If you love manga, pack your things. Because we're offering you the chance to go behind the scenes of one of Japan's most respected dojinshi events, Comitia -- and meet some of Japan's most respected anime and manga artists!
Nizo Yamamoto, art director of "Princess Mononoke," "Castle in the Sky," "Grave of the Fireflies" and more, will meet the group to discuss his long history painting and designing for anime, then take the group to Nippon Animation, where he worked with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata decades ago on "Anne of Green Gables" and "Future Boy Conan." Finally, Yamamoto-sensei will introduce some of the staff he worked with as art director on "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time."
And that's just the first of more exciting announcements to come!
Since 1984, Comitia has been one of Tokyo's most popular dojinshi events, run four times a year. At Comitia only original, creative art is allowed, not fan fiction. That has made it a key launchpad for new manga artists, with thousands of circles participating each year. It takes place at Tokyo Big Sight, which otaku will recognize from Comic Party, Genshiken and many other anime and manga series!
Even if you don't choose to sell your own book, you'll get an up-close look at the way Japan's manga market operates. And the tour will also include the chance to meet and pick the brains of some Japan's most important manga and dojinshi artists, plus a visit to a cutting-edge anime studio and Hayao Miyazaki's Ghibli Museum.
Naturally, Mind Over Manga also includes our tried-and-true tour of Tokyo, providing a mind-blowing look at the world's most populous urban area, plus a few excursions outside the city and an optional three-day tour of Osaka and Kyoto, Japan's thousand-year capital.
For our cancellation and privacy policies, click here.
All Pop Japan Travel tours include:
Full hotel accommodations
Airfare from LAX to Japan (not included in Land Only packages)
Guided tours
Customized guidebook
Mind Over Manga Tour
August 21st - August 31st 2008 $2,198 Plus $235 fuel surcharge (Land Only Package: $1,698)
July 21st 2008 (deadline has passed)
Day: 1
8/21/08
Launch!
Space Battleship PJT departs on its 5,470-mile journey to Iscandar-- I mean Tokyo!
The tour meets at the Tom Bradley International Terminal in Los Angeles International Airport. You'll leave Los Angeles aboard Singapore Airlines, the most comfortable affordable option in trans-Pacific travel, and fly to Tokyo. If you need to fly into LA to meet the tour, remember to arrive at least three hours before our departure to make sure you have time to collect your baggage, transfer to the terminal, and go through security and immigration.
Departure: Singapore Airlines Flight 11 departs LAX at 2:40 p.m. and arrives in Tokyo on August 22 at 6 p.m.
Day: 2
8/22/08
Arrive in Tokyo!
We set down at Narita International Airport and head to the hotel via charter bus. On the way, meet your traveling comrades and hear an introduction to Japanese culture and customs.
The tour price is based on double occupancy in two twin beds. Single occupancy is available at an additional charge. Couples who wish to sleep together should contact PJT when you apply.
Day: 3
8/23/08
A Century of Tokyo
A full day's introduction to the world's most populous city, from 1900 to 2008!
Start out the day at Sensoji, a temple in Asakusa, Tokyo's nightlife district at the turn of the 20th century. Then it's off to the otaku capital of the world, Akihabara, for comics, anime merchandise and a maid cafe! Finally, end the day in Roppongi Hills, a new Tokyo hot spot, with a look out over Tokyo from the 54-floor Mori Tower.
Option: Chofu Fireworks Festival
The Tokyo suburb of Chofu will be holding its summer fireworks festival, and we'll be taking a group out to enjoy the display over the Tama River -- and of course, the fun and food of a Japanese matsuri! If you've never been to a Japanese fireworks display before, they're pretty incredible. Check out this video from Chofu's festival two years ago:
Day: 4
8/24/08
Dojinshi Dash!
Sell and buy the world's most original self-printed comics at Comitia!
This is the big day! We board the Yurikamome monorail to Odaiba and Tokyo Big Sight -- the massive convention center seen in "Genshiken," "Comic Party" and more -- for Japan's oldest and most respected original dojinshi event: Comitia. And since we'll have a booth set up, you'll get to see the whole thing from behind the scenes!
If you've bought the Dojinshi Printing option, now's your chance to shine -- set up your wares, talk to your Japanese readers and sell, sell, sell!
If you find the time between comics shopping, check out the rest of Odaiba, the artificial pleasure island in Tokyo Bay with game centers, galleries and a genuine hot spring.
End the day with a refreshing cruise across Tokyo Bay to Hinode Port.
Option: Roppongi Kingyo Dance Show
Our Japan L.A. guest Nathan got called up on stage during a Kingyo show!
