Japan Racing & Expo Tour 2025

Japan is renowned worldwide as a nation steeped in a culture that combines both tradition and modernity. Thousands of years as an isolated island country allowed Japan to undergo various cultural evolutions in solitude, creating a truly unique traditional culture. Discover more about it through a range of cultural experiences. Many aspects of traditional Japanese culture are accessible to visitors including the opportunity to try on Kimono's/traditional dress and participate in ancient ceremonies. 

Arrival into Osaka. 

A vibrant metropolis with a rich history, Osaka is also renowned as the friendliest city in Japan. Japan’s second largest city, Osaka, is known for its modern architecture, nightlife and hearty street food and local specialties like okonomiyaki and takoyako. What better place to immerse yourself in culture and embrace all that this city has to offer in the coming days during Expo 2025 Osaka. 

Proceed to your hotel for check in. Here you will stay for the next 3 nights on a bed and breakfast basis. 
This evening there will be a welcome drink & nibbles at the hotel. 

Breakfast at the hotel. 

This morning you will transfer from your accommodation to World Expo 2025. 

World Expo is one of the oldest and largest international events, held every five years since 1851. It is a global platform for achievement, innovation, collaboration, and cooperation. Expo 88’ in Australia redefined Brisbane as a city orientated towards culture and leisure. The expo led to the creation of South Bank Parklands, which is now the city’s most popular leisure precinct. 

Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, is set to be a remarkable event that promises to captivate visitors from around the globe. 

The central theme of Expo 2025 is ‘Designing Future Society for our Lives' focusing on innovative solutions to global challenges. 

Expo 2025 will focus on developing and adopting best practices from around the world to drive co-creation by the global community in designing a sustainable society that supports social challenges, emerging sciences, and evolving technologies. Visitors can expect to engage with exhibits that highlight advancements in various fields, making it an essential platform for innovation and inspiration. The event will serve as a "living lab" where visitors can engage with cutting-edge technologies and concepts designed to improve everyday life and promote sustainability. 

Expo 2025 will attract global leaders, innovators, and professionals, providing unparalleled networking opportunities. For business visitors, this is a chance to connect with key players across various industries, explore potential collaborations, and discover new market trends. 

Attending Expo 2025 offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Japanese culture. The event will feature traditional activities such as tea ceremonies, calligraphy demonstrations, and ikebana (flower arranging) exhibits. This cultural backdrop complements the technological showcases, allowing visitors to experience the harmonious blend of tradition and modernity that defines Japan. 

Breakfast at the hotel. 
This morning transfer by motorcoach from your accommodation to World Expo 2025 for your second day. Theme Weeks are a key component of Expo 2025 Osaka, designed to address global issues and explore solutions through dialogue and collaboration. 

The focused theme of this week is Health & Wellbeing. Health and Wellbeing week is dedicated to the latest advancements in healthcare and wellness, aiming to enhance quality of life and extend healthy life expectancy. This week is an invitation to explore the future of healthcare and well-being, encouraging visitors to adopt practices that enhance their own health and contribute to the well-being of their communities. 

Breakfast at your accommodation prior to check out. 

This morning board your motorcoach and transfer to Hanshin Racecourse. 

This racecourse is known for prominent, high-stakes races such as the Oka Show, a Grade-1 race to open the season and the Takarazuka Kinen, an all-star race in which fans votes determine the runners. 

Today you will attend the Shirasagi Stakes Race* (G3) in its inaugural year. 

*Subject to 2025 race schedule 

Breakfast at your accommodation. 

This morning board your motorcoach for a full day tour of Kyoto. 

You will visit Kinkakuji and Kiyomizu Temple, a zen temple in Northern Kyoto famous for its top two floors covered completely in gold leaf. Visitors will stand before the Kannon with thankful hearts – feelings of gratitude for coming into this world, your tranquil daily lives, and your loved ones, friends, and acquaintances who are always there beside you. In other words, worshipping Kannon means taking a hard look at your true self. 

You will also visit Fushimi Inari Shrine. Fushimi Inari Shrine is an important Shinto shrine in Southern Kyoto, famous for its thousands of vermilion torii gates, which straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari, which stands at 233 meters and belongs to the shrine grounds. 

Return to your hotel where the remainder of the afternoon and evening are at your leisure. 

Breakfast at your accommodation prior to check out. 

Board your motorcoach for the transfer to Osaka International, Itami Airport. 

Check in for your flight to New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido. 

Upon arrival to Hokkaido you will be met and transferred by motorcoach to your accommodation for check in. Here you will stay for the next three nights on a bed and breakfast basis. 

Hokkaido the second largest, northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands. The area comprises a variety of nature from the Hidaka mountain range to the plains between the mountains and the windy sea shores. While most of the area of is covered with mountains, the plains between the mountains are well used; numerous farms and ranches dot the scenery. 

Horses have been bred in the area since the late 19th century and there are now nearly 700 horse ranches in the area. Now the area raises the main portion of Thoroughbreds in Japan and the regions horses have started to gain a good reputation outside of Japan, winning several overseas races. 
This evening there will be a group dinner at Sapporo Beer Garden. Built in 1890 as a sugar factory and then used as malting plant until 1963, it became the Sapporo Beer Garden in 1966. Providing a menu of unique Hokkaido dishes including the Hokkaido specialty, Genghis Khan, a mouthwatering lamb or mutton dish cooked tenderly on a skillet with their special sauce. 

Beer has become the most popular alcoholic beverage in Japan since it was introduced from Germany in the beginning of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Sapporo Beer, one of the first and most popular beer brands in Japan, was founded in Hokkaido and dates back to the opening of Japan's first brewery in 1876. 

Breakfast at your accommodation. 

Today you will visit Northern Farm stud & Shadai Stallions. A major Japanese horse breeding farm located in Abira. The farm is part of the Shadai Group and has continuously been the leading breeder of thoroughbred horses for 12 consecutive years from 2010 to 2021. It is home to over 3,000 horses worth $100 million. 

You will then visit Northern Horse park, a horse theme park, affiliated with Northern Farm Stud for lunch. The Northern Horse Park offers a variety of activities and events that make it easy for guests to interact with the horses. 

This afternoon return to your hotel where the remainder of the afternoon and evening are at your leisure to explore your surrounds and enjoy some delicious foods of the region. 

The food of Hokkaido is one of the northern island's biggest attractions, especially the high-quality seafood caught in its cold waters and the agricultural products grown on its wide farmlands. 

Breakfast at the hotel. 
This morning there will be a guided tour of Sapporo including the Sapporo Clock Tower, Former Hokkaido Government house and Shiroi Koibito Park, a popular chocolate-themed attraction in Sapporo. 

This afternoon you will visit Big Red Farm. Home to stallions, mares, foals, yearling and horses in training. Big Red Farm is certified as one of the NAR Hokkaido racing stables, highlighting its significance in the Japanese horse racing industry. Big Red farms facilities are extensive and state-of-the-art. The main farm boasts a covered uphill course of 1100m, a truck course at 1200m, stables that can accommodate 310 horses and nine walking machines. Big Red Farm has attracted notable stallions for retirement and stud duties such as Benbatl, a multiple Group 1 winner. The farm has also been home to the likes of ‘I’ll have Another’ the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner. 

Breakfast at the hotel prior to check out. 

This concludes your tour.