Art & Culture
Area
Season
-
Saiku Cultural Art Festival 2024 SAIKU CULTURAL ART FESTIVAL 2024
The National Historic Site of Saiku was once the residence of the Saio, unmarried female members of the Japanese Imperial Family who served nearby Ise Shrine. The site has been protected as sacred land by local residents, and is where the prayers of the Saio have been passed down to the present day. This year's Cultural Art Festival will be held across the entire site, allowing visitors to experience Japanese history and culture alongside various art forms.
September 15, 2024: Matsusaka beef BBQ and balloon glow
September 16, 2024: View the historic site from the sky on a tethered hot air balloon, featuring the spectacular sight of art formed by 2,000 lights
November 2–3, 2024: Project mapping of ancient Japanese landscapes onto the historic site's reconstructed Heian period (ancient Japanese) structures
November 4, 2024: Traditional Noh theater screening of a play set in the Saiku palace complex
December 15, 2024: Saiku Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. Transform into a yokai spirit from Japanese folk tales in this special night experience. No preparation necessary.
In addition, visitors may enjoy activities such as a digital art night banquet at a rented-out museum or praying with the Saio. Each program features special culinary experiences, including boxed bento lunches inspired by ancient Japan, full courses of creative French cuisine, and party menus prepared by local food coordinators.
Enjoy Japanese history and culture at the Saiku Cultural Arts Festival in the town of Meiwa, Mie Prefecture. -
Exclusive Access to Restricted Forests, Mountains, Lakes, and Historical Buildings! An educational tour led by specialist guides to satisfy adventure seekers
(1) Mount Usu is one of Japan’s 111 active volcanoes and it erupts every few decades. An eruption in the year 2000 affected residential areas, roads, and national highways. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. On this tour, trek through the remarkable terrain of Mount Usu and visit the rim of the crater, an area that is normally inaccessible.
(2) Learn cornering techniques and bicycle safety under the instruction of experienced adventure cycling guides as you tackle a dangerous and challenging downhill ride on narrow, steep slopes. This is an experience that would be nearly impossible with a regular rental bicycle, made possible using high-performance e-bikes. A support vehicle will be on standby to help participants take on the challenge.
(3) Cape Kamui is usually closed at night, but this exclusive tour offers a rare opportunity to experience the sunset, fishing lights, and the moment the lighthouse is lit after the gates have closed to the public. Enjoy this luxurious and premium experience immersed in the tranquil and quiet atmosphere of the night.
(4) Visit the Ainu Culture Museum to learn about the traditional tools used by the Ainu people in their daily lives and the things they foraged from the forests and rivers. Then, take a walk through the forest with Ainu guides as your storytellers, and immerse yourself in the past, present, and future of Ainu life, exploring the Ainu's deep connection with the forest.
(5) Cross the frozen Lake Nukabira with snowshoes or on a fat bike. This is an experience only available for about one month in winter. The feeling of the wind as you traverse the ice is a rare and unique experience that can only be had in Hokkaido at this time of year. You can also see the Taushubetsu River Bridge, which appears on the frozen surface of the lake when the dam's water level is low in winter. -
A New Nighttime Economy of Food and Myth in Aoshima, Miyazaki
This tour is an opportunity to try special foods and drinks, as well as traditional culture on the miraculous island of Aoshima. Surrounding the island, which has a circumference of 1.5 km, are irregular, visually pleasing rock formations created over the course of 6 million years. The island is covered in subtropical vegetation, the northernmost of its kind in the northern hemisphere, with scenery that makes you feel like time seems to have stood still.
On Aoshima, you will be able to enjoy a Miyazaki Prefecture gastronomy course prepared by a chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant. You can also enjoy special cocktails made by a bartender named in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2022. Nature, culture, and you. Enjoy a night where everything comes together in a timeless moment.
Aoshima by night: TIMELESS MOMENTO Menu
- Special dinner and cocktails
- One Plate・One Drink A moment to experience the charm of Miyazaki with all five senses
- Guided night tour of Aoshima Shrine
- Japanese calligraphy experience
Key players
Kojiro Kashiwada: Owner and chef of Kasane in Akasaka, Tokyo. Michelin-starred since 2011. Will serve creative Japanese meals that evoke the island’s culture and traditions.
