Food & Drink
Area
Season
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HIDAKA TRAIL DAYS
Mount Apoi, located near Samani in eastern Hidaka, Hokkaido, features some of the world's most unusual geological features and is home to many endemic species. It is treasured as both a premier hiking spot and a place of scientific study.
In June 2024, the Hidaka Mountain Range, including Mount Apoi, and Cape Erimo were designated as Japan's largest national park.
To celebrate this designation, we are hosting the park's first outdoor event!
The event will showcase outdoor brands that are highly popular among Japanese hikers.
Don't miss the chance to come and try unique and exclusive gear that is not available overseas.
The local conservation society will offer Ainu cultural experiences at the event. Try your hand at making trail food using local ingredients, test-ride an E-MTB, and buy local delicacies to take home or enjoy on the spot!
In the evening, three prominent figures in the Japanese long-distance hiking community will talk about long trails while gathered around a bonfire.
Enjoy two days of relaxed interactions with Japanese hikers and celebrate with us. -
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. -
FIA World Rally Championship FORUM8 Rally Japan 2024 - Hospitality Program
This hospitality program will make the experience of watching Rally Japan 2024 (the final match of the season in the FIA World Rally Championship) even more special than it already is.
Stadium hospitality: Watch the rally from the best seats, enjoy a meal at the stadium restaurant, attend a meet & greet, and more
Mountain hospitality: Includes transportation to and from the exclusive SS area in the mountains, and watching the race from amidst the great outdoors
Room hospitality: The top-of-the-line plan includes a comfortable stay in a Super Room at Toyota Stadium
Helicopter experience: The executive plan allows you to charter a helicopter to watch multiple SS races
This hospitality program includes special spectator seating, meals, rest areas, activity experiences, and more. That makes it the best way to watch up close and personal how the rally cars race at full speed and how the world’s top rallyists and mechanics working furiously to maintain them.
Take in the end of the WRC 2024 season in the best possible way!
◆ Services & activities:
- Rally car ride-along
- Meet & greet with special guests
- Priority entry to the course walk
- Service park tour
- Concierge service
- Rally Japan merchandise
- 20% discount on WRC merchandise
- Special pass gift -
Winter Journey of Rebirth: Premium Dewa Sanzan Religious Experience Program
(1) The program offers a special experience of yamabushi winter mountain asceticism, set in an inaccessible area of a national park that cannot be reached without a guide. In this program, you'll dress in white and journey to the wintery mountain peaks under the guidance of a trained mountain ascetic in a journey that involves snowshoe trekking, outdoor bathing in the spirit of waterfall purification, trying out a sauna while wearing white garb, observing a fire-walking ritual, and other training experiences for ritual rebirth.
(2) You'll become the master of a castle! Build a castle in the snow! Relax in the castle you have built, and admire the winter-blooming Keio cherry trees around you—you'll be in Nishikawa, the largest producer of Keio cherry trees in Japan.
(3) Iwanesawa Sanzan Shrine will be privately booked for you to appreciate kagura dance rituals and an orchestra concert.
(4) Enjoy private spaces in all aspects of the journey—transport, meals, and lodgings! Upon request, we can provide a campervan with driver, a several-course meal of wild vegetables in a private room, or an entire rental cottage. -
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. -
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.
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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. -
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.
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Ultimate Wellness Tourism: Special experience of nature and history in Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park Three days of sports, hot springs, and food to nourish the body and soul
This tour offers the ultimate in wellness tourism, making the most of the amazing natural setting, sports resources, hot springs, and food in Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park. The goal is to help you achieve physical and mental wellbeing through amazing experiences unique to the Myoko area.
(1) Experience kurort walking, which allows you to control exercise stress and manage your body surface temperature during exercise. Enjoy aerobic exercise and strength training while walking and having fun in the great outdoors with a professional instructor.
(2) Take part in a refreshing underwater exercise program in a specially-booked hot spring training pool, to recover from fatigue.
(3) After learning the practical application of kurort walking, you can travel around sightseeing spots that are not part of existing courses (such as nationally registered Tangible Cultural Properties and some of the best waterfalls in Japan).
4) Courses by a master ""Onsen Sommelier"" available. You can also obtain the ""Onsen Sommelier"" qualification here.
(5) You will also be served healthy meals made from Myoko ingredients, as well as local cuisine, sushi, and more.
(6) Take the Setsugekka chartered resort sightseeing train and enjoy views of the Sea of Japan from the base of Mt. Myoko, while savoring dishes prepared by a local chef. (Depending on itinerary, others plans may not include this Setsugekka train ride.) -
Premium Tour Featuring the Traditional Performing Art of Kyogen at Muroji, A Temple Famous for Extraordinary Autumn Foliage
Avoid the crowds and enjoy a relaxing experience of the superb autumn foliage in Japan's ancient capital of Nara!
Built about 1,400 years ago, Muroji Temple is the only temple of Koyasan that permitted women to visit since ancient times. It is popular as a secluded spot for viewing the autumn leaves in Nara.
This year, for the first time, Muroji Temple will open its main hall—a national treasure normally closed to the public—as a stage for a premium tour that includes a performance of Kyogen theater, one of Japan's classic performing arts, presented by the Izumi school.
In addition to the main hall, visitors will be guided by a priest on a special night tour of the temple grounds, which includes national treasures like the Kondo (main hall) and a five-story pagoda. They will then be treated to a performance of Kyogen by Motoya Izumi, the 20th generation headmaster of the Izumi school, who performs both in Japan and overseas. A special dinner plan showcasing Nara's traditional vegetables (available Nov. 25–26), and a plan featuring a performance by Japan's only female Kyogen performers (Nov. 23–24) will also be available—a fitting performance for Muroji Temple and its strong affiliation with women.
A month-long autumn foliage festival and illumination event will be held starting November 1. Come and enjoy the beautiful autumn leaves and appreciate the essence of traditional Japanese culture.