The Biwako Expedition Summer Camp in Shiga is a program that brings participants from the United States across the Pacific Ocean to Japan to discover and experience a variety of new things in Shiga Prefecture, a prefecture that is a bit removed from the city. We have prepared the program so that you can have an experience that you cannot have in the U.S., including interaction with the local children and people.

The program will visit local elementary (and junior high) schools and participate in classes, lunch, and cleaning time. We also hope that the local exchange program will provide an opportunity to deepen understanding and broaden the perspectives of children of the same generation in faraway countries.

The farmhouse experience will be an opportunity to visit a farmhouse, see the Japanese countryside life, experience working in a farmhouse, and learn about the hardships and joys of farm life. We also plan to experience harvesting crops and making curry outdoors with the harvested vegetables. We hope that this will provide an opportunity to better understand the difficulties of growing crops and the appreciation of food. This program is a unique experience that cannot be found on a trip to a tourist destination.

The program will also include a craft experience, where participants will make things by themselves using tools. In this age of shopping at the touch of a button and using something once and then immediately throwing it away, we hope that this will be an opportunity for people to realize the importance of each and every object.

During the program, we will visit Hikone Castle, which is one of the most precious castles not only in Shiga Prefecture but also in Japan. Hikone Castle is designated as a National Treasure and is one of the few castles whose original buildings remain from the Edo period. We would like to give you an opportunity to learn about Japanese castles from interesting perspectives, such as for what reason the castle was built, why it is shaped like this, and how it was protected from enemy attacks.

The first half of the program will include sightseeing in Tokyo and Kyoto. In Tokyo, we will take in the sights of the city, while in Kyoto, we will visit representative shrines and temples, and see traditional buildings and gardens. We hope you will see Japanese culture blended into the city.

We hope that the experience in this program will be a valuable opportunity that is hard to find in the U.S. We hope that by experiencing the program together with other participants, participants will be able to make friends, learn together, and enjoy the joys of working together. We also hope that the program will not end with mere sightseeing, but will provide an opportunity to nurture interest and curiosity in new things, and that it will be a program that will remain in their hearts forever.

Shiga Prefecture is located near the center of Japan’s main island, Honshu, and is home to the largest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa. Although it is conveniently located near major cities such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya, Shiga Prefecture has an abundance of water and greenery centering on Lake Biwa, making it a calm and peaceful place to live away from the city. Many people think, “Isn’t Lake Biwa so big in Shiga Prefecture that there is no place to live?” However, around Lake Biwa, there are large fields, ranches, residential areas, mountains, rivers, and abundant nature. There are also many delicious foods, such as rice, beef, ayu (sweetfish), trout, shijimi (freshwater clam) and other marine products, vegetables, fruits, and tea, all of which are well known for their excellent taste and quality.

Since Shiga Prefecture has been historically located in an important place since ancient times, there are many valuable and old buildings, and many temples, shrines, and castles remain that are registered as national treasures or world heritage sites. In addition to buildings, traditional culture, food, and customs have also been handed down to the present day.

In this summer camp, students will have the opportunity to experience school, interaction with children, and farm life in an environment away from the city, rich in nature and history, which they would not be able to experience in the U.S.

・Expert in annual exchange programs since 1970
・The largest branch network of Japanese travel agencies in North America and 24/7 reservation centers
・Always one of the top sellers of airline tickets to Japan
・Extensive experience in mediating school exchanges
・Experienced in homestay mediation
・Educational programs with various municipalities
・Extensive experience in arranging original and custom tours
・Extensive experience in educational travel to Japan
・Extensive network with local government tourism promotion divisions throughout Japan
・Strong cooperation with all travel-related companies and lodging facilities throughout Japan

※1 The deposit will be used to pay the tour fee.
※2 If you apply after the payment due dates, you will be required to pay the deposit or the full amount at the same time you apply.

・Please contact us by phone or e-mail for cancellation or changes. If you contact us after business hours, we will check the details of your request on the next business day.
・Please note that we may not be able to replace or change the names of participants after registration. If we are unable to replace or change a participant, we will cancel the reservation and make a new reservation. The above cancellation policy will be applied to the cancelled reservation.
・The cancellation policy for airline tickets is different from our program’s policy, so please check the policy of your airline ticket.

・We have travel insurance that will cover you in the event that you are unable to participate in the trip due to illness or injury. We recommend that you purchase travel insurance.

・Even after the minimum number of participants has been reached at the end of the sales period, the number of participants may go below the minimum number if a participant cancels his/her participation. In such a case, the program will basically be held, but may be cancelled depending on the number of participants who cancel the program. If the program is cancelled after the decision has been made, all participants except those who cancel will receive a full refund for the program fees. Air ticket which is not included in the program fee may not be refunded in such a case.

