Food & Drink
Area
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A Trip to Enjoy the 370-year History of this Sake Brewery, which Originated in the Edo period, and the Spiritual World of Kisoji, a Certified Japan Heritage site.
A special tour of Kiso with Yukawa Sake Brewery, which boasts 370 years of history and was crowned World Champion at the International Wine Challenge. Explore a sake brewery usually closed to the public, immerse yourself in its daily routine, enjoy a meal hosted by the brewery owner, and listen to the secrets and passion behind the craft of sake making. At the Torii Pass, which is a symbol of Yabuhara and is home to Yukawa Sake Brewery, as well as a popular trekking spot, you can experience the natural beauty of Kiso and its spiritual heritage. In addition, this one-of-a-kind tour offers an in-depth experience of the history and culture of Kisoji, a leg of the Nakasendo road, through interaction with the local people, including a hands-on workshop to learn the traditional craft of Oroku-gushi combs from a modern master artisan, as well as a workshop on hyakusogan, a herbal remedy passed down from the Shugendo tradition by Hino Pharmaceutical.
With a private English-speaking guide and a private car, you can enjoy a luxurious and comfortable Kiso experience. -
Tsuyama Castle Banquet
Known for drawing over 100,000 visitors during popular events such as the Tsuyama Sakura Festival and Tsuyama Castle Maple Festival, Tsuyama Castle will host its first ever exclusive Tsuyama Castle Banquet, offering cultural activities, historical lectures, and an unforgettable dining experience.
A special menu for the banquet will be crafted using local ingredients by Keiji Takeuchi, who has earned Michelin’s Bib Gourmand recognition for 10 consecutive years, and Terumitsu Saito, owner and head chef of the French restaurant, Ortensia.
The event offers a special experience featuring local culinary delights rooted in Tsuyama's unique meat culture, such as Tsuyama Wagyu beef. Guests will also be treated to a warm welcome by the Sengoku-era samurai team led by "Mori Tadamasa," the first lord of Tsuyama Castle, as well as traditional Japanese dance performances and a stunning fireworks display. -
A Three-Day-Stay at a Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Property Ryokan: Experiencing Washi, Local Sake, and the Blessings of Satoyama
This exclusive three-day, two-nights special tour allows you to stay in a prestigious ryokan, a nationally registered Tangible Cultural Property, that is typically not open for lodging.
Surrounded by rich satoyama, immerse yourself in the fresh air and pure water that have nurtured local life while exploring the charms and traditions of washi, sake brewing, and Japanese cuisine.
This exclusive plan invites you to nurture your mind and body while exploring the beauty of Japanese traditions, including tea ceremony, Zen meditation, calligraphy, and kimono dressing. With an interpreter joining the tour, you can feel at ease and fully enjoy the experience, even if it’s your first visit to Japan. -
Kyushu Basho ticket (Seat A) included: Guided tour of the Kyushu Basho venue with a stablemaster
A different stablemaster guides the tour each day!
A former sumo wrestler with a rich history, now a stablemaster guiding young sumo wrestlers, will personally lead a small group around the Ozumo Kyushu Basho venue. You have the opportunity to hear unique stories from a stablemaster who has been deeply involved in sumo for many years. After touring the venue with the stablemaster and deepening your knowledge of sumo and the Kyushu Basho, enjoy an exciting sumo match from a comfortable chair seat!
You’ll also have the rare opportunity to take commemorative photos with sumo personnel and receive a souvenir gift from the stablemaster, a once in a lifetime experience.
An English-speaking guide will accompany you, so international guests can participate with ease. -
Enjoy the Local Craftsmanship and Traditional Culture of Japan’s Renowned Architectural and Cultural Heritage ~Inuyama immersive tour~
This tour takes you to the Inuyama area in northern Aichi Prefecture, where you can experience the traditional Japanese crafts of Karakuri mechanical designs, Inuyama ware, as well as traditional tea culture. The Inuyama area is home to many historically important cultural properties and traditional culture, including two national treasures: Inuyama Castle and the Jo-An Tea Room.
