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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. -
Chikuma City: Geisha Kimono Experience
At the height of the geisha culture that once flourished around Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen, there were more than 400 geisha in the area to entertain travelers.
Even today, a small number of geisha still entertain guests at traditional parties and geisha performances.
This event provides new entertainment value by combining geisha culture with different tourism resources.
The Geisha Train, a geisha dance performance inside a moving train. Special dinners where guests can enjoy local food and sake while experiencing traditional ozashiki (Japanese-style tatami room) parties. Facilities that are normally inaccessible will be opened to the public, and visitors will be able to try on kimono and take a bus tour dressed in kimono.
A large photo shoot will also be held in conjunction with the kimono experience, allowing participants to recreate photographs taken during the heyday of geisha culture, further promoting the culture, and preserving the experience for future generations. -
Traditional arts in full swing! An evening in Dogo Traditional Performing Arts in Dogo
This content-packed program features four traditional Japanese performing arts in a sort of medley format—Kyogen theater, Ozashiki dance, Wadaiko (Japanese drum), and Jidai Geki Buyo historical dance, all within 70 minutes. The program is designed to be enjoyed even by those who have never had the opportunity to appreciate traditional Japanese performing arts before. In the mini-experience corner, three people will be selected by lottery to try out vocalization exercises with a Kyogen performer and dance as taught by a Geiko. Audio and video recording will be permitted during the event. Although eating and drinking are usually prohibited during traditional Japanese performing arts, drinks will be available during this program. The venue is the Noh stage on the 4th floor of the Yamatoya Honten store in the heart of Dogo Onsen, so the theatrical atmosphere of Noh will make the experience all the more exciting.
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Exclusively Reserved Tour
Discover Ōyosami Jinja Shrine, where the gods of Japan have been worshiped for more than 2,000 years. Participants will be picked up from their hotel in Osaka by taxi to make traveling to the shrine stress-free. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a priest and make your way under the shrine's stone torii gate to begin this special program. First, you will don the robes of a Shinto priest and perform a formal shrine visit and prayer. The priest guide will then provide a detailed explanation of Japanese shrines and the Shinto faith that underpins the spirituality of the Japanese people. Afterwards, you will visit other areas of the shrine grounds, including a sacred "shinboku" tree.
After the Shinto experience, you will enter the sacred space of the Kaguraden for a special tea ceremony experience. After changing back into your clothes, try your hand at Japanese calligraphy.
All these participatory experiences are conducted by qualified professionals, allowing participants to learn about Japanese culture in-depth.
After these special lessons, participants will enjoy a kaiseki-style bento, a beautifully presented Japanese meal made with seasonal vegetables. Japanese sake and wine will also be available to pair with the dishes.
After the program is over, participants will be taken back to their hotel in Osaka.
Reservations must be made in advance for this tour. A dedicated guide and interpreter will be present throughout the tour, and the shrine will be booked out exclusively for the program. This will ensure you gain a better understanding of each cultural activity for a truly memorable Japanese experience. You may also ask any questions you may have about Japan. -
Enjoy a multilingual performance of traditional Japanese Kyogen at Enichi-ji Temple
Have you heard of Kyogen? Kyogen is a traditional Japanese performing art and form of comedy referred to as "the art of laughter." It developed alongside classical Japanese theatre 650 years ago and was designated a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2015. Kyogen is unique in that actors perform rhythmical lines and gestures with bare faces, i.e., without masks—a practice derived from its origins as a Shinto ritual.
The current repertoire includes fairy tale-like stories and human comedies about drunkards, scatterbrains, and lazy servants that are enjoyable for adults and children alike. Though overseas audiences may not understand every word, they are encouraged to watch, listen, and use their imaginations to fully enjoy the show, along with the surrounding scenery. Original leaflets have also been prepared to give participants an overview of the performance. After the show, Motoya Izumi, Junko Izumi, and Tokuro Miyake will give a special workshop that will give participants a deeper look into the world of Kyogen.