Please review our tour policy at the following website
https://www.iace-asia.com/terms-and-condition

Please read the documents on the link page below, sign them and send them to the person in charge

Terms and Conditions

・We will need the name, date of birth, and gender as they appear on the participant’s passport at the time of booking.
・Please use flights arriving in Japan that arrive at Haneda Airport. If your flight arrives at Narita Airport, you may be charged an additional fee or may not be able to participate in the tour.
・Please use a flight arriving on July 1st at Haneda airport between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM. If your flight arrives at Haneda Airport early or late, you may be charged an additional fee or may not be able to join the tour.
・Please use a flight departing on July 10th from Haneda between 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM. If your flight departs from Haneda Airport early or late, you may be charged an additional fee or may not be able to join the tour.
・Upon arrival at Haneda Airport, there will be a maximum waiting time of approximately 2 hours until other participants arrive. Several attendants will be available to meet you and assist you during the waiting time at the airport. Waiting times may become longer due to flight delays.
・You may prepare your own airline tickets, but we can also arrange airline tickets for you, so please contact us for more information.
・Upon arrival at the airport, we will allow time for you to exchange money. For cell phone and pocket Wi-Fi rentals, our tour staff may not be able to assist you with the rental process. For pocket Wi-Fi rentals, we will provide you with information on companies where you can pick up your rental before your departure from the U.S. Please use this information if necessary.
・If you are late for the program due to a delay or cancellation of your scheduled flight, you may join the program from the day you arrive. If additional guides, transfers, etc. are needed to meet up with the group, additional fees (actual costs) may be charged.
・For those who have already arrived in Japan prior to the program, please meet the tour staff at the hotel lobby at 19:00 on the evening of July 1 (Mon). Please note that the group’s arrival time at the hotel may be delayed due to the irregularities in the arrival times of the flights of those arriving on the same day. We will give you a room key, so you may wait in your room with your parents.
・If we deem it necessary to cancel the tour, we will contact you as soon as possible. Please come to the meeting place as scheduled unless we call you to cancel the tour.
・In the event that the program is cancelled due to the customer’s decision not to assemble at the meeting place, the customer will be charged the cancellation fee as specified.
・In the event of a typhoon or inclement weather, the program start date may be delayed, or program may be interrupted especially when transportation is disrupted or expected to be disrupted. There may be cases where we have to stay at the accommodation for a whole day to avoid danger and wait for the weather to recover. The program will start or resume once the weather improves. In those cases, the program may not be able to complete all programs scheduled.
・In the event of a major disruption to the schedule, alternative activities will be arranged as much as possible. There will be no refunds for any activities that are not completed, but substituded by other alternate plans.
・In the event of a major delay or cancellation of flights to the U.S. due to transportation disruptions caused by inclement weather, if an extension of stay in Japan is necessary, we will arrange the same hotel, or the hotel in the same grade that are used in the program. In the event you need to extend the stay, you will be responsible for the full cost of accommodation, meals, and other expenses.
・If you continue to stay in Japan after the program, the tour will end when you arrive at Shinagawa station ing of July 10 (Wed).
・The program will be conducted in both Japanese and English, so you only need to be able to understand and speak either English or Japanese. Information during the program will be provided in both English and Japanese. In some cases, Japanese will be translated into English and vice versa. If there are no native English speakers, the program may be conducted in Japanese only.
・Rooms at the hotel are based on double occupancy; if you are traveling alone, you will share a room with another participant of the same gender.
・Depending on the number of participants, single or triple rooms may be used at the hotel.
・You may share a larger room with more number of participants at Woody Pal Yogo.
・There will be no towels or bath towels provided at Woody Pal Yogo, the lodging facility during this program. Bath towels will be provided by the tour and washed daily. Please bring your own hand towels.
・During the program we will be doing farm work, making crafts, cooking, hiking, canoeing, and a variety of other activities outdoors. Please bring clothes that can get dirty, sports clothes, athletic shoes, swimsuits, sandals, and a towel to wipe off sweat.
・Some accommodations do not have individual bathrooms. You may be asked to use a shared bathroom or a large public bath.
・If you have any concerns about your room or bath, or if you would like to use a single room, please contact us in advance.
・If you have any concerns about group activities with other participants, please be sure to consult with us in advance.
・Please let us know in advance if you have any food allergies or if you would like a vegetarian or other special diet. Please note that we may not be able to accommodate some requests.
・The schedule in the program is subject to change due to weather, transportation delays, road conditions, or other circumstances.
・Please note that the time, order, and location of visits may be subject to change due to changes in the transportation timetable.
・Each passenger is allowed one suitcase (total length, width, and height not exceeding 63 inches/158 cm, weight not exceeding 23 kg) and one small piece of luggage (backpack, handbag, etc.) for personal belongings such as passport, wallet, and valuables.
・Please note that adults are not to participate in the class and will be asked to observe from the back.
・The same school lunches are provided for adults as for children, so adults can also experience Japanese school lunches too.