JULY 2020 NEWSLETTER

WE ARE PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER AGAIN!

Welcome to the July edition of our newsletter and an update on Japan.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and well-wishes during these incredible days and months.

We are not going anywhere and have used this time to put together some new tour suggestions.

Like you, we are eagerly waiting for the time when we can return to Japan again. 

New Suggested Tours

We know that many teachers are happy with their regular itineraries.  However we have also had feedback from some teachers looking to add something new and different into their itinerary. With this in mind we have created a number of itineraries with new sightseeing elements.  These tours can be taken exactly as is or used as a base to customise a tour to suit your own requirements.  Of course your homestay and host school arrangements can also be included into the itineraries if required. Our STEM Tours may inspire you to join forces with other subject areas to organise a combined tour to Japan.  Similarly our World Heritage Tours may inspire geography and HSIE teachers and students. We'd love to hear from you if you have any other tour requests or questions on our current tours.

 
See our tours

Tourism and Japan

What is the current status in Japan? Japan has ended the state of emergency that was previously in place. However in order to contain the spread of Covid-19 the entire country has been requested to exercise social distancing and refrain from visiting crowded places. Of course, like Australia, there are still restrictions for the entry of foreign visitors.  Restrictions on businesses have mostly been lifted and theme parks are slowly re-opening.  As such, most theme-parks have outlined procedures for the  health and safety of guests and crew as a top priority combined with the strict health care and social distancing measures now in place. USJ re-opened on 19 June. Tokyo Disneyland has commenced a gradual re-opening, at first for annual ticket holders. Other precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of the virus. Hand sanitiser is now found almost everywhere in self-service stores, malls, restaurants, public toilets, airports, train stations & office buildings.

In addition, stair and escalator handrails and other surfaces such as door handles in stations, trains, and public spaces are frequently cleaned and disinfected.  Similar to Australia, Japan is slowly re-emerging with procedures in place in order to continue to flatten the COVID-19 curve.

Take a Virtual Journey

Dreaming of your next trip to Japan? JNTO has released some stunning virtual backgrounds to take your dreaming a step further and visualise yourself in various locations across Japan.  These beautiful images are optimised for easy use in online conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams. For easy instructions and access click on the link below.

 
Virtual backgrounds

Hope Lights the Way

JNTO has launched a beautiful new campaign

to inspire travel to Japan and showcase Japan’s regional diversity.  Based on an ancient Japanese proverb the video features travel experiences from across Japan and highlights the importance of hope during difficult times.  JNTO reminds us that  “Beyond the clouds, there will be light. Stay inspired in these unprecedented times. Keep dreaming of places and experiences you will still have. Believe that there will be a time, when we all are free to explore again. Remember, Japan is always here waiting for your adventure”.

 

Binge-worthy Dramas

Looking for some truly binge-worthy Japanese shows on Netflix? Japanese Netflix can often be a tricky place to navigate therefore, with thanks to Savvy Tokyo, click on the link below for a great selection of subtitled series.  The choice of series includes romance, thrillers, science fiction. drama, cooking and comedy series - all are sub-titled in English. This is the must watch list of Japanese dramas to spend a weekend binge watching. Sit back, relax, and push play! 

 
Take me to Japan dramas
 

Japan Books to Inspire Travel

We may not be able travel at the moment but these travel books can take you on a journey to Japan.  Whether you’re planning a future trip or just dreaming of taking one, reading a book about Japan is one way to travel when you can’t quite get there in person!  Here is a selection provided by Savvy Tokyo of seven books to inspire travel to Japan. Purchase a hard copy online or download a digital copy to your iPad or kindle or similar digital e-book reader.

 
Take me to travel books

Lastly Saizen Tours is still busy completing refunds because of cancelled tours due to the current travel restrictions. If you are waiting for a group refund we apologise for the delay........airlines are currently struggling to deal with the large number of ongoing cancellations. Depending on your airline there may be some administrative fees charged by the airline. However please be reassured that Saizen Tours is not charging any further fees and is refunding all monies returned to us on behalf of your group. 

We are thinking of everyone and look forward to the joy of planning your future school trips to Japan.

Contact Us
2/20 Clayton Street, Chirn Park QLD 4215
07 5564 0133

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