Today we had an even longer day on the train. Being pretty much as far south as it is possible to go in Japan, we had to travel the entire length of Kyushu (round 295 km) and then track Northeast to Okayama (another 440 km or so), after which it was a mere 130 km […]
Day 12 – Miyazaki
Woke up to a most spectacular setting. Miyazaki Sheraton has been built in a way that every hotel room looks over the ocean and the view over the pine trees, golf coast and sea is breathtaking. Walked to the sea and saw some local workers conducting a survey on juvenille fish populations. We didn’t envy […]
Day 11 – Fukuoka
On Sunday most people woke fairly early to a beautiful morning and headed out to explore the mountainside. There was a waterfall nearby and some great views to be had following the mountain up the road.
Day 10 – Fukuoka and Yukuhashi
Saturday was a highlight of the tour to date. The group met at a big performance space in Katsuyama-cho along with several other choirs and performers. Today’s event was organised by Mioko Yamasaki – a wonderful musician and musical director whose enthusiasm for music is contagious. It was a lovely experience that encapsulated everything that […]
Day 9 – Hiroshima and Fukuoka
On Friday we were exclusively children’s entertainers, with two kindergarten concerts. The first, in the morning was at a nearby nursery school in Hiroshima where we performed for a couple of hundred children in a big hall. The kids had been waiting for us to arrive for about 20 minutes before we even started, so […]
Day 8 – Hiroshima
One of the highlights of each Japan tour is the opportunity to perform on television. Mr Nagano, president of Shin-Hiroshima telecasting, is a long term supporter of the Isabella a cappella Japan tours kindly organised a TV performance opportunity for the group on the set of the morning show “Manten mama”. It is a great […]
Day 7 – Hiroshima
Osaka resident Mr Nishimura kindly picked us up from our accomodation at Kansai Gaidai university and drove us to Shin Osaka station where we took the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. After checking in at our hotel we travelled by taxi to the hiroshima peace memorial nearby. We sang a few songs in front of the “A-bomb dome” […]
Day 6 – Katano City Osaka
On Tuesday, we were picked up in the morning from our Takarazuka accomodation by the ever helpful Mr Nishimura. First on the agenda was a kindergarten performance. Founded in 1982, the kindergarten recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and has been owned by the Nishimura family for 31 years. The children were very excited to see […]
Day 5 – Sun City, Takarazuka
Monday was a quieter day, with a performance at Sun City Nursing Home in Takarazuka. We all met at the station (all except one member, anyhow, who went to a different station) and got taxis to the very comfortable and well appointed retirement village. The weather was quite unpleasant (cold wind and rain) so it […]
Day 4 – Yamato Takada and Nara
Seijin Shiki (new adult) ceremony at Yamato Takada City Hall. Fabulous 20 year old girls and guys in traditional dress with 2 hour hairdo’s and mega sparkle! Young guys playing up for our cameraman were a bit rowdy for 10am! One of our largest audiences to date of 1200+. Paid a visit to the grave of […]