Tag Archive for: Unique Japan Tours

IJA Annual Dinner 2022 | Photo Gallery

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On 17th June the IJA members, friends, and supporters came together to celebrate and enjoy one of our biggest events of the year – the IJA Annual Dinner 2022. This year it took place at one of the most beautiful Dublin venues – Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel.

 

The evening began with Sake reception, kindly supported by our corporate member – Retro Vino Wine & Sake. Reception was followed by welcome words from Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Master of Ceremonies, and after that guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course meal in the beautiful Le Panto Suite.

 

Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair/ATTS, Master of Ceremonies

 

Speeches were given by Raymond Hegarty, IJA Chairperson and Mr. Makoto Honda, Counsellor, DHM, Embassy of Japan.

 

 

Prize Giving this year was sponsored by the IJA Corporate members – Bank of Ireland, Cpl Resources, Dillon Eustace, KWE Ireland, Retro Vino, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori. The Grand Prize this year was sponsored by Finnair, IJA 2022 Travel Partner, and we would like to congratulate the lucky winner who received 2 return flights to Japan.

 

Grand prize winner received 2 tickets to Japan from Finnair/ATTS.

 

It was great to see everyone back together after so long. We are happy for you attending the event and look forward to seeing you again in coming events. – Tsugumi Yamamoto, IJA Vice Chairperson

 

We would like to thank all our members and friends who attended the IJA Annual Dinner this year, and special thanks go to our 2022 Travel Partner – Finnair, and all our Corporate members for their continued support and very generous prizes.

We would also like to thank Dublin School for Japanese Children who made beautiful origami decorations for our dinner guests, and to Mrs. Tomoko Ozaki who created Ikebana flower arrangements for the event. Huge thanks to the event team at the Radisson Blu St. Helen’s Hotel for being great hosts and providing excellent service during our event.

We would like to thank Catherine Grennell- Whyte, Master of Ceremonies, and our event team and volunteers from the IJA Council – Raymond Hegarty, Tsugumi Yamamoto, Darina Slattery, Laura Goonan, Jonathan Kelly, Hiro Ino and Eddie Hughes – for their time, support and help to make this year’s event such a great success.

More photos from the IJA Annual Dinner 2022 are in the photo gallery below. Please click on the image to enlarge it.

 

Photos: Kevin O’Neill, Laura Goonan, Darina Slattery, Eddie Hughes, Raymond Hegarty and Jonathan Kelly 

Visit Japan – Endless Discoveries | Webinar

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You are invited to join ‘Visit Japan – Endless Discoveries’ webinar on Wednesday, 2nd March at 7 PM. This event is organised on behalf of Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).
Learn about Japan and what this fascinating country has to offer, get useful travel tips if you are planning a trip to Japan, and be in with a chance to win FANTASTIC PRIZES!
Date: Wednesday, 2nd March 2022
Time: 7 PM
Online: Zoom – link will be sent to all registered participants
GUEST SPEAKERS:

Darina Slattery
Owner and Managing Director Unique Japan Tours
Darina is an Alumni of the University of Ulster and the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin. She holds an MA in International Marketing and a BA in Business with Japanese. After studying in Japan, Darina developed expertise in Japanese culture, language and traditions. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Japan. Darina has forged strong cultural relationships and has been the Chairperson of the Ireland Japan Association 2009-2011 & 2016-2020

Paul Murphy
RTE Journalist
A fluent Japanese speaker, his journalism career started in Tokyo in 1998, where he worked as a writer, copy editor for Mainichi Daily News. He worked for the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun in their Tokyo office. And he was also an English teacher at the Asia University in Musashi Sakai.

Siobhan O’Carroll
Teacher and former JET participant
Siobhan holds a BA in History and English Literature and a Postgraduate Masters in Education from DCU. Previous to this she obtained a degree in Environmental Management from DIT. She lived in Japan for a decade and a half where she passed level two Japanese proficiency from The Japan foundation. Whilst there she was employed as a travel consultant and taught English. On return to Ireland, she instructed Transition year and Leaving Certificate Japanese in a variety of Irish schools. She became a Failte Ireland approved tour guide on return and since then she has enjoyed sharing the beauty of Ireland.