Shuzo Nagumo: Owner of SBAR (Asia Top 50). Nagumo is one of Japan's foremost mixologists, and his cocktails made with local Miyazaki Prefecture sake have proved a game changer.
Yasutaka Nagatomo: Until 1737, only priests were allowed to set foot on the mysterious isle of Aoshima. The chief priest himself will guide you through the history, culture, and sacred kagura dance rituals of Aoshima.
Satoshi Iwao: Highly praised for his 'shodo' performances, Iwao became a qualified instructor at the age of just 16, though he did not begin to work professionally as a calligrapher until the age of 29.Performing on the streets of Miyazaki, Japan, Iwao has also performed in Paris - exhibiting at the Japan Expo Paris in both 2018 and 2019. -
Night Tour of the Sado Gold Mine: A World Heritage Site
The Doyu Mine is one of the most famous landmarks within the Sado Gold Mine World Heritage Site. During this event, Doyu no warito, symbol of the Aikawa Gold Mine, will be lit up for a fantastic night tour utilizing projection mapping and other light-based scenography. Available for a limited time only, this night tour is not something that visitors can experience on a regular basis.
The historic gold mine is a rare industrial heritage site, featuring a large-scale system of gold production that operated for more than 380 years on gold-rich Sado Island from the late 16th century to the mid-19th century. Under the management and operation of the Tokugawa Shogunate, isolationist policies limited the exchange of technology with the outside world. The system was thus quite different from those of Europe, and involved the use of Japanese traditional handicraft techniques to produce gold of world-class quality and quantity.
Workers were recruited from all over Japan by the shogunate, which resulted in a rich, diverse culture centered on the mine, including religious beliefs, performing arts, and entertainment.
In addition to the night tour, this event will give visitors a chance to experience Sado Island's unique performing arts, historical culture, and nature, as well as dishes showcasing the island’s delicious cuisine. -
Exclusive Four-Day Tour of Lake Kawaguchi, Nikko, and Ibaraki
On this exclusive four-day plan, you will be accompanied by an interpreter guide for the entire tour, take in the autumn foliage from the sky, and relax in your own private space.
View the splendid autumn foliage in comfort with unusual methods like helicopter rides and early morning private guided tours.
First, depart Tokyo by helicopter to enjoy a dynamic, spectacular view of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. Then, after landing at Fuji-Oshino, enjoy sightseeing in the Lake Kawaguchi area. The next morning, you will visit Kawaguchiko Museum of Art, with its extraordinary view of Lake Kawaguchi. It will be privately booked out before its opening hours for a special viewing of rare original ukiyo-e prints by Katsushika Hokusai that are not normally shown to the public.
On the second day, ride the helicopter from Fuji-Oshino to Nikko. Take in the view of the famous Irohazaka slope. It's known for its autumn foliage, and this way you can see it from the skies without getting stuck in traffic. Once in Nikko, enjoy a private breakfast and special guided tour of the Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park, which was once the retreat of Emperor Taisho. You will also be able to experience Zen meditation at Rinnoji Temple, which is a World Heritage site, and take a tour not offered to the public.
Afterwards, enjoy spectacular aerial views of the Ryujin Suspension Bridge, Japan’s largest pedestrian suspension bridge. At Fukuroda Falls, one of Japan’s three most famous waterfalls, enjoy special admission in the morning when no one else is around for a quiet moment in the crisp, clean air. This special plan concludes with a helicopter ride from Ibaraki Prefecture back to Tokyo. -
A Gongen Noh Experience Limited to Overnight Guests: Special Noh Theater Performance at a World Heritage Site & Workshop to Learn About Noh with a Living National Treasure
- This year, a Noh performance limited to an audience of 100 people will be held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Yoshino's registration as a World Heritage Site.
- Participants attending the Noh performance will be able to witness the special viewing of Kongo Zao Daigongen, the largest ""hidden"" Buddhist statues in Japan, which are held in Zaodo Hall at the National Treasure and World Heritage Site, Kinpusenji Temple.
- At night, Zaodo Hall at Kinpusenji Temple will be privately booked out for staging Noh, a traditional Japanese performing art which is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. It will be performed by Living National Treasures Bunzo Otsuki and Genjiro Okura.