A part of every PJT tour, Kingyo is a one-of-a-kind midnight burlesque that blends Eastern tradition, neo-Tokyo theatricality and a very edgy sense of humor with hyperkinetic dance and lights! (Over 18 only.)
Click here for a video preview (but keep in mind this doesn't nearly do justice to the show, which is always a highlight for people who go.)
Day: 5
8/25/08
Moving Pictures
Experience the Ghibli Museum and a real anime studio!
Hop out of bed and set out for Kichijoji, where we'll walk through Inokashira Park (watch out for Totoros!) to the Ghibli Museum, the unique and exciting home of the art of Hayao Miyazaki ("Spirited Away," "Princess Mononoke"), Isao Takahata ("Grave of the Fireflies") and Japan's other animation greats.
After that, go behind the cels with a visit to one of Tokyo's top anime studios, then it's off to the land of the otaking -- Nakano Broadway, where the rarest anime goods, posters, figures and gachapon roam the halls of the world's greatest otaku shopping center.
Optional Tour: Tsukiji Fish Market
For early risers (and trust me, the jet lag will have you awake at 4 a.m. anyway), PJT offers an optional trip to the Tsukiji Fish Market. Surround yourself with the wild and weird bounty of the seas, as enormous tuna, squid and more get auctioned off -- then a sushi breakfast, straight off the boat! Space is limited on this bonus tour, so apply now!
Day: 6
8/26/08
Tokyo Cool
Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Shibuya
Start the day in the urban oasis of Meiji Shrine, then step across the Jingubashi into the epicenter of Tokyo pop art: Harajuku. Visit top local brands like Angelic Pretty and Putumayo. Or peruse the coolest T-shirts in the world at UT and Hanjiro. Or experience the multifloor toy paradise Kiddyland. It's up to you.
Next up -- Shibuya, birthplace of the gaudy gyaru culture and haunt of the Japanese DJ and vinyl addict, a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. Tokyo's coolest and weirdest stock the shelves of Loft, Don Quixote, Shibuya 109 and many more.
Option: Manga Lesson
Price not yet established
Learn the tricks of the manga trade from professional, published manga-ka!
Miyazaki's Latest Film! Ponyo on the Cliff By the Sea
Come with us to see Hayao Miyazaki's latest film in its original theatrical release in Japan, at least months ahead of the (unannounced) American release! No English subtitles, but I think we all know Miyazaki's films are beautiful enough to compensate.
Day: 7
8/27/08
Tokyo-Only Group: Depart Japan
Close the book
This volume of your Japan journey draws to a close, but we hope you'll end it in a classic manga fashion:
TO BE CONTINUED!
Optional Tour: Kyoto & Osaka
Don't let it end so soon! Join PJT for a trip to the seat of ancient imperial Japan for a look back at Japan's exciting history of warrior monks, striking art and samurai machinations -- plus even more exclusive pop culture activities!
On Day 1 of our Kansai tour, board the world-renowned Shinkansen bullet train to Kyoto, Japan's capital for a thousand years.
Kyoto is a city every traveler should see, and you'll be in good hands. Meet a charter bus at the station, and travel in comfort to visit the icons of Japanese history: the golden pavilion, the shogun's castle, a hall containing 1,001 Buddha statues and the stunning Kiyomizudera -- an ancient temple perched atop 139 zelkova pillars over a gorge that has been called one of the new wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our professional guides will be there at every step to explain the significance and meaning behind each monument.
Day: 8
8/28/08
Kyoto & Osaka Group: Ride the River
Exquisite scenery and Japan's second city!
In the morning, experience the stunning vistas of the Hozu River, letting you gently in Arashiyama, a mountain neighborhood full of old shops and homes. Here is Saga, Japan's most famous bamboo grove, and the House of the Fallen Persimmons, where three centuries ago the inventor of the haiku, Matsuo Basho, stayed and composed his poetry.
Then we whisk you off to Osaka for a trip through Dotonbori, Japan's gluttony central; Amerikamura, full of weird fashions, and Denden Town, Kansai's Akiba and home to a three-story Gundam shop. There may even be some thrilling surprises waiting for us...
Day: 9
8/29/08
Kyoto & Osaka Group: Free Day in Kansai
Explore!
Set out your own and see even more of Kansai. Perhaps a trip to see the enormous Buddha at Nara, or to the picturesque Phoenix Hall on the Uji River, or to the modern harbor city of Kobe -- the possibilities are nearly endless!