Ronan McCarthy
former JET participant
I grew up in Dublin and went to Trinity College, where I studied Business, Economics and Social Studies (BESS). After graduating I joined the JET program. I lived in Yamagata City. I was a JET in 5-chu for 2 years. I also worked for our local TV station, presenting an intercultural communications show for 3 years. I worked full time at the TV station for my third year. Our show, called Hello Yamagata interviewed foreigners who lived in rural Japan. The show started locally on Yamagata TV but was soon taken up by the Tohoku cable network and eventually went national on NHK. This meant I travelled to every prefecture in Japan learning about each regions food, festivals, dialect and history. It was an amazing three years in my life and I would be honored to tell other Irish people of the fun, adventure, tranquility and modernity that can be experienced in Japan.

Stephen Whelan
former JET participant
I studied History and Politics in college, but specialised in International Relations at MA level. I have worked in universities in Ireland supporting student organisations and community engagement programmes. I also worked as an Irish diplomat. I was lucky enough to spend two wonderful years at Sophia University. When I first went to Tokyo, I did not speak any Japanese and life was difficult. I studied at Gaidai and settled in quickly before moving to Sophia formally. Living in Tokyo was a very new and exciting experience. I very much consider it a second home. I am a person that loves nature, hiking and running. Taking one day trips was always good fun. I visited too many places to name (for example, Kamakura, running from Takao to Jinba etc.). I had always wanted to see a different part of Japan, and JET gave me the chance to return and experience life outside of a big city. Tokushima has a fascinating history and is famous Aizome (traditional indigo dying) and the Awa Odori.

Eddie Hughes
Eddie lived in Japan for 6 years and revisited for multiple business trips. He met the Emperor Akihito twice in the Imperial Palace and the High Priest twice in ISE Jingu. He also enjoyed Kyoto and Nara and so many other places from Hokkaido to a Okinawa. He is a passionate lover of Japanese food sushi and sashima and is a keen festival goer.

To register for this event, please click below!

REGISTER HERE!

Taste Japan | Online Travel Talk

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Our friends at Unique Japan Tours would like to invite you to an online travel talk ‘Taste Japan’. You will learn about different aspects of affordable and higher-end Japanese cuisine and hopefully, pick up some practical knowledge about how to try out experimenting with a taste of Japan in your own home, too. Webinar is free of charge and open to everyone.

Date: Thursday, 10th December 2020
Time: 10 AM (Dublin/London time)
Pre-registration is essential: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O2zYRh1vR4iRN4SPSjkcsw 

GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Ronnie Lim, Hotel Okura Tokyo

Ronnie represents Okura Nikko Hotels and is based in their London Global Sales Office where he has established a great working relationship with Unique Japan Tours.  During the Taste Japan webinar, Ronnie will provide a summary of the portfolio.  He will be joined by his colleagues in Tokyo to give a live showcase of the flagship hotel; The Okura Tokyo where the hotel re-opened after a full makeover.  In addition to luxurious bedrooms, the tour will also feature Sazanka – a teppanyaki restaurant on level 41, giving diners a captivating experience with views of Tokyo.

  • Frank Striegl, 5AM Ramen

Frank is a Filipino American born in Tokyo and raised on ramen. He consumes over 350 bowls of ramen a year, operates a blog called ‘5 AM Ramen’ and runs ramen tours for visitors to Japan. Alongside the growth of Japan’s inbound tourism, he thought ramen-focused tours would be a lot of fun and a great way to introduce ramen to a global audience.

  • Junko Hamilton, Japanese Cooking Instructor

    With many years of delivering Japanese cookery workshops to English speaking participants, Junko san will enlighten us with some tips that we may be able to try at home even before we get to Japan.

  • Mizuki Kamakura, Japan Travel SpecialistMizuki San will outline the ‘Taste of Japan’ tour itinerary and outline the inclusions and features of this carefully crafted food-orientated tour of Japan.

MODERATOR:

  • Darina Slattery, Managing Director of Unique Japan Tours

Darina will introduce each speaker and facilitate some Q&A from the zoom audience, and also clarify any points made with reference to the services that Unique Japan Tours can offer in Japan.

For more information and to register for this webinar: https://www.uniquejapantours.com/taste-japan-online-travel-talk/

Japan’s Top Gardens and Galleries

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Our friends at Unique Japan Tours would like to invite you to an online travel talk ‘Japan’s Top Gardens and Galleries’. This webinar will give you an insight into where to visit to see Japan’s most spectacular gardens and award winning art galleries, with a few secret spots along the way!

Webinar is free of charge and open to everyone.

Date: Friday, 20th November 2020
Time: 1o AM (Dublin/London time)
Pre-registration is essential: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WAszdq6DQ2i4Vrmm6qRWyw

 

Join special guest speakers from Kamakura and Matsue in Japan as they discuss one of the most popular garden and art tours to Japan – Gardens & Galleries. Both speakers are local to the areas.

GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Saori Imoto, Japanese landscape designer

Saori is a graduate of Japanese Landscape Gardening from Kamakura, Japan. She spent some time in the UK and studied at a UK Horticultural College. While her career started as a gardener, she has developed into garden design, providing workshops including Bonsai workshops, and preserving forests over the past 7 years. She has been commissioned as a Japanese landscape designer in both Japan and the UK with extensive knowledge and expertise in both English and Japanese garden styles. Saori will discuss the tour covering Kamakura, Kanazawa & Kyoto areas. Her knowledge of hidden gems in these places will certainly be worth the listen!

  • Sachiyo Kusuda, Shimane (Matsue Tour Guide)

Sachiyo is a professional English speaking tour guide based in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Matsue is home to the Adachi Museum, a beautiful samurai castle and a lot more hidden gems on this tour. She is a member of the Japanese Garden Club owned by Chisa Shigemori, an expert in the history of Japanese gardens and also a grandchild of Mirei Shigemori, another key figure in Japanese garden design. Sachiyo-san also has a certification in Sake Sommeliere so will be keen to show you the different sake samples while on tour. Sachiyo will invite us to Matsue, a significant place in Japanese history especially for gardens, and will explain what you can see and do while in Matsue, with particular attention given to the Gardens and Galleries tour itinerary.

For more details and to register for this online talk: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WAszdq6DQ2i4Vrmm6qRWyw

Magical Winter Hokkaido | Travel Talk

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Our friends at Unique Japan Tours would like to invite you to an online travel talk ‘Magical Winter Hokkaido’. This webinar will give you a real insight into the incredible beauty and magical winter wonderland that awaits you in Hokkaido, Japan. Webinar is free of charge and open to everyone.

Date: Thursday, 22nd October 2020
Time: 11 AM (Dublin/London time)
Pre-registration is essential: https://www.uniquejapantours.com/magical-winter-hokkaido-japan-travel-talk/

Panel & Topics

  • Paul Haggart, Hokkaido Tourism Consultant, Niseko Town Council Industry & Tourism Division.

Paul will introduce and outline some of the things that make Niseko ski resort one of the most highly acclaimed in the world. Often nicknamed the “Aspen of the East” for its luxurious accommodation options and lively apres ski bar and restaurant scene. And yet unlike Apsen or any ski resort in Europe, Niseko boasts so much more such as an abundance of natural volcanic hot springs to soothe the muscles after dinner at the end of a day’s skiing. Niseko has seen skyrocketing growth in overseas visitor numbers over the last 2 decades with over 200k overseas visitors traveling to Niseko in the 2018/2019 season. One of the key highlights is the abundance of deep, light, fluffy, “powder snow” of which Niseko has become renowned since it receives an average snowfall of over 15m’s a year (compared with about 1.5-2m in many European ski resorts). Paul is a long term resident of Niseko who has a passion for promoting the food, culture, and amenities of the area to prospective visitors and will be able to answer any question you have on the area.

  • Andrew Clarke, Unique Japan Tours Hokkaido Tour Leader & Former Hokkaido Resident for many years.

Andrew will introduce you to the sights and experiences that we have compiled into our most underrated and perhaps “off the beaten path” tour of Japan – Journey to the East. From the bright lights and overwhelming sights, sounds, and tastes of the Sapporo Snow Festival to the peaceful tranquility of observing the mystical and highly endangered Red-Crowned Crane bath in an icy cold flowing river at sunrise. He will outline some of the joys that are to be discovered along our adventurous route through the heartland of a frozen Hokkaido and showcase some of the photography he took along the way. A keen snowboarder and former Niseko resident, Andrew will also outline some of the options for those seeking to try some winter sports in Hokkaido.

  • Darina Slattery, Managing Director Unique Japan Tours

Darina has spent almost 25 years living, working, and breathing Japan! Born in Ireland but has spent half her life working with Japan. Her love for Japan started young at just 17 years old. Considered a unique choice back then, she decided to continue her love of languages and study Business Studies with Japanese!! During this time she spent one year at Meiji Gakuin University in Yokohama/Tokyo which really was the start of her career/love affair with Japan. In 2005, she began welcoming Japanese people into Ireland (Japan Ireland Travel). But soon realised that Japan was a far more interesting destination and the global audience was far greater than just the Japanese traveler so created Unique Japan Tours. Darina is the master mind behind all itineraries and routes developed with her loyal team in Unique Japan Tours. During her discussion, she will give you an insight into Japan today; what Covid changes are in place; and where the future lies for travel to Japan post-covid.