- The Noh play performed will be ""Taniko,"" which expresses the profundity of the Shugendo mountain ascetic faith. This special nighttime performance can only be experienced on this date, in this place.
- On the following day, participants can take part in a workshop to learn the traditional Japanese performing art of Noh theater, taught by Living National Treasure Genjiro Okura and Kiyomasa Kanze. This workshop is only available for the 30 guests staying at Yoshino. -
Ritsurin Garden Wagashi and Walk
This exclusive eight day event will be held at the historic Ritsurin Garden, a landscape garden with walking paths that allow guests to enjoy its scenery from various angles. For this event, Mineko Kato, named Asia's Best Pastry Chef in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024, has developed original Japanese wagashi confectioneries using wasanbon, a fine-grained sugar that is said to have originated in Ritsurin Garden. The beverages to be served with the wagashi sweets will be overseen by Shuzo Nagumo, one of Japan's leading mixologists. Savor these wagashi sweets and exquisite beverages in the historic Kikugetsu-tei and Higurashi-tei tea houses, as well as a modern outdoor tea room designed by a team of architects led by Yuko Nagayama Associates. The traditional Japanese tea ceremony has been reinterpreted and remade in a modern way so as to offer a new experience to guests.
-
Enjoy Nasushiobara's Food, Hot Springs, and History with a Unique Garden Party at the Former Villa of Aoki Shuzo, Designated as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese Government
Nasushiobara has fantastic natural and cultural resources, including the great Nikko National Park, located in the Nasu and Nikko mountain ranges, as well as 178 cultural properties designated by the national and prefectural governments. Although the idea has always been to protect these resources, this program aims to use them in new and unprecedented ways in order to increase their appeal as tourism resources and pass them on to future generations.
This tour will offer special experiences such as a unique nighttime garden party at the villa of former Foreign Minister Aoki Shuzo (an Important Cultural Property that is also designated by the Japanese government as a Japan Heritage site); a wedding event set on the Momijidani Suspension Bridge which spansa the valley of Nikko National Park and is known as a ""sacred place for lovers""; and other special events that offer a glimpse of the local culture of Nasushiobara.
There will also be a premium gastronomy walking tour, which explores the nature, history, and cuisine of Shiobara Onsen and Itamuro Onsen in Nikko National Park. -
Get to Know the Gods and History of Nikko through Traditional Japanese Cultural Experiences and a World Heritage Theater Form
Nikko City is proud to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "The Shrines and Temples of Nikko" is a World Heritage Site that includes not only the beautiful well-known buildings of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikkosan Rinnoji Temple, and Nikko Futarasan Jinja Shrine, but also the cultural landscape formed by the surrounding natural environment. During the quarter century since it was registered as a World Heritage Site, it has been visited by many visitors, both from Japan and overseas. December 4, 2024, will mark the 25th anniversary of its registration. An Executive Committee for the 25th Anniversary of World Heritage Registration was even established to make this commemorative year a more exciting one, with various celebratory plans underway. Visitors will enjoy experiences linked to the historical significance and background of the various shrines and temples in Nikko, as well as traditional Japanese performing arts such as Kabuki, and dramatic readings that offer insight into Japan’s modern anime culture.
-
Enjoy Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints and Edomae-Style Sushi After a Private Viewing at the Sumida Hokusai Museum
The tour includes an early-morning private viewing (an experience that is not usually available) at the Sumida Hokusai Museum, a museum established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. During this viewing, a curator and English-speaking professional guide will explain the ukiyo-e woodblock prints on display. Afterwards, a professional folding screen artisan from Tokyo’s only folding screen specialty store will guide you through the making of an ukiyo-e folding screen and give a talk on the history of folding screens used in Japanese daily life and culture. This will be conducted at MARUGEN 100, a less crowded area of the Sumida Hokusai Museum. You'll be able to take home a karakuri-byobu folding paper screen as a souvenir. Later, enjoy Edomae-style nigiri sushi made by a sushi chef from Sumida City, the birthplace of nigiri, using ingredients shipped directly from Toyosu Fish Market. This will be an unprecedented combination of Edo art, culture, and culinary tradition, and a very fun, content-packed experience for visitors to Japan.