Enjoy tea served in Inuyama ware, a traditional type of Japanese pottery, in Urakuen Garden, home to the Jo-An Tea Room, renowned in tea culture. Enjoy a special lunch that combines locally produced cuisine with Inuyama ware at the adjacent Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen Garden. You will also have the chance to make your own Inuyama ware under the guidance of an artisan.
Learn about the history and principles of Karakuri mechanical designs from the foremost expert, the ninth generation Tamaya Shobei, in a private setting while operating the artifacts first-hand. Many of Inuyama's architectural treasures are on display at the Museum Meiji-Mura. The entrance to the former Imperial Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is a particularly noteworthy attraction, and you can receive a guided tour and description of its magnificence from the cultural property conservators who work at the museum.
Partake in kaiseki cuisine at the special location of Zagyo-so, Villa of Prince Kimmochi Saionji, an Important Cultural Property on display at Museum Meiji-Mura. Enjoying dinner in a building where eating and drinking are usually prohibited will surely be an unforgettable experience. -
A One-of-a-Kind Setouchi Island Hopping Tour with the Editor-in-Chief of “Setouchi Style (Life Style & Culture of Setouchi)”
Immerse yourself in this Setouchi Island Hopping Tour, enjoying Teshima's leading art scene and experiencing the history and cultural activities of Shodoshima firsthand, such as the Niihama Taiko Festival, while taking in the beauty of the Seto Inland Sea's many islands from a cruiser. The goal is to elevate your travel experience from ordinary sightseeing into a one-of-a-kind experience.
Enjoy relaxed conversation with Masako Yamamoto, editor-in-chief of the “Setouchi Style (Life Style & Culture of Setouchi)” informational magazine published by a Setouchi-based publisher, who will accompany you on the tour. Masako Yamamoto, who has also been independently reporting on the Setouchi region for over 20 years, is one of only a handful of writers who share information about the region.
You can also enjoy other sites and experiences off the beaten path, such as a short trek to Mt. Goishizan, a well-known spot along the Shodoshima sacred site pilgrimage route, as well as the goma fire ritual at Joko-ji Temple located on Mt. Goishizan.
Shodoshima is the largest producer of olives in Japan. It is also known for its production of soy sauce, with around 50% of the wooden vats used for soy sauce brewing in Japan being on Shodoshima. At your accommodation, you can enjoy creative Japanese cuisine unique to the region that makes use of its local specialty olives and soy sauce.
The tour will be guided by an experienced professional interpreter. -
Connecting with Locals Along the Nakasendo Trail (Narai-juku to Kiso-Hirasawa)
Nakasendo is a popular tourist spot for Japanese people and foreigners alike who often use it as a walking trail. Narai-juku and Kiso-Hirasawa, which lie along the Nakasendo, along with Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku, are designated as Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. However, Narai-juku and Kiso-Hirasawa differ from Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku in that many residents live their everyday lives there among the special historical scenery and street scenes. Continuing to live within a Cultural Property requires understanding and effort regarding strict restrictions, including in building repairs. As a result, the crafts and culture rooted in the area from olden times are protected by the existing craftspeople who have inherited the practices and those who value their preservation.
Kiso-Hirasawa, blessed by abundant forests, is a manufacturing town that flourished from the production of lacquerware using high-quality wood. It is the only lacquering town in Japan designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and its townscape is carefully preserved. One traditional craft particular to this region is “magemono,” a type of round wooden container. Kiso hinoki cypress is used to make round lunch boxes, tubs, etc. Lacquer is then applied to the wood to increase its strength.
On this tour, walk along the Nakasendo and meet the residents working to maintain and preserve their traditional townscapes, as well as those involved in maintaining fading traditional crafts and culture for the future. -
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.