GROUP PROGRAM

Our program on Sado Island in Japan offers groups from schools, universities, etc., the opportunity to choose from various activities. This makes it possible to focus on different program themes according to your interests, such as biology (wildlife rehabilitation), (sustainable) agriculture, sociology, geography (aging and shrinking society), or cultural heritage preservation.

Please let us know your interests, duration of trip, proposed travel dates, approximate group size, and age of program participants, and we will draft a customized group program for you.

For groups from overseas, the program on Sado can be extended with additional days in Tokyo, where we can arrange hotel accommodations, bus transfers, and further related program activities. Furthermore we can arrange domestic travel in Japan (bus, train, ferry).

Biology, Geography, Wildlife Conservation, Architecture, City Planning, Agriculture, Cultural Anthropology, History, Japanology

Location:

Sado Island, Japan

Duration (in days):

1-14

• Visit to the Crested Ibis Rehabilitation Center and learning from a conservation biologist about the program. The Crested Ibis is a bird that was extinct in the wild due to the excessive use of chemical pesticides in Japan after WW2, but was successfully rehabilitated by a government program.

• Comparing Traditional Rice Cultivation and Industrial Rice Cultivation; Discussing with local farmers 

• Volunteering with local groups in the maintenance of historic rice paddies, and creating biotopes for the Crested Ibis

• Learning about Ocean Pollution and doing Coastal Pollution Surveying

• Beach Cleanup

• Bamboo Workshop: Learning about Bamboo as a Sustainable Material, Cutting Bamboo from the Forest; Learning how to work with Bamboo; building objects from bamboo (e.g. public playground)

• Meeting and interacting with local children at a primary school; Cultural exchange in a playful way

• Learning about forgotten edible foods that can be found in the wild; using them in a Japanese cooking class, e.g. making herbal gyoza

• Purification of water a water reservoir (sulphate precipitation) by recycling used body warmers

• Tour through Chokokuji Temple, guided by the 86 year old monk; then volunteering in temple maintenance/cleanup/gardening

• Zazen Meditation with the monk in the temple

• Visiting the Sado Gold and Silver Mine & Visitor Center

• Guided Tour through the Folkloristic Museum and Shipbuilding Museum

• Guided Tour through Shukunegi Edo Period Village

• Traditional Tub Boat ride with Fisherwomen

• Taiko Drumming Workshop (there is a taiko group called Kodo from Sado touring around the world and many people have heard about Sado for the first time through them) 

• Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing) 

• Hiking, Snorkelling in the Ocean, Bicycle Tour

• In Tokyo: National Museum of Nature and Science

• In Tokyo: Add any other Tokyo activity you can find as part of our other group programs in Tokyo

Conservation Biologist

High School Students, College Students, University Students, Professionals

10-40 PAX

Beginning of April to end of October

On the ground of the historic Chokokuji Temple (built in the year 807) in Hase/Sado Island

Fully furnished tents (4-share) in the temple’s garden, twin share and single tents are available 

Hot showers, toilets (shared), shared indoor and outdoor seating and dining areas, Wifi is available, washing machine available (200 JPY per use incl. biodegradable detergent), high quality sleeping bags and all linen are provided

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided in buffet style at the temple or during the field activities; hot coffee, cold tea, hot water with tea bags and instant miso soup, drinking water are provided at no extra charge 24/7

By chartered bus

Sado Island Ferry Port

We can also provide assistance (Airport pickup, Accommodation, Activities) in Tokyo and Kyoto (at extra cost). This program can be combined with our other programs in Japan for a custom travel itinerary.

3 nights/4 days program (based on 30-40 students): 39,000 JPY + 10% VAT per person

Included: all program activities; local transport on Sado; Japanese-English interpretation; accommodation as described; meals as described; planting of 10 indigenous trees per program participant at Kilimanjaro for the CO2 compensation of long-haul flights

Not included: travel costs to Sado and back, insurance, personal expenses

International flight to Tokyo (Narita or Haneda), then shinkansen bullet train to Niigata City; from there, ferry to Sado Island

Total domestic travel costs (Tokyo airport to Sado Island and back) approx. 23,000 JPY per person. Travel time (one way) around 5-6 hours.

A comprehensive risk assessment and emergency management plan is available

That sounds great, but what about my carbon footprint?

Your long-haul flight in economy class emits CO2 into the atmosphere, roughly in the following quantities (according to myclimate.org):