK

Afternoon

Arrive back in the UK

6 nights' half-board accommodation
All flights including tax
Coach transfers
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Itinerary planning service
Mount Fuji tour
Public transport and private coach as per itinerary
VAT

Curriculum

A Level

Impact and influences of various artists
Continuity and change in different genres and styles
Independent judgements of art
Conveying meaning through images and artefacts
Social and cultural context of images and artefacts
Personal portfolio: reflections, resources and influences

GCSE

Responses to museum, gallery and site visits
Personal reflections on art
Works of key artists, craftspeople and designers
Contemporary and historical contexts of art

Key Stage 3

Evaluation and analysis of creative works
Works of great artists, craft makers and designers
Effects of historical and cultural contexts

Accommodation

Tokyo Central Youth Hostel

Tokyo Central Youth Hostel occupies the 18th and 19th floors of a high-rise building in a very central location, so offers fantastic views over the city, something not usually offered by this style of accommodation. The hostel welcomes guests from all over the world and provides Japanese-style shared baths (separate for ladies/gents), a dining room, a meeting room, a lounge and tourist information centre, making this a great base for exploring Tokyo. Please note that the youth hostel has a curfew of 11pm. Individual room and locker keys provided at check-in.

Tour highlights

Visit the Ginza Area

The Ginza area is most famous for its high-end shopping. Here you’ll find trendy department stores packed to the rafters with all the latest designer gear, including some of Japan’s most famous labels, such as Uniqlo, Comme des Garçons and Muji. But Ginza isn’t all about shopping – some of Tokyo’s best restaurants are located in this area. Whether you’re after sushi, sashimi, tempura or ramen, there is a restaurant in Ginza to satisfy your cravings. And don’t miss the opportunity to watch a performance of *kabuki *(traditional Japanese drama) at the Kabuki-Za – this is the city’s best-known theatre for the art form.

Did you know?

This is one of the most expensive areas of real estate in Tokyo, with one square metre of land in the centre worth more than 10 million yen!

Visit the Asakusa Area

The Asakusa Area is one of the more traditionally Japanese areas in Tokyo and is home to a number of Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines. A popular entertainment district, and Tokyo’s oldest geisha district, the area was famous for its theatres and cinemas in the early 20 th century. However, it was heavily bombed during the Second World War and, although rebuilt, Asakusa was surpassed by other areas such as Shinjuku in terms of entertainment. But it remains a fantastic place in which to learn more about Japanese culture and traditions. There are many fantastic restaurants here serving traditional Japanese dishes and, if you’re lucky, your visit may coincide with one of the many *matsuri* (Shinto festivals) that are held here.

Did you know?

One of the highlights of Asakusa is the Senso-ji, an ancient Buddhist temple that was originally founded here in 645 AD.

Be inspired by Lake Ashi

Beautiful Lake Ashi is a crater lake formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone over 3,000 years ago. It’s famous for its beautiful scenery, which can include views across the iconic Mt. Fuji, when cloud cover permits. The best way to see the beauty of this lake is to hop aboard a sightseeing boat – some of which are modelled to look like pirate ships! One of the highlights of the lake is the Hakone Shrine, a traditional Shinto shrine. Its presence is signalled by the huge *torii* gate which rises out of the lake itself.

Did you know?

Lake Ashi has long inspired artists, especially those of the *Ukiyo-e* genre of woodblock prints and paintings. Hokusai featured the lake in his famous *Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji* and Hiroshige also depicted it in his series *The Fifty-Three Stations of the T**o**kaid**o*.

Educational Activities

Suginami Animation Museum

Suginami Animation Museum is set in the heart of Tokyo's Suginami district which has become home to many of the animation companies in Japan.

The National Art Centre, Tokyo

The National Art Center, Tokyo boasts 14,000 square meters of exhibition space, which is one of the largest in Japan.

Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum is the oldest and largest museum in Japan.

Cultural Activities

Asakusa Area

Asakusa is one of the largest downtown amusement centers in Tokyo and a must for visitors to Japan. It boasts

Ginza Area

Ginza is Japan's most fashionable shopping address, with high-end shops, boutiques, art galleries and department stores.

Lake Ashi

Lake Ashi (Japanese: Ashinoko) was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano's last eruption 3000 years ago.

Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, standing at 3,776 metres high about 60 miles west of Tokyo.

Tokyo Imperial Palace

The Tokyo Imperial Palace is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. This is a fantastic visit for your students.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.