Snow Monkeys, Chinese New Year-Related Tours, and More - Winter 2009 – Spring 2010 Sunrise Tours

“Hands-On Japan!” & “Tours in Chinese” Released

~A Sunrise Tours First! Tours to/from Yokohama launched for the Chinese New Year~

JTB Global Marketing & Travel (hereinafter referred to as “JTBGMT”, President and CEO: Fukagawa, Shinagawa-ku Tokyo), a JTB group company, is releasing new Sunrise package tours for the Winter 2009 – Spring 2010 season. Sunrise Tours is aiming to attract Chinese-speaking tourists, which has been a stable market despite the decline of tourists to Japan due to the rapid appreciation of the yen against the dollar. Moreover, as part of its efforts to ride out the coming off-season for inbound tourism, Sunrise Tours plans to promote tours and events that make the best out of Japan's winter season.

1. “Hands-On Japan!” (December 2009 – March 2010 version)

The winter version of Sunrise Tours' “Hands-On Japan!”, cultural activity and seasonal tours in which participants experience and enjoy Japan's culture, pamphlet is now available. In addition to the popular culture experience tours such as Ninja & Samurai Tour and Sushi Making Experience Tour, the pamphlet introduces new tours limited for the winter season.

<Sunrise Tours Winter Selection>

* Snow Monkey 1-Day Tour

Many tourists visit the snow monkeys, monkeys native in Japan and famous for their bathing habit in the hot springs of Jigokudani Yaen-koen (Snow Monkey Park). Sunrise Tours have arranged a snow monkey viewing tour that departs from Tokyo.

* Kyoto Winter Special

This package tour series is part of Sunrise Tours' winter campaign, now on its 3rd year, to attract more foreign visitors to Kyoto. This series include tours strolling around Arashiyama and Higashiyama Hanatoro (Night Illumination) and special viewing tours to temples and world heritage treasures open to the public only on winter.

* Sunrise Ski Tours

New areas in Tohoku area and Appi Kogen, as well as Gala Yuzawa, easily accessible from Tokyo are added to Sunrise Ski Tour series. Of course, the ever-popular Niseko (especially among Australian visitors), and other parts of Hokkaido are included as well.

* Visiting Food Display's Store and Making Washi paper in Nihonbashi

In Nihonbashi, a town where many stores established since the Edo-period are still open for business, foreign visitors can participate in making Washi (Japanese paper) on this unique tour. Tour participants will also see food that look so tasty to eat, but inedible and made of plastic and wax at a food display shop.

o Departure dates: Dec. 2009 – Mar. 2010
o Tours can be reserved from Dec. 7, 2009 (Mon.)
o Target number of participants: 800 people

2. “Tours guided in Chinese”

Sunrise Tours has arranged tours accompanied and guided by a Chinese-speaking guide, and train transportation and hotel accommodation package tour plans for the Chinese market. From city tours and 1-day Mt. Fuji & Hakone tours to shopping tours in outlets shopping mall, Sunrise Tours is offering a wide variation of tours to reach out to different types of visitors.

<Recommended Tours>

* Tokyo City Tours

Sunrise Tours is offering six tours that visit Asakusa, Tokyo Tower, and other famous tourist spots in Tokyo.

* Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tours

Sunrise Tours is now offering a total of four Mt. Fuji tours of different varieties, such as tours viewing Mt. Fuji from Lake Yamanaka, providing a majestic view of the sacred mountain on a clear day and tours including a visit to the hot spring.

* Tokyo Horseracing Tour

Witness the heart-pounding excitement of Japanese Keiba (horseracing) in Tokyo Racecourse.

* Outlet Shopping and Eat-and-Drink-All-You-Can in Gotemba

Shop 'til you drop in this Outlet Shopping tour in Gotemba. For lunch, tour participants will also be able to dine and drink all the food and local beer to their heart's content.

* Osaka & Tokyo Free Plan Tours (6 DAYS)

Free Plan package tours that include Shinkansen tickets and hotel accommodation to Osaka and Tokyo.

* Shinkansen Free Plan Tours

Free Plan package tours that include JR Tokaido Shinkansen tickets and hotel accommodation going to Hakone, Onsen spots in Atami, Kyoto, Osaka, or Hiroshima.

Sunrise Tours is also scheduled to release and put on sale, for the first time, a Mt. Fuji tour guided by a Chinese-speaking guide from and to Yokohama around the dates celebrating the Chinese New Year (definite dates to be announced later).

o Departure dates: Jan. – Jun. 2010
o Tours can be reserved from Dec. 9, 2009 (Sun.)
o Target number of participants: 700 people
o Reservation Procedure:
o By Phone: Sunrise Center Tel:03-5796-5454 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Mon.- Sat.)
o Online (except for some tours):

To be sold at “JAPANiCAN”, a JTB group tour and accommodation-booking site aimed at foreign visitors to Japan.

JAPANiCAN URL: http://www.japanican.com

Or, check the tour details at Sunrise Tours homepage.

Sunrise Tours URL: http://www.jtb-sunrisetours.jp/

To be also handled at travel agencies in and outside Japan.