The Best of Japan: A Contrast in Tradition and Innovation

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A visa is not required for stays of less than 90 days. Participants must ensure they have one blank page in their passport for the entry stamp. Currency amounts equivalent to ¥1,000,000 or above subject to declaration on arrival and departure. All foreign nationals are required to provide fingerprint scans and to be photographed at the port of entry.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

Health Concerns We want you to arrive healthy, stay healthy, and return home healthy! The full schedule is demanding and can be tiring, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. It is important to arrive well rested and free from illness to take full advantage of our time together. While we take appropriate health and safety precautions on all programs, we urge you to be informed and to share in the responsibility for your well-being. If you have specific concerns regarding your participation in this program, please consult your physician and feel free to contact us with your questions. Inoculations No immunizations are required, although we strongly suggest that you contact your personal physician for recommendations regarding your individual health requirements. You should also be up-to-date with all your shots, including tetanus and standard immunizations. Medications Pack a supply of all medications you take regularly. Japanese law allows for one month's supply of prescription medication. It is recommended to bring along copies of your prescription and, if you have an unusual prescription, carry a letter from your physician explaining your need for the drug. As an extra precaution, carry the generic names of your medications with you because pharmaceutical companies overseas may use different names from those used in the United States. Medications available by prescription or over-the-counter sale in many countries do not necessarily meet the standards for safety, quality, and consistency found at home, and familiar brands may not be available. Thus, the safest course of action is to pack plenty of what you are likely to need. Please note that any prescribed medication containing amphetamine is completely illegal in Japan and thus may not be brought into Japan in any circumstances. To prevent problems in case your luggage is lost or misrouted, keep medications in their original containers and pack them in carry-on luggage.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on November 6, 2025

Meet the group at Shiba Park Hotel in Tokyo

Start of Trip:  At hotel. Check in from 4:00 p.m.

Getting to the site: The hotel is easily accessible by train from either of Tokyo's airports - Haneda or Narita. There is also the monorail from Haneda. A taxi from Haneda will take approximately 30 minutes and be likely to cost between ¥7,000 and ¥8,500. A taxi from Narita will take approximately 2 hours, 10 minutes and cost around ¥25,000. From Haneda Take the Keikyu Airport Line from Haneda Airport to Daimon Station. At Daimon, take the A6 Exit and walk straight. Turn right after you cross the traffic light, which is in front of the big shrine archway. Walk straight until you get to the Seven Eleven convenience store and turn left. You will find the hotel on the right at the end of the street. It is around a 4-minute walk. Alternatively, take the Tokyo Monorail from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station. At Hamamatsucho, take the North Exit and turn left out of the ticket gate toward Tokyo Tower. Walk straight, and turn right after you cross the traffic light, which is in front of the big shrine archway. Walk straight until you get to the Seven Eleven convenience store and turn left. You will find the hotel on the right at the end of the street. It is around an 8-minute walk. From Narita Take the Sky Liner from Narita Airport Station to Nippori Station. Change to JR Yamanote Line, and get off at Hamamatsucho Station. This should take around 70 minutes. Alternatively, take he Narita Express from Narita Airport Station to Tokyo Station. Change to JR Yamanote Line, and get off at Hamamatsucho Station. This should take around 85 minutes. There is also a limousine bus from Narita. Take the bus to the bus stop: “inumo shibakoen” in front of Shiba Park Hotel. This will take approximately 2 hours, 25 minutes and cost around ¥4,000.

Your trip ends on: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 in Osaka at Osaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

End of Trip: After breakfast on Day 14; 11:00 a.m. hotel check-out. 1:00 p.m. coach to Kansai International Airport (KIX).

Getting to the airport: For those who have booked their flights through Road Scholar, there will be a single motorcoach transfer from our Osaka hotel to Kansai International Airport (KIX) on Day 14. This will be at 1:00 p.m. For those making their own way to KIX, the Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT) is a short taxi ride (that should cost JPY 2,000 at most) from our final hotel. The bus service from OCAT to Kansai International Airport currently costs ¥1,550.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.