“You do not have to do any volunteer works. But just come to the affected areas. Local businesses need more customers. Visiting disaster areas, staying at hotels or bed & breakfast, and buying souvenirs, really help people in Tohoku.”
— Mr. Hirokazu Tsunoda, leader of volunteer group “Chonmage-Tai”
Tour Itinerary
Feb 27 (Mon) Morning, leaving Los Angeles by airplane
Feb 28 (Tue) Afternoon, arriving at Tokyo
23:00, leaving Ikebukuro Station by express bus “Kesen Liner”
Feb 29 (Wed) 06:00, arriving at Kesennuma, Miyagi prefecture
This tour will stay at Ksennuma Hotel Kanyo from Feb 29 through Mar 4, (4 nights). Accommodations are in Japanese ryokan style: sharing one big room.
Kesennuma is at the central location of the most devastated areas by Mar 11 tunami. Tour participants may visit Rikuzentakata, and Ofunato in Iwate prefecture, and Minami-Sanriku cho in Miyagi prefecture.
Mar 01 (Thu) Local activities
Mar 02 (Fri) Local activities
Mar 03 (Sat) Local activities
Mar 04 (Sun) Morning, leaving Kensennuma by JR train
Noon, arriving at Tokyo Station by Shinkan-sen (bullet) train
This tour will be disbanded at Tokyo Station. Returnees will go to Narita airport in the afternoon to catch their flights. Participants may extend their schedules in Japan by their owns.
This tour costs approximately $2,100 per person including air ticket from Los Angeles. Local activities will be arranged for the interests of each participant.
Please contact Shige Higashi, publisher of Cultural News, at (213) 819-4100 or email higashi@culturalnews.com
“Just visiting the disaster area helps local business and people”
Hirokazu Tsunoda, owner of shoe stores in Chiba prefecture, visited Kesennuma city and Ojika peninsula area in Miyagi prefecture for 17 times as of Jan 2012 to help victims in the disaster areas.
When he visited Los Angeles and Phoenix in the middle of January, he said, “You do not have to do any volunteer works. But just come to the affected areas. Local businesses need more customers. Visiting disaster areas, staying at hotels or bed & breakfast, and buying souvenirs, really help people in Tohoku.”
When Shige Higashi, publisher of Cultural News, heard Tsunoda’s speech, Higashi agreed for 100% with Tsunoda, and decided to organize a firsthand experience tour to Kesennuma.
Budget Your Kesennuma Tour
Airplane ticket, Los Angeles to Tokyo round trip, Feb 27 – Mar 4 ….……………….. $700-$800
Keisei train from Narita Airport to Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo on Feb 28 ……….….. Y2,560
Express bus from Ikebukuro to Kesennuma on Feb 28-29 …………………………….. Y8,150
Hotel accommodation including breakfast, Feb 29 – Mar 4, 4 nights, @Y7,500 x 4 =Y30,000
Local transportation, Feb 29 – Mar 3, 4 day ………………. approx. Y3,000 x 4 days = Y12,000
Meal, lunch and dinner, Feb 29 – Mar 3 ……………………4 days, approx.Y,3000 x 4 = Y12,000
JR train and shinkansen from Kesennuma to Tokyo Station on Mar 4 …….…..………… Y13,310
JR train from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport on Mar 4 ………………………………….…… Y2,740
Tour registration fee including local activities arrangement …….…………………….……. $200
Japanese currency expense total ……………………… Y80,760 (approx. $1,100)
American currency expense total ………..………………………… approx. $1,000
Total budget ………….…………………………………………………approx. $2,100
Cultural News is accepting only 10 people