●Enjoy the majestic nature and rich Japanese culture of central Hokkaido

●A new experience-based tour plan that delivers an engaging trip to Japan, even for returning visitors

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2017

JTB Group, Japan's largest travel agency, through JTB Sunrise Tours, its tour brand dedicated to bringing foreign tourists to Japan, has launched sales of a brand-new bus tour plan that invites foreign visitors to experience the majestic nature and rich Japanese culture of central Hokkaido, a favorite destination of tourists to Japan.

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Ninja Show at Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura (Photo: Business Wire)

This conveniently designed tour departs from Sapporo Station in Sapporo, Hokkaido's urban capital, and takes visitors on a 2 days and 1 night all-bus-travel plan before returning them once again to Sapporo Station. Guests will stay at the Meitounoyado Park Hotel Miyabitei located in central Noboribetsu Hot Springs, Hokkaido's most famous hot springs resort area which is immensely popular even among Japanese people. Visitors have access to hot springs with many benefits as well as the nearby River Oyunuma Natural Footbath, a rare natural hot spring river footbath. This plan has been carefully designed to deliver the breathtaking nature and rich Japanese culture of central Hokkaido to visitors in a single trip. An English-speaking tour-guide interpreter will accompany guests to ease and disencumber English speaking visitors from any concerns over the language barrier.

• Bask in the natural grandeur of central Hokkaido
  • Experience kayaking on Lake Shikotsu, boasting an unparalleled water quality in Japan with water so clear that the lake bottom can be seen from the surface.
  • Take a trip to Showa-shinzan, a volcano in the Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Global Geopark, accredited as a UNESCO World Geopark.
• Experience Japanese culture
  • Visit Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura, a historical theme park that recreates an Edo Period village to watch exciting Ninja and Oiran concubine themed shows.
  • Visit the Date Reimei-Kan swordsmith forge to see a master swordsmith ('katana-kaji') craft a Japanese sword.

The Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association had this to say about the special appeal of Noboribetsu Hot Springs:

“Noboribetsu Hot Springs (aka. Noboribetsu Onsen) has been healing the body and souls of innumerable visitors with bountiful and diverse springs, even by Hokkaido standards. Powerful expressions of nature in every season set this spa area apart from others. These include Jigoku-Dani (Hell Valley), whose subtle boiling sounds can still be heard today; Oyunuma Pond, a gourd-shaped water mass with a circumference of about 1 km formed by an explosion crater at Mount Kuttara; and the River Oyunuma Natural Footbath, a hot spring river that meanders through lush nature.

Apart from hot springs, there are also special festivals that include the ‘Noboribetsu Jigoku Festival’, where the Enma Daio (King of Hell) makes an appearance; ‘Noboribetsu Onsen Hot Spring Festival’, that is held to celebrate and pray for the area's hot springs and people's good health; and the area's number one attraction: ‘Demons' Fireworks in Hell Valley,’ featuring hand-held fireworks launched to honor Yukijin, ogre god of the hot springs¹.”

Reservations can be made on JTB Group's tour reservation website JAPANiCAN.com, where visitors can also book tours, hotels and ryokans throughout Japan.

Sales Venues
JAPANiCAN.com
http://www.japanican.com/th/tour/detail/ECS2H00211HHS

About JTB Group

JTB was established in 1912 as a means to increase foreign tourists to Japan and has grown to become the largest travel agency in Japan, employing roughly 26,000 people, contracting with approximately 18,000 lodging facilities throughout Japan, and handling more than three million visitors to Japan each year.

JTB Sunrise Tours began offering the first package tours for visitors to Japan in 1964. Since then, JTB Sunrise Tours has earned a good reputation among the many tourists who come to Japan each year.

JTB is able to utilize more than a century of history and experience as well as a network that covers all of Japan to offer travel products and services for anyone visiting Japan.

About JTB Sunrise Tours

JTB Sunrise Tours is a tour brand dedicated to foreign visitors to Japan which began offering services in Japan in 1964. Many of its plans include tour-guide interpreters and provide guaranteed departure even with just one to two participants, providing even first-time visitors with the means to enjoy Japan with full confidence and peace of mind. JTB Sunrise Tours offers a comprehensive lineup of over 1000 tour-courses across Japan that span everything from distinctively Japanese history and culture to modern Japan, allowing visitors to reap maximum enjoyment from various genres.

1: "Noboribetsu Jigoku Festival," "Noboribetsu Onsen Hot Spring Festival," and "Demons' Fireworks in Hell Valley" are not included in this tour plan.

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Contact:

JTB Public Relations Office
+81-3-5796-5833
jtbpr@hd.jtb.jp