Nature & the Outdoors
Area
Season
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Cinematic HOSOKAWA History ＆ Culture Encounter Higo-Hosokawa culture: Over 400 years of history
"Suizenji Jojuen Garden, one of the top Japanese gardens in Kyushu, will be open at night for a limited time only!
Visitors can experience the unique samurai culture of Kumamoto Prefecture (Higo-Hosokawa culture) while taking in the beautiful autumn foliage and flowers.
- Take part in a tea ceremony in the Kokin-Denju-no-Ma teahouse, an Important Cultural Property built about 400 years ago
- Experience bonseki, the traditional art of depicting natural scenes with sand and stones on a tray
- Try your hand at the traditional Kumamoto goldsmith’s craft of Higo-zogan inlaying
- Try iaido, a samurai martial art using Japanese swords
- Experience Noh theater, a traditional Japanese performing art featuring masks and beautiful costumes
The park will also feature illuminated bamboo groves and art pieces.
Visitors can tour the park while listening to the dedicated audio app and pondering the life of Hosokawa Gracia.
Hosokawa Gracia was the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide and wife of Hosokawa Tadaoki. She was a famous heroine during Japan’s Sengoku (Warring States) period.
Enjoy history, culture, and Japanese autumn foliage through this fusion of Japanese garden and projection mapping."
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Kenninji Temple, Kyoto: Premium night viewing in the refreshing cool of evening ZEN NIGHT WALK KYOTO
Premium night viewing at Kenninji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto
A special nighttime viewing will be held at Kenninji Temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto. During this event, visitors can experience the spirit of Zen by walking through the temple’s corridors while listening to ""neuro-music"" scientifically proven to relax the brain.
Sound Corridors: Neuro-music
Walk through the corridors of Kenninji Temple while listening to ""neuro-music."" This music relaxes the brain, leading to a more mindful state.
Daiyuen Garden - Sokai (Vast ocean)
A sea of clouds appears in Kenninji's dry landscape garden, the Daiyuen Garden, on cool summer nights. This sea of clouds complements the beauty and serenity of the garden as visitors listen to neuro-music.
Twin Dragons & Digital Twin Dragons
Kenninji's iconic Twin Dragons painting, combined with the latest in projection art. Contemporary artist Rei Wakita will use the latest technology to visualize the flow of the dragons’ energy.
Japanese Garden Sound-Art Night Walk
Enjoy art installations of sound and light while touring the corridors of extraordinary Japanese gardens: the Circle-Triangle-Square Garden, the Cho-on-tei Garden, and the Daiyuen Garden.
A truly special evening experience of sound and silence, light and shadow. Experience the fusion of contemporary art and technology while enjoying the history and beauty of Kenninji Temple. -
Ride with Taiwanese Cyclist Haru from Hokkaido Ballpark F Village Cycling Tour
This cycling tour begins in the Specialized Experience Center at the Hokkaido Ballpark F Village with Haru, a cyclist that has been growing in popularity in Taiwan. Participants will trek the 30 kilometers of the tour on rental bicycles from Specialized to take in the beautiful countryside of Kitahiroshima. At a local campsite, participants will enjoy a barbecue lunch with ingredients from a local farm. An expert local cycling guide and a Taiwanese interpreter will be present for any assistance. One of Specialized's mechanics will also join the tour to ensure that any issues or incidents with the bicycles are handled immediately and safely.
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Tailored ascetic training experience at the World Heritage site of Mt. Hiei Enryakuji Temple
Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei is a religious institution that is renowned for producing famous monks, such as Honen and Shinran, from various schools of Japanese Buddhism. Many monks continue to engage in various forms of ascetic practices on the temple grounds.
The experience involves the following:
・ Participants will be guided by the chief priest (the current instructor of monks-in-training) of Enryakuji Temple, one of the most famous Buddhist monasteries in Japan and a World Heritage Site.
・ Each participant will speak with the chief priest, who will ask about their daily thoughts and worries to determine the most suitable training.
・ The training is identical to that practiced by many monks today:
- Circle the mountain in kaihogyo, an ascetic practice that has performed by monks at Mt.Hiei for the past 1100 years
- Practice seated hoto-zazen meditation while visualizing the 1,200-year ""eternal flame of Buddhism""
- Clean the temple grounds and dojo to clear your mind and attain a meditative state
- Recite the name of Amitabha Buddha in Amitabha samadhi, one of the four kinds of samadhi practiced on Mt. Hiei
In contrast to the tourist-oriented training experiences of the past, we offer an authentic training experience in which participants will attain new understanding and insights. -
A Fishing Tour Where You Will Learn How to Maneuver a Boat, Read the Tides, and Catch Fish
● Even beginners have a high chance of catching fish, as you will be accompanied by highly skilled boatmen and professional anglers certified by fishing tackle manufacturer Shimano.
● All fishing equipment is provided: you can show up to the tour empty-handed!
● Any fresh fish you catch will be cooked and served to you at the restaurant.
● Stay at a five-star hotel in the Umeda or Namba areas of Osaka.
● Take a hired car to and from the hotel to the fishing port.
