Art & Culture
Area
Season
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Traditional Kokura-ori Weaving Tour: Tracing its History from Decline, to Revival, and to Evolution
“A samurai’s hakama trousers must be Kokura,” was a common saying across Japan, and patrons of Kokura included the shogun’s family. Such is the history of Kokura-ori, a traditional weaving craft exclusive to the city of Kitakyushu. Although the tradition stopped for a time when manufacturing began to center on heavy industry, its value and difficult technique have been rediscovered by textile artist Tsuiki Noriko. Kokura-ori passes on its traditions while spreading across the world, continuing to create new value. This plan offers an exceptional experience of the decline and history of Kokura-ori textiles. After a special visit to the workshop that preserves traditional hand-weaving, immerse yourself in Kokura-ori of various forms at Kokura Castle, the kimono and wishing bag workshops, and in a factory viewing.
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Bus Tour with Dinner at a Restaurant in an Old Private Residence
This special tour offers a luxurious experience. Departing from Tokyo, it features a ride on an exclusive bus with a bar counter and a visit to Kiuchi Brewery in Ibaraki Prefecture. The tour takes you to a brewery that makes traditional sake, another brewery that makes unique, rich craft beer, and a distillery that produces highly aromatic whiskey. At each facility, visitors will be able to enjoy tastings and experience the charm of Japanese brews, made with the utmost care and attention to detail by artisans. The highlight of the tour is a dinner at an old private residence within the brewery grounds. Savor luxurious cuisine made with fresh ingredients from Ibaraki Prefecture, paired perfectly with sake and beer. Spend a blissful time with beautiful scenery.
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Nara Gastronomy Night Expo with MICHELIN Guide
It’s not only about deer and the giant Buddha statue. For our guests, this first nighttime event in Nara Prefecture will bring together chefs from restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide Nara 2024 and Nara's traditional craftsmen, with about 30 stores participating on different days. Spend time in this special ambiance and atmosphere.
In the Michelin Guide area, chefs from restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide Nara 2024 will offer special one-day-only, limited-quantity menus using Nara Prefecture ingredients and, for the first time in Japan, they will also demonstrate their skills in CULINARY-POPUP live cooking performances.
There are many other extraordinary areas.
The Japan Craft area offers sales and workshops of Nara's traditional crafts, such as “chasen” bamboo whisks, Akahada ware, Nara “uchiwa” fans, Japanese swords, and other crafts representative of Nara and Japan, as well as opportunities to interact directly with the artisans.
The event includes CULINARY-POPUP live cooking featuring chefs from Michelin Guide Nara 2024 restaurants, and a special stage event featuring live painting by a world-renowned Japanese illustrator.
The Premium Food area features a very popular ramen restaurant, as well as Japan's unrivaled and globally renowned sake. Each day, different chefs, producers, and traditional craftspeople will make appearances at the event. -
A Trip to Nara, the Cradle of Japanese History and Spiritual Culture, for a Full-Course Experience of Hospitality with an Overnight Stay for Evening and Morning Activities That Satisfy All Five Senses
We offer a full-course hospitality trip with an evening and morning stay in Nara, the birthplace of Japanese history and spiritual culture; an experience for all five senses.
Nara is where Japan began its history, where the blessings of nature and religious beliefs coexist. Nara has fostered its own culture while introducing various cultural and technological systems from around the world. In the late Muromachi period (1336-1573), the practice of tea ceremony began, merging the appreciation of artworks collected from around the world with the custom of tea drinking.
Three unique activities have been prepared for visitors to immerse themselves in Japanese culture. During this event, admire artistic tea ceremony utensils that reflect Japan's unparalleled craftsmanship while viewing the Former Daijo-in Temple Garden, which embodies the concept of “yugen” (the subtle grace of nature), the underlying philosophy of Japanese culture in the Muromachi period.
Experience (1) a tea ceremony held in the early morning, (2) a tea ceremony in the evening to admire shadows cast by candlelight, and
(3) a full-course tea ritual (with an authentic light Kaiseki meal accompanying the ritual)
Through these three activities, visitors will come to understand firsthand why Japan is rich in nature, why it excels in manufacturing, and why its people enjoy socializing through tea ceremonies. Come and immerse yourself in Japanese culture. -
Slip Back In Time at Matsue Castle, a National Treasure Shimane culture festival Enter a Space That Recreates the Time When the Castle Was Built, Paired with a World of Twinkling Lights and Ghost Stories Unique to the Nighttime Atmosphere
For the first time, the Honmaru area of Matsue Castle will be exclusively open for a special weekday evening event. Attendees can experience a grand tea ceremony alongside a stage performance featuring Lafcadio Hearn's (AKA Koizumi Yakumo) beloved ghost stories connected to Matsue, all set against the backdrop of the castle's main keep. There will also be weekday events such as the “Matsue Water Lantern Festival” and a range of cultural and culinary experiences that showcase Shimane. These include tastings of local sake from Shimane, the birthplace of sake, special performances of Iwami Kagura and Yasugi-bushi, “Do" drumming, foodstalls featuring regional delicacies, and hands-on experiences like dressing in samurai warrior attire. These events aim to attract international visitors and create opportunities for cultural exchange.
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New Value Creation and Inspirational Experience Project that Synchronizes Traditional Performing Arts & World Heritage Sites & Animation
1. Explore the history of Katsuren Castle Ruins World Heritage Site
Take a trip to the ruins of Katsuren Castle, which flourished as the ancient capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and explore the magnificent stone walls and ancient remains of the castle, getting a glimpse into the history of the kingdom. This is a great spot for history enthusiasts.
