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Foodie tour in the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Usuki, exploring the cycle of food and nature from the perspective of soil cultivation
Usuki City has a long history of diverse food culture, and this tradition continues to this day. The city is committed to the "cycle of food" in the Usuki style, with the whole city working together to promote organic farming, local production for local consumption, and the creation of soil that has vitality. This is a foodie tour where visitors can enjoy the local food culture, including the "authentic agricultural produce" grown in the soil of Usuki, as well as the local brewing traditions. From the careful cultivation of the soil, to the fields where the produce grows, and finally to the dinner table after being cooked, this program allows visitors to experience the Usuki style of the cycle of food and invites them to appreciate food even more deeply.
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Weaving the Ryukyu Story on Izena Island: A Tour of King Sho En’s History and Nature Exploration
This tour is designed to immerse you in the traditions, culture, performing arts, and natural beauty of Izena Island, which still retains a strong trace of the Ryukyu Kingdom era. Throughout the tour, local residents, who are knowledgeable about the history and culture of the Ryukyu Kingdom, will accompany you as interpreter guides.
In the "King Sho En Special Guide" tour, descendants of King Sho En's family will personally guide you through the birthplace of the kings who ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom for 450 years. You will also have the opportunity to dress in traditional Ryukyu royal costumes and take commemorative photos.
The "Traditional Festival Experience" allows you to visit sites where island residents still practice sacred rituals and festivals, such as "Shinugu," "Naakuchi" and "Iruchayo," which are used to pray for bountiful harvests and fishing. You will get to experience these time-honored traditions through simulated participation.
In the "Traditional Performing Arts Experience," the island's performers will deliver a lecture through which you can experience "Sho En Drums," a traditional performing art of the island that uses Japanese drums, and the sanshin, a three-stringed instrument.
For the "Nature Appreciation Plan," you can choose between enjoying the breathtaking natural beauty and stunning sea views with a clear kayak experience or a special cruising and fishing experience." -
1,300 Years of Tagajo’s Founding: A Special Culinary Experience Connecting the Ages
Tagajo City is a historic town where one quarter of the area is occupied by historical sites. In the Nara period, 1,300 years ago, "Kokufu Tagajo" was established as the political and cultural center of the Tohoku region. Come and experience the rich history and food culture of Tagajo by making a short trip from Sendai.
・A short journey from Sendai Station to Kokufu-Tagajo Station (approx. 15 minutes)
・Ancient Costume Experience
Enjoy a dressing experience with Nara-period replica costumes, allowing you to feel like an aristocrat from that era.
・Tohoku History Museum
Visit a special exhibition, which is only open for a limited time, as well as the permanent exhibition. Check the reservation site for the dates of special exhibitions. The permanent exhibits provide insight into the history of the entire Tohoku region.
・Ancient Rice Lunch
Enjoy a special lunch featuring ancient rice, a local specialty of Tagajo City.
・Shell Painting Experience
Try your hand at painting on clam shells, once used in the noble game of "Kaiawase" (shell matching).
・Learn the History of Tagajo
Deepen your understanding of Tagajo’s historical significance at the Tagajo City Archaeological Research Center.
・Shiogama Shrine
Visit Shiogama Shrine, dedicated to the god of salt production. Salt production was closely connected with the history of Tagajo.
・Ancient Cultural Experience at the Tagajo Ruins
Experience the atmosphere of the time at the historical ruins of Tagajo Castle, including the newly restored southern gate.
・Special Imperial Cuisine
This tour offers a special meal inspired by the idea of what imperial cuisine from the Nara period might be like if it were served today, a unique culinary experience only available in Tagajo.
*Please note that program content may vary depending on the event date.
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Satsuma Samurai Spirit Tour in Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Samurai existed in Japan from the medieval to the modern eras. They trained in swordsmanship and other arts in order to protect their lord, their families, and themselves. However, they also emphasized spiritual training through the learning of etiquette, tea ceremonies, and other cultural practices. Their bravery, wisdom, and aesthetic sensibilities were passed on to future generations, and have given rise to many cultures, traditions, and ideas.
Satsumasendai City in Kagoshima Prefecture is a historically “samurai” city, where the spirit of the Satsuma samurai remains strong. The Samurai Program includes a guided tour of the largest scale armor-production site in Japan, an experience dressing in premium armor, an iaido experience, and a samurai dinner to deeply get in touch with the life and philosophy of the Satsuma samurai. -
Special Experiential Tour of Oshi Culture: The Rare Remnants of a Culture with a 1,200-Year History
・This is a guided tour to experience the history and practices surrounding Mt. Mitake, a culture which dates back 1,200 years.
・An oshi is a practitioner of mountain worship who lives on a mountain and guides the faithful.
・Mountain worship refers to a belief in self-improvement, in which the mountains themselves are viewed as sacred objects to be honored. It is because of this that oshi work to carefully preserve and pass the mountains on to their descendants. The practice is based on sustainable living.
・The tour will include waterfall training and meditation practices under the direct guidance of an oshi. This sort of practice is the origin of modern day practices like Zen and mindfulness.
・The accommodation for participants of this program will be at a lodging house run by an oshi, known as a shukubo.
