2025 USC Trojan Marching Band Alumni, Friends, and Guests Japan Tour
TMB in 1985
TMB in 2005
TMB in 2025
Were you there in 1985 for the Mirage Bowl victory against the ducks?
Did you visit in 2005 for the Spirit of Troy’s fourth World Expo performance?
Do you just love following the band wherever it goes?
Join the Trojan Marching Band on its third tour of Japan, visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, and more!
Itinerary and Registration Form
Please complete one registration per traveler. If you are registering more than one traveler, you may return to this page.
Current Itinerary (subject to change)
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Depart LAX on nonstop flight(s) to Tokyo.
Monday, May 19, 2025
Arrive in Tokyo. Collect the luggage and equipment and load the truck and coaches for the transfer to the hotel. After hotel check-in enjoy a welcome dinner and, if there is any energy left, free time at night in Tokyo.
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Breakfast is included each day.
Take a half-day sightseeing tour of Tokyo, which will include the Meiji Jingu Shrine, the Imperial Palace, Sensō-ji Temple, and end at Asakusa for lunch on own.
In the afternoon, choose between
- ascending the Tokyo SkyTree for great views of the city and Mt Fuji in the distance, or
- attending the afternoon matches of the Sumo tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
After either activity, dinner and the remainder of the evening is on own.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Transfer to the Tokyo Disney Resort for a full day at either Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea, including a parade performance (pending confirmation). Opened in 1983 as the first Disney park outside the United States, the Tokyo Disney Resort is comprised of Tokyo Disneyland, a classic Disney theme park with attractions like Cinderella Castle, and Tokyo DisneySea, a unique park inspired by ocean tales and legends. Meals are on own in the park.
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Check out of the hotel and load the luggage on the truck. Then transfer to Shinagawa Station for a Shinkansen (bullet train) ride to Hamamatsu to visit the Yamaha Instrument Factory. After learning about where TMB instruments are born, return to the train station for another Shinkansen ride to Kyoto. On arrival in Kyoto, embark on a walking tour of this former capital city, starting in the well-preserved Higashiyama District, past the Kodai-ji Temple, and finally through Gion, Kyoto’s most-famous geisha district. Have dinner as a group this evening.
Friday, May 23, 2025
Choose-your-own-adventure day!
Guidance and entrance fees will be provided for the following choices:
- Take the Shinkansen to Hiroshima for a guided tour of the city and the adjacent Miyajima Island, home to the floating torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine. Conclude the day with a visit to the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park, and Peace Memorial Museum before returning to Kyoto by Shinkansen (approximately 1h45m each way)
- Take the Shinkansen to Himeji to take a tour of the most-beautiful and best-preserved feudal castle in Japan: Himeji Castle. Wind through the labyrinthine defense paths leading to the tower, then ascend the wooden castle tower itself, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was completed in 1609. After lunch in Himeji, take the train to Kobe to either visit Kitano-cho, the district in which foreign merchants and diplomats settled after Japan ended its isolationism in the 19th century, or to ascend the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway to hike in – or just enjoy the views from – the mountain range high above the city and harbor. Return to Kyoto by Shinkansen.
- Take the train to Osaka for a day at Universal Studios Japan with its thrilling roller coasters, entertaining shows, and themed Super Nintendo and Harry Potter lands. Reservations (and additional fees) may be required for Super Nintendo World or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Return by train to Kyoto.
- Take the train to Nara, Japan’s original 8th century capital. On the way to one of Japan’s largest temples, Todai-ji, which houses a 15-meter-tall bronze statue of seated Buddha, pass through Nara Park where deer will be eager to be fed shika senbei, special crackers that are sold on site. Return by train to Kyoto.
You may also stay in Kyoto to explore it further, or use your JR Pass to visit some other part of the country. Anyone leaving Kyoto on their own (not as part of one of the four offered options above) will need to provide their plans and destination to band staff.
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Check out of the hotel and load the luggage on the truck. Transfer to the EXPO 2025 site in Osaka, constructed on an artificial island where more than 40 countries will be represented in pavilions showcasing their cultures and their interpretation of the EXPO 2025 theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” Continuing a long-time Trojan Marching Band tradition, perform at the U.S. Pavilion (pending confirmation). Meals on own in the park. This evening travel by Shinkansen to Nagoya for hotel check-in.
Sunday, May 25, 2025
In 2005, the Nagoya region hosted the Aichi Expo, at which the TMB performed. In honor of the TMB’s 2025 visit to Japan, the All-Japan Band Association and Japan Marching Band Association are hosting an International Friendship Marching Band Festival at Moricoro Park, the repurposed site of the 2005 Aichi Expo. Here the TMB will meet and perform alongside a number of Japanese Marching Bands. Afterwards, enjoy a farewell dinner together.
Monday, May 26, 2025
Check out of the hotel and load the luggage on the truck. Take the Shinkansen to Tokyo for some final free time in the city center as flight schedules permit. Then transfer to the airport for the return flight(s) to LAX.
Additional options
Accent Concerts can assist with the following extension arrangements on a person-by-person basis:
- Changing the return flight (in advance) to stay up to seven days longer in Japan. Rules vary by airline; contact us to discuss specific plans.
- Additional day(s) at Tokyo Disney Resort, including tickets and hotel accommodations.
- Extension of JR Pass for additional use after the tour.
Tour Price
- $4,895 per person in double occupancy (Band Alumni Price)
- $5,095 per person in double occupancy (TMB Friends & Guests)
- Current TMBAA Members receive a $200 per member discount
- Single supplement is $1,065 per person
- Pricing is based on a minimum of 20 passengers on this tour; adjustments may be made if the minimum is not met
- Price is based on ACH/check/online bill pay payment
- Credit card payments will be assessed a 3% surcharge
Payment Schedule
- $ 500 non-refundable deposit will be billed upon registration and is due September 15, 2024
- $ 2,000 due February 1, 2025
- Balance due April 1, 2025
Cancellation Schedule
- $500 initial deposit is non-refundable
- From February 1, 2025 through April 1, 2025, a total of $1,500 is non-refundable
- From April 2, 2025 on, the entire trip is non-refundable
Tour Inclusions
- Roundtrip international airfare with the Trojan Marching Band (from LAX), including one checked bag
- 7 nights lodging, including daily breakfast; 3 dinners
- Attend Trojan Marching Band performances in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya (no additional costs for tour participants)
- 7-day Japan Rail (JR) Pass valid on Shinkansen (long-distance bullet trains) and many local rail lines
- Private luxury motorcoach and driver where needed
- Full-time tour manager; local guides for city tours
- Tours, sightseeing, and entrances as specified in the itinerary
- Gratuities
- Coverage under a $2M tour operator liability policy (this is not personal travel insurance)
Tour Exclusions
- Airfare originating anywhere other than LAX, though “feeder flights” to connect with the TMB flight may be available; please inquire
- Meals indicated “on own” or not otherwise specified
- Snacks, souvenirs, and items of a personal nature
- Passport acquisition (passports must be valid for six months after the trip)
- Visa acquisition (U.S. citizens are not required to obtain a visa)
- Trip cancellation or interruption insurance
- Any other items not specifically mentioned