While Kyogen training is typically reserved for students of specific schools, this special program will allow participants to take part in professional training (vocalization, postures, etc.) provided by the headmaster of the Izumi school. It also includes a vegetarian lunch made with local Bandai ingredients! Spend a day experiencing the best of traditional culture in the town of Bandai. -
Held at the Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa in Kyoto KYOTO NOH DINING 2024
This dining event will be held at the Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa in Kyoto. Guests will enjoy an exclusive dinner crafted by a leading Japanese chef and take in a Noh theater performance in English, presented by Japan’s top performers. After the event, guests will be transported by private car to stay at HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, Kyoto's premier luxury hotel.
The event takes place at the historic Old Mitsui Family Shimogamo Villa, a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan. Attendees will experience a close-up performance of Noh theater by members of the Kongo school, which boasts a 600-year history and whose current head is a designated Living National Treasure. All Noh performances will be in English, with English commentary between performances to help even first-time Noh theatergoers to deepen their understanding and appreciation of classical Japanese performing arts. A highlight of the event is the exclusive dinner, which is created by Head Chef Asano of The Mitsui Kyoto restaurant Toki and themed around Shimogamo-jinja Shrine in fall.
Join this special dining event to enjoy the very best of Japan’s cuisine and classical performing arts in this historic location, amidst the beautiful fall scenery of Kyoto. -
Opening the door to Yomei Bunko: A bespoke experience of Japanese tradition
This tailor-made tour offers an exclusive glimpse into authentic Japanese culture with a special viewing of national treasures, such as The Tale of Genji and Mido Kanpakuki, and accompanying English commentary at Yomei Bunko.
Yomei Bunko is a treasure trove of historical materials that has been maintained for over 1,000 years by the Konoe, a branch of the noble Fujiwara family. For the first time ever, there will be a special lecture on waka poetry and related aspects of Japanese culture by the incoming head of the Konoe family (a presenter for the Imperial New Year's Poetry Reading); a Japanese calligraphy experience; and a special tour of Hoshun-in Temple on the Daitoku-ji Temple grounds (an Important Cultural Property usually closed to the public).
Several other traditional Japanese cultural experience programs are also available, giving you the freedom to customize your own tour. Activities include a tea ceremony, ikebana flower arrangement session, court dance and music performance, kemari (an ancient Japanese sport), and a Kyoto culinary experience. -
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.
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A Traditional Japanese Autumn Festival in Hannan City, Right Next to Kansai International Airport!
Every year, in early October, the residents of Hannan City celebrate the autumn harvest with a traditional local performing art passed down over generations: the Yagura Parade.
Now, for the first time ever, VIP seating packages will be available at the Hannan City Yagura Parade on October 6 (Sunday). On the private guided tour package, interpreters will accompany participants as they experience the entire Yagura Parade up close. Highlights include "Yagura Miyairi," when the floats are carried up the stairs to the shrine, and "Mikoshi Togyo," when the portable shrine procession enters the sea at Ebinohama Beach. -
Special Night Admission to Itsukushima Shrine, Bugaku Dance Viewing, and G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023 Attraction Tour
Tour the highlights of Miyajima, an island venerated as sacred since ancient times, accompanied by a local interpreter. Your knowledgeable guide will help you tease out the intricacies of Miyajima’s diverse heritage of faith and Shinto-Buddhist syncretism.
At Akushu Restaurant, our lunch venue, enjoy a luncheon of foods with special connections to the Summit and Hiroshima, prepared specially for our tour.
Iwaso, a long-standing Japanese inn on Miyajima, was the venue for a working dinner during the G7 Hiroshima Summit. The tour will include a visit to the facilities of Iwaso, which is connected with the G7 Hiroshima Summit, and a talk by a staff member about episodes from that time, and the tea ceremony experience will take place at a special place Iwaso too.
You will visit Itsukushima Shrine, and have a general worship session and a tour of the facility.
At Miyajima History and Folklore Museum, you can learn about the history and culture of Miyajima.