  • Mizuki Kamakura, Unique Japan Tours – Moderator

For more details and to register for this online talk: https://www.uniquejapantours.com/magical-winter-hokkaido-japan-travel-talk/

Traditional and Tropical Japan | Travel Talk

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Our friends at Unique Japan Tours would like to invite you to an online travel talk ‘Traditional & Tropical Japan’. This webinar is free of charge and open to everyone.

Date: Thursday, 1st October 2020
Time: 11 AM / 7 PM (Dublin/London time)
Pre-registration is essential: https://www.uniquejapantours.com/traditional-tropical-japan-travel-talk/

With special guest speakers from Kyoto and Amami Ooshima in Kagoshima Prefecture (Ryukyu Islands), this webinar will give you a colourful insight into everyday life in Kyoto explained by a local tour guide – Mr Tetsuya Kawabata. Tetsuya-san will give you a summary of the history, best places to see depending on the season, and a taste of what you can expect while visiting this magnificent Unesco World Heritage city.

Mr Akio Sugioka, a local guide in Amami Ooshima, one of Ryukyu Islands located in the Pacific Ocean, not too far from Okinawa, will tell about Amami Ooshima – a tropical paradise famous for its unspoilt nature, tropical rain forests, magnificent clear blue seas/skies/beaches, and sumptuous fresh food. Being just a 2.5 hour flight from the mainland (Tokyo or Osaka), it is the perfect way to add peace and tranquility to your trip of a lifetime in Japan. Especially suitable for families and honeymooners alike.

Panel & Topics:
* Mr Tetsuya Kawabata, Official Tour Guide in the Ancient capital and center for all things cultural, Kyoto
* Mr Akio Sugioka, Official Nature Guide in the tropical island of Amami Ooshima
* Mr Hokuto Horikawa, Senior Travel Consultant at Unique Japan Tours explaining two relevant tours:

  • Traditional & Tropical Japan – 15-Day Small Group Tour featuring many of Japan’s higlights, finishing off on Amami Ooshima.
  • A Tropical Treat – 4-night tropical stay on Ishigaki and Taketomi Islands or Amami Ooshima – the perfect way to add a tropical extension to any of your travel plans to Japan.

Moderator:
* Ms Mizuki Kamakura, Unique Japan Tours

Questions & Answers

For more information and registration: https://www.uniquejapantours.com/traditional-tropical-japan-travel-talk/

IJA Annual Dinner 2020

30th IJA Annual Dinner | Photo Gallery

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On 14th February the IJA members, friends, and supporters came together to celebrate and enjoy one of our biggest events of the year – 30th IJA Annual Dinner 2020. This year it took place at one of the most beautiful and iconic Dublin venues – The Shelbourne Hotel.

The evening began with Sake reception, kindly supported by Embassy of Japan in Ireland and our corporate member – Retro Sake. Reception was followed by speeches from Ms Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, Mr Peter Sherrard, CEO of Olympic Federation of Ireland and H.E. Mr Mitsuru Kitano, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland.

Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson

Peter Sherrard, CEO of Olympic Federation of Ireland

H.E. Mr Mitsuru Kitano, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland

IJA Annual Dinner 2020

Read here: Ambassador Kitano’s full speech at the IJA Annual Dinner 2020.

The guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course dinner in the beautiful Great Room followed by Prize Giving sponsored by the IJA Corporate members – AIB, ANA, Bank of Ireland, Dillon Eustace, KWE Ireland, Mitsubishi Electric, Retro Sake, SuMi TRUST, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori. The Grand Prize this year was 2 return flights to Japan sponsored by Finnair, IJA 2020 Travel Partner.

 

(Please click on the images to enlarge)

Photo gallery in video format can be viewed here!

 

 

We would like to thank everyone who attended the IJA Annual Dinner this year. Special thanks go to our Patron member – AIB, our Travel Partner – Finnair, and all our Corporate members for their continued support and very generous prizes.

Our thanks go to the Dublin School for Japanese Children who made all the beautiful origami decorations for the dinner tables and to Mrs Tomoko Ozaki who created a wonderful Ikebana flower arrangement for the event. We would also like to thank The Shelbourne Hotel for hosting our event and providing excellent service before and during the dinner.