● Enjoy shopping at a popular roadside station in Misaki, where you can buy fresh local vegetables and fish. -
Interactive Study and Observation Tour of Wild Asiatic Black Bears and Exploring Traditional Japanese Perspectives on Nature, Past and Present
Since ancient times, Japanese people have believed that spirits reside in mountains, rivers, plants, and animals. Even today this belief can still be seen through wood carvings at shrines and sacred trees. One reason for this is that Japan is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis, and people have always tried to coexist with these natural disasters. Despite Japan’s relatively small size, the Asiatic black bear, a large and oftentimes threatening wild animal, has managed to avoid extinction and even live close to civilization.
This program starts with a visit to a long-standing shrine where participants learn about traditional Japanese perspectives on nature, which tend to differ from the views of monotheistic cultures. Next, they learn about the issues that residents of Karuizawa face with bears. Karuizawa is an area where people and bears live in close proximity to each other. Then, participants learn how the town of Karuizawa, in collaboration with the Picchio Wildlife Research Center, addresses issues caused by bears. They also get a chance to observe the world’s most advanced system of black bear conservation and management, which aims to enable humans and bears to coexist in harmony. Finally, they get the opportunity to observe, in person, one of the world's rarest black bear species. -
Tour for Luxury Tourists: “The Path of the Craftsman—A Journey Through the Heart of Japan”
This tour is an in-depth experience of traditional Japanese crafts, natural landscapes, and culinary culture unique to various areas. The following unique experiences will be offered in the Aichi, Gifu, and Kyoto Prefectures.
(1) Traditional folk craft experiences
- Ceramic art: Learn from the direct apprentice of a Living National Treasure at the Kobeigama Kiln for an authentic Japanese experience. This activity is exclusive to participants of this tour, and the items can be mailed back to your home countries at a later date.
- Small blade making: Try your hand at making a small blade in a workshop not usually open to the public in Seki, Gifu Prefecture. This experience is also exclusive to participants of this tour, and items can be mailed back to your home countries at a later date.
- Mino-washi papermaking: Learn from an artisan how to make hon-minoshi paper, a method which is registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
(2) Traditional scenery and accommodations
- Tour historical buildings: Visit traditional buildings in places like Gifu Prefecture's Takayama City, Mino City, and Shirakawa-go, as well as Kyoto Prefecture's Kyoto City. Enjoy strolling around and taking photos wearing a kimono.
- Traditional accommodations: Stay in select accommodations in old private homes built more than 130 years ago, or in machiya-style townhouses designated as Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government. Enjoy an extraordinary experience in a truly special space.
(3) Culinary culture and seasonal produce
- Michelin Guide-listed restaurants: Enjoy dishes made with seasonal local ingredients, such as wild vegetables in spring, ayu (sweetfish) and eel in summer, matsutake mushrooms in fall, and wild game in winter. Accommodations can also be made for vegan or halal dining.
Participants will be accompanied by a guide from the region who is fluent in the participants' language, has extensive knowledge of the area, and who can provide a deeper understanding of Japanese culture. -
Niseko Green Luxury Tourism
Three special experiences will be offered during the summer months, when Niseko's greenery is a beautiful, deep green:
[1] The Finest NISEKO Art Experience
[2] The Finest NISEKO Gastronomy Experience
[3] The Finest NISEKO Adventure Experience
This one-day program will be led by top art, gastronomy, and adventure professionals who will present you with local culture refined into the highest form of entertainment in exclusive, private venues that are not normally open to the public.
The interplay between Ainu culture, which embodies the spirit of nature symbiosis in which Hokkaido prides itself, and contemporary art; the ultimate terroir experience, visiting farms and sake breweries with local chefs to enjoy the abundant food resources cultivated by the clear streams at the foot of beautiful Ezo Fuji; and the wildlife and frontier spirit of Hokkaido, as introduced through expert guides... A one-day adventure sure to make your heart soar!
Learn more about these three experiences and take advantage of the opportunity to join this special, invitation-only tour of Niseko. -
Enjoy the Tenjin Festival, One of Japan's Three Major Festivals, Aboard a Ceremonial Boat
(1) Participants will ride the official boat used for the festival's religious ceremony. Known as the gubusen, or attendant boat, this ceremonial boat functions to welcome the the gods.
(2) For the first time, special viewing seats will be set up on the grounds of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine for the general public to view the fireworks.
(3) Commentary by a former chief priest of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine will be interpreted into English.
(4) Visitors will be able to take pictures with the hanamusume (flower girls) appointed by the Tenjinbashi-suji shopping district. Hanamusume will also be on board the attendant boat.
(5) The lunch on July 25, included in the Premium Plan, will be served at Osaka Geihinkan (Osaka Former State Guest House).
(6) The dinner on July 25 will be an original bento box from an upscale, long-established ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) in Osaka.
(7) Lunch and dinner will be served with complimentary drinks.
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Ritsurin Garden Premium Tea Ceremony
Ritsurin Garden boasts a history of nearly 400 years and is where the Takamatsu Matsudaira family, the samurai lords who ruled this area, entertained various guests. This dinner program recreates the family's unrivaled hospitality. There will be a guided tour of the garden by writer Alex Kerr, who will provide guests with insights into the garden's most famous and historic trees, the natural beauty of Japan exhibited throughout the garden, and the characteristics of Japanese culture from the Edo period onwards. The garden tour will be followed by apéritifs at the historic Kikugetsu-tei Tea House, during which a Living National Treasure lacquerware master artisan will discuss Kagawa lacquerware—a representative traditional craft of Kagawa Prefecture. This will be followed by a cha-kaiseki dinner, the highest form of hospitality within the tea ceremony.