2. Discover traditional culture and performing arts
Guests can enjoy activities up close such as Okinawan bullfighting, which has continued for more than 100 years, and local traditional performing arts like the Eisa, Lion, and Ryukyu dances. There will also be a chance to interact with local residents for a heartwarming time.
3. Indulge in Ryukyu cuisine
The profound flavors of Ryukyu cuisine made with local ingredients symbolize the unique gastronomic culture of Okinawa. Participants will take part in a workshop to learn traditional recipes and try your hand at cooking them.
4. Special tour of sites featured in the 2025 animated film
A must-see for anime-lovers! Sightseeing tours will also be available for the sites featured in "Okitsura: Fell in Love with an Okinawan Girl, but I Just Wish I Know What She's Saying,” which has an anime adapation premiering in 2025. Relive scenes from the anime at the real locations and immerse yourself in the setting of the show. Uruma City is dotted with tourist attractions besides the scenic Kasturen Castle Ruins that boast rich nature and beautiful views. One of the selling points of this tour is that guests can enjoy the natural beauty of Okinawa in a relaxing atmosphere.
This special experience of Uruma City's history, culture, and sub-cultures will surely leave a lasting impression. -
Traditional Culture & Cutting-edge Technology "CHRONOSENSE" Museum of Light and Sound to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary
“CHRONOSENSE at the State Guest House Akasaka Palace, Museum of Light and Sound to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary” will be held for two nights only on Friday, December 20, and Saturday, December 21. This event combines the charm of traditional culture and historical heritage with cutting-edge technology to create the first-ever nighttime winter illumination event at the Palace. It is a national treasure that has hosted many historic moments as a venue for international diplomacy, and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024.
The event will be produced by TEAM FIRE and Akira Hasegawa, who is a trailblazer in the digital art world and the creator of projection mapping. Akira Hasegawa will render a digital hanging scroll that slowly changes in accordance with the speed of the earth's rotation and projects a completely different view of the State Guest House Akasaka Palace as time passes. In addition, Tokizo Nakamura will appear in a “Digital Kabuki” (20th only) performance, and Kimio Otsubo, a Living National Treasure of Noh Theater (a preserver of an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property) and Manjiro Tatsumi will appear in the “Digital Noh Dance” (21st only). The event will showcase the new appeal of combining historical traditional performing arts with cutting-edge technology in an outdoor setting. There will also be a special indoor nighttime visit to the State Guest House Akasaka Palace, available on these two days only. -
OH! Edo Tokyo Festival
Nihonbashi, the historical starting and ending point of Japan’s old major highways, has been a hub of diverse exchange of culture and technology from all over Japan since the Edo period, giving birth to a new culture unique to Edo that continues to thrive in Tokyo today. World-renowned director Amon Miyamoto, who is from the area, has crafted an immersive experience combining Edo traditions like cultural heritage, performing arts, and martial arts. The event will also highlight regional exchange hubs information on regional exchange centers and shops selling regional goods from all over Japan. We invite overseas tourists to travel from Nihonbashi to the Ginza area, and then further on to the cities and regions along the old highways.
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Seven Great Onsen Resorts in Gunma Hopping Fair
100 highly recommended hot springs have been selected from among both famous and lesser-known hot springs and traditional bathhouses in Gunma Prefecture's seven major onsen resort areas (Kusatsu, Ikaho, the 18 hot springs of Minakami, Shima, Manza, Isobe, and Oigami). The Gunma Onsen Hopping Pass will be on sale from Monday, January 6 to Tuesday, February 4, allowing visitors to enjoy these 100 famous hot spring bathing facilities in any combination. Purchasers will also receive special benefits such as unlimited rides on the Onsen Road bus and preferential access to premium events.
Also, during the campaign, individual hot spring resorts will hold their own premium events to heal body and soul in harmony with nature and traditional culture. For example, at Kusatsu Onsen, guests can enjoy a spectacular dance performance of the much-loved traditional local folk song “Kusatsu-bushi” at Goza-no-yu. This bathhouse overlooks the Yubatake, the symbol of Kusatsu, and recreates the atmosphere of healing hot spring culture. At Ikaho Onsen, visitors will enjoy a special lunch made with local ingredients and a dance performance by an Ikaho geiko performer at the Yokote-kan, a traditional inn founded in the Edo period and located along the iconic Ikaho stone steps. At Manza Onsen, a premium “hot spring under the stars” bathing experience will be available for a limited time only, with only one pair daily able to enjoy champagne and non-alcoholic drinks in an exquisite bespoke hot spring setting.
From famous hot springs to secluded inns, just use the Onsen Hopping Pass on your smartphone to make the most of the Onsen culture that is the pride of Gunma Prefecture. -
Floating Awa Lantern Odori
Is it only the lanterns floating? My heart is taking flight too ♪
Lanterns float into the sky, marking the climx of the Awa Odori Festival. This enchanting experience offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to immerse yourself in the magic of Tokushima, transcending age and language barriers. Lanterns are free to take home, making this event something truly unforgettable.
Booths at the venue showcase Tokushima's traditional industries and culture. Food and drink stalls are also available so that visitors can enjoy themselves for the whole day. Witness this fantastic spectacle amid Tokushima's traditional folk crafts and rich culture.
[Exclusive Awa Washi plan—only 88 spots available!] Hand-made Awa Washi paper is said to have first been created by the Inbe clan of Awa around 1,300 years ago. Renowned for its durability, water resistance, and its rare beauty, Awa Washi paper has captivated artists both in Japan and abroad. Many works of art have been created using Awa Washi paper. For this event, there are 88 spots for the Awa Washi plan. Those who choose it will receive a lamp-shade kit as a gift! After the event, repurpose your Awa Washi lantern into a beautiful lampshade to decorate your home.