We would like to thank our Master of Ceremonies – Mr Raymond Hegarty, and our event team and volunteers – Mr Donagh Morris, Mr Graham Ryan, Ms Paula Kelly, Ms Tsugumi Yamamoto and Mr Yasuyuki Ozeki  – for their time, support and help to make this year’s event such a great success.

Photos/Video: Donagh Morris

Japan Travel Seminar

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We are excited to have teamed up with Unique Japan Tours, and would like to invite you to an exclusive Japan Travel Seminar with Sushi & Sake Reception on 29th February 2020.

Date: Saturday, 29th February
Time: 1 – 3.30 p.m.

For your FREE Admission Ticket please REGISTER HERE!

RSVP: by Friday, 21st February
*Full details including venue will be disclosed upon RSVP.

Unique Japan Tours (UJT) is an Irish owned, fully bonded global Japan travel specialist company, with offices in Dublin, London and Tokyo. Travel plans range from The Golden Route itineraries to more tailor-made/bespoke trips covering every part of Japan. Whether you go the self-guided route or join a small group tour, rest assured every step of your journey inside Japan will be well planned and fully coordinated with a team of local guides.

RWC Travel and Culture Day

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We are excited to have teamed up with Killester Travel and Unique Japan Tours, and would like to invite you to Rugby World Cup Travel and Culture Day on Saturday, 22nd June at the beautiful Irish National Stud & Gardens, Co. Kildare.

If you are planning to travel to Japan for the Rugby World Cup this September and want to be ready to enjoy the tournament, and at the same time experience the best of the vibrant and rich Japanese culture, you should join our one-stop-shop event to find out all the necessary information about Japan. You will have a unique opportunity to meet a team of Japan experts for your upcoming Rugby World Cup trip.

Date: Saturday, 22 June 2019
Time: 11 a.m.
Venue: The Irish National Stud & Gardens, Co. Kildare
Tickets: €15

Event includes:
11:00 – 12:00 Rugby World Cup Travel Update followed by Q&A
12:00 – 12:30 Japanese Etiquette, Language & Culture Talk
12:30 – 13:15 Sushi Making Demonstration
13:15 – 14:00 Japanese Box Lunch (Bento)
14:15 – 15:15 Tour of Japanese Gardens

Tickets are on sale now and can be booked here: https://www.rugbytravel.ie/listings/japan-event-day/
*Places are limited so please book your ticket as soon as possible!

Event is organized by Killester Travel and Unique Japan Tours.
Event is supported by Ireland Japan Association, JNTO, Yamamori, Finnair and Cathay Pacific.

IJA Annual Dinner 2019 brings together IJA members, friends and supporters

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Each year, IJA Annual Dinner brings together our members, friends, and supporters to celebrate and enjoy one of the biggest and most enjoyable events of the year.

The evening began with a reception at The Westbury Hotel, Dublin, followed by speeches by Ms Darina Slattery, IJA Chairperson, H.E. Mrs Mari Miyoshi, Ambassador of Japan in Ireland, Mr Mark Egan, Head of Competitions and Performance, and Ms Catherine Grennell-Whyte, Finnair.

The guests enjoyed a delicious 3-course dinner in the beautiful Grafton Suite which was followed by Prize Giving sponsored by IJA Corporate members – AIB, A&L Goodbody, ANA, Bank of Ireland, Dillon Eustace, KWE Ireland, PM Group, SuMi TRUST, Unique Japan Tours and Yamamori. The Grand Prize this year was 2 return flights to Japan sponsored by Finnair, IJA 2019 Travel Partner.

(Please click on the images to enlarge)

We would like to thank everyone who attended the Annual Dinner, our Corporate members for supporting this event and sponsoring amazing prizes. Big thanks to our Patron member – AIB – for continuous support and our Travel Partner – Finnair – for sponsoring the Grand Prize.

Our thanks go to the Dublin School for Japanese Children who made all the beautiful origami decorations for the dinner tables and to Mrs Tomoko Ozaki who created wonderful Ikebana flower arrangements for the event. We are thanking the Embassy of Japan who provided Japanese sake for the event reception, and The Westbury Hotel for hosting our event and providing excellent service before and during the event.

We would like to thank Mr Raymond Hegarty who agreed to undertake MC duties at the event, and our event team – Ms Paula Kelly, Mr Hiro Ino, Mr Donagh Morris and Mr Karl O’Reilly who helped before and after the event, and made sure that everybody can enjoy a wonderful relaxing evening.

Photos: Donagh Morris

 

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