Kyoto & Osaka Group: Optional Tour - Hiroshima
Strike out into Japan's west for a day in Hiroshima. See the sobering A-bomb dome, all that remains of a convention hall built right under the blast that destroyed the city on that fateful day in August 1945. Experience one of the world's best peace museums. Then hop on a ferry to the holy isle of Miyajima, famous for its "floating torii" gate and renowned as one of Japan's three most beautiful sights!
Day: 10
8/30/08
Kyoto & Osaka Group: Depart Japan
Exhausted but happy
We board the bullet train one last time to return to Tokyo, to Narita Airport, to LA and back to the everyday world. But though your routine might be the same, something will be different: Your trip to Japan will change you forever!
Day: 11
8/31/08
Option: One More Day in Tokyo
For an additional $100, stay on a day in Tokyo to do whatever you like! Or enjoy a special tour run by one of our affiliates:
Samurai Sword Action $130 You will learn how to fight using a Samurai sword from a group of experts led by Tetsuro Shimaguchi, the head choreographer in the swordfight scene in the snowy garden in "Kill Bill: Volume One" and the man who played the role of Crazy 88 (Miki) in the film. First, you will learn basic movements in sword fighting, for example, drawing, posing and swinging. Then, before practicing sword fighting in pairs, you will watch breathtaking sword fights by your instructors. So your performance can be evaluated after your performance will be videotaped. At the end of this program, you will change into kimono and hakama (traditional skirt-like clothing). Don't miss this great opportunity to receive a lesson from a team of worldwide known sword fighting actors!
Mt. Fuji/Hakone Tour
Without lunch: $150 With lunch: $170
Experience Mt. Fuji, Japan's most famous symbol! Take in the amazing views from Mt. Fuji 5th Station (weather permitting) before moving to Hakone, where you will board a cruise boat and travel across Lake Ashi to Hakone-en Garden. From the garden, take the ropeway up Mt. Komagatake for a spectacular panoramic view of Mt. Fuji and the valley below.
Nikko and Kegon Waterfall
$145 (includes lunch)
Local travelers want to visit this beautiful site at least once in their lifetime! On this day trip to Nikko, one of Japan's most beautiful regions, visit Nikko Toshogu Shrine, dedicated to the first shogun of the Tokugawa era and famous for its carving of the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" monkeys. Travel up Irohazaka to Lake Chuzenji and marvel at Kegonnotaki Waterfall, considered one of the three most beautiful waterfalls in Japan.
Kamakura Walking Tour
$109 (includes lunch)
Visit Kamakura, a very popular tourist destination for its temples, shrines, historical monuments, and beaches! Enjoy a superb view of Kamakura and the sea from Hasedera Temple before taking a short walk to the Great Buddha, the second largest Buddha statue in Japan. After lunching at a Japanese restaurant, take the Edo-den to Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine, the most important shrine in Kamakura. Walk along Wakamiya-oji, famous for the hundreds of cheery trees that line it, to the shrine. On the way home, stop by Komachi-dori's many arts and crafts shops and tea shops.
Tour requires a minimum of 20 participants.
Register now -- only a deposit is required!!
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If you love manga, pack your things. Because we're offering you the chance to go behind the scenes of one of Japan's most respected dojinshi events, Comitia -- and meet some of Japan's most respected anime and manga artists!
Nizo Yamamoto, art director of "Princess Mononoke," "Castle in the Sky," "Grave of the Fireflies" and more, will meet the group to discuss his long history painting and designing for anime, then take the group to Nippon Animation, where he worked with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata decades ago on "Anne of Green Gables" and "Future Boy Conan." Finally, Yamamoto-sensei will introduce some of the staff he worked with as art director on "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time."
Since 1984, Comitia has been one of Tokyo's most popular dojinshi events, run four times a year. At Comitia only original, creative art is allowed, not fan fiction. That has made it a key launchpad for new manga artists, with thousands of circles participating each year. It takes place at Tokyo Big Sight, which otaku will recognize from Comic Party, Genshiken and many other anime and manga series!
In the morning, experience the stunning vistas of the Hozu River, letting you gently in Arashiyama, a mountain neighborhood full of old shops and homes. Here is Saga, Japan's most famous bamboo grove, and the House of the Fallen Persimmons, where three centuries ago the inventor of the haiku, Matsuo Basho, stayed and composed his poetry.
Strike out into Japan's west for a day in Hiroshima. See the sobering A-bomb dome, all that remains of a convention hall built right under the blast that destroyed the city on that fateful day in August 1945. Experience one of the world's best peace museums. Then hop on a ferry to the holy isle of Miyajima, famous for its "floating torii" gate and renowned as one of Japan's three most beautiful sights!