・The guide will take participants to hidden gems that one might normally pass right by, such as Musashi Mitake Shrine, Okunoin Temple and its sacred statue, and the Futomani Festival site. This is a secret festival that has been passed down since ancient times.
・Participants will be accompanied by a guide that is familiar with the area, so they will be able to experience the local lifestyle and culture in depth, and even enjoy interacting with the locals.
・This is a guided tour to experience a traditional Japanese style of sustainable living.
・The guides that will accompany the tour are internationally certified in outdoor first aid, environmental ethics, and outdoor activity skills.
・The location is very accessible, as it is only about 90 minutes away from central Tokyo. -
MT.IWAFUNE EXPLOSION EXPERIENCE
1. "Henshin with Kamen Rider #1: Transformation and Explosion with Hiroshi Fujioka"
In this exclusive experience, you’ll learn the iconic “henshin pose” from Hiroshi Fujioka, the original Kamen Rider #1, and join him in an electrifying explosion scene.
2. "Become a Hero: Wire Action and Explosion"
Step into the role of a hero where you'll perform wire-action stunts. Guided by a former stuntman, you'll experience high-flying action and cinematic explosions.
3. "Anniversary Explosion Shoot in a Kimono"
Wear a beautiful kimono and capture unforgettable moments with a unique explosion photo shoot. Perfect setting to make your special day a cinematic masterpiece. -
Enjoy the Great Outdoors in a Spectacular Location Overlooking a National Park! Premium Mobile Home Stay with Sauna and Special Dinner
This plan allows guests to enjoy a sense of oneness with nature as they overlook the national parks of Joshinetsu Kogen and the Myoko-Togakushi Mountain Range from a premium mobile home with a sauna. Enjoy an exclusive view of scenery that can only be seen here and changes with the time of day.
Participants will be treated to a special dinner made with local ingredients.
The tour also offers optional guided cultural experiences in the area as part of the basic plan, such as a special guided tour of the temple grounds by a Zenkoji monk and high-quality shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist meal) with an explanation of the cuisine.
There is also the option of an all-inclusive tour complete with private cabs for guests visiting from the Tokyo metropolitan area. Transportation within the region will also be through private cab, ensuring each aspect of the tour (experience, transport, and accommodation) will be private. -
The Tradition of Japan's Ama Divers: Ocean Lunch Tour
This tour will give you an authentic ama experience, allowing you to forge a connection with the earth and nature through food. The accommodation, Oyado the Earth, is located within Ise-Shima National Park. The tour begins on the grounds of the hotel. Participants will cross a beach only accessible at low tide to reach a private beach with small, isolated ama huts. Walking along the pebbled beach, with its natural hills and valleys, and listening to the crash of the waves, participants will gain firsthand insight into the unique lives of these ama divers. They will witness the cycles of nature, the lived experience of the ama divers as the seasons change, and the ways in which this culture has been preserved. Participants will arrive on the beach around the time that the ama divers return from their dive. The sight of these ama divers, emerging drenched from the waves, speaks to a hidden world that lies within the ocean. On the beach in front of the ama huts, close enough to feel the spray of the waves, participants will be treated to an aperitif selected by the accommodation’s sommelier and a chef’s lunch made with the ama’s catch. Afterwards, participants will head to the harbor to take in the lively scene of the ama divers unloading their catch of turban shells and abalone so they can be taken to market. Outside the fishing season or in case of bad weather, special permission is granted to enter the ama huts. Participants will be able to speak to the ama divers and gain deep insight into their experiences as they prepare for their dive. It is a truly special experience to able to visit a real ama hut rather than a reconstruction. The tour offers not only a walk on the unspoiled beaches of Ise-Shima National Park but also a glimpse into the real fishing and daily life of the working ama divers.
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Premium Night Event Held in the Kanazawa Higashi Chaya District
This nighttime cultural tour features private bookings in the Higashi Chaya district at Buemon, a green tea soba noodle restaurant which also doubles as so-bar OTOYU.
Chef Nakamura, a famous local chef of Japanese cuisine at the restaurant Higashiyama -YOSHI- and a certified sake sommelier, will introduce participants to local Kanazawa cuisine, discuss the history of sake, demonstrate how local sake are made, and let participants sample rare and valuable local sake from Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery, Kuze Sake Brewery, and Kobori Shuzo Brewery, with commentary included for each.
Enjoy sake while watching a quality live performance that combines traditional dance and shamisen performances by geiko with projection mapping.
After the performance, there will bea talk show with the geiko, and participants can try their hand at playing a taiko drum onstage. -
Hands-On Workshops to Learn About and Experience Kutani Ware Ceramics and Ogura Textiles! Two-day tour to enjoy ceramic painting and molding techniques
This tour gives participants a chance to learn traditional Kutani ware techniques from the Asakura Family, the first Kutani ware potters to be awarded the Order of Culture. With its distinctive molding and painting, the colors and shapes of Kutani ware objects are very different from pottery found in other regions. Try your hand at the Asakura family's secret techniques of painting and molding pottery, which have been passed down from generation to generation. This tour features a special backyard tour of the only silk weaving factory in Japan. All food at the accommodation will be served in Kutani ware ceramics. Enjoy this rare opportunity to learn about the history of Kutani ware pottery, and hear directly from Kutani ware ceramic artists themselves. An easy-to-understand tour with an interpreter on hand.