Search
Category
Area
Season
-
Kawazu Retreat: Full-Day Experience Tour with a Meal that Is Distinctly Kawazu
[September 1 - January 31]
- Nirvana Hall: Private viewing of Japan's three largest reclining Buddha statues (normally closed to the public and available especially for this tour)
- Naranda no Sato: View nationally designated Important Cultural Properties (a special private viewing experience)
- Retreat to Nanzenji Temple to enjoy a traditional local meal of yellow rice and sweet tea (a special private dining experience)
[February 1 - February 28]
・Naranda no Sato: View nationally designated Important Cultural Properties
・Retreat to Nanzenji Temple to enjoy a traditional local meal of yellow rice and sweet tea
・Kawazu Cherry Blossom Terrace Premium Experience (limited to February Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival, and includes special private seats and a Kawazu Cherry Blossom set meal) -
Japanese Hokuriku Pride in Tradition: The Skills, Pride, and Spirit of the Hokuriku Region
An experiential event to see, learn about, and appreciate the skills of the local craftspeople:
A rare opportunity to experience the charms of Japan's traditional crafts together with the traditional food culture of Yamashiro Onsen.
This experiential event will be held throughout the hot spring resort area, offering participants the opportunity to see, learn about, and appreciate the high level of craftsmanship in traditional handicrafts such as Kutani ware and Wajima lacquerware, and food culture such as Japanese confectioneries, kimonos, and famous sakes. -
Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s Greatest Swordsman: Experience the Spirit of Musashi with the 18th Head of the Niten Ichi-ryu Style (The Book of Five Rings: Ground, Water, Fire, and Wind editions)
The spirit and culture of Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman, still lives on in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Kumamoto is where Miyamoto Musashi spent the last years of his life. Miyamoto Musashi was invited there as a guest of Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the first lord of Kumamoto, and spent the last five years of his life in Kumamoto. There, he established the military art Niten Ichi-ryu, and wrote The Book of Five Rings. This book, which explains the spirit of the samurai, is nowadays read by people throughout the world. And now, 380 years later, there is a modern-day samurai—an 18th-generation samurai who has inherited the spirit of the Niten Ichi-ryu, and who is working to promote it in modern times. Spending time with him and experiencing the essence of the spirit conveyed in The Book of Five Rings, is sure to be a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
-
Ride the Tadami Line with Local Guides & A Night Tour of Mugenkyo Gorge
At 135.2 kilometers in length, the JR Tadami Line connecting Aizu-Wakamatsu Station in Fukushima Prefecture with Koide Station in Niigata Prefecture is famed as a hidden gem of a local rail line which boasts extraordinary views. The scenery, which includes the spectacular landscape of the Tadami River, the villages dotted along its riverbanks, and the majestic mountains nearby, is astoundingly beautiful no matter the season and has proven highly popular amongst visitors. This special tour is offered by a guide who is one of the most well-versed people in the world about the Tadami Line. Enjoy hidden sights and photo spots known only to this guide—both from inside the train and from the train’s windows.
The Mugenkyo Gorge ferry is a hand-pulled boat that runs between the towns of Kanayama and Mishima in Fukushima Prefecture, crossing the Tadami River. The name "Mugenkyo” derives from the ephemeral beauty of the valley when it is shrouded in river mist on summer mornings and evenings—as if in a scene from a dream. Although the Mugenkyo Gorge ferry normally runs only from morning to evening, this tour features special yakatabune boats that operate at night. The illumination of the yakatabune boats will give the nighttime Mugenkyo Gorge an even more mystical appearance. You will also enjoy a meal that is often served at times of celebration in this region, prepared with lots of local ingredients and traditional dishes.
On both the Tadami Line and Mugenkyo Gorge tours, you will be loaned a tablet with video and audio features that can provide multilingual guidance for your convenience, and you will stay at a guesthouse renovated from an old private residence.
Packed with rare content, these tours offer deep experiences of the culture of the Oku-Aizu region.
-
ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2024
The 9th Art Fair Asia will be held from Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 22 at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center, a convention facility in Hakata well-known by Fukuoka residents. The event will be co-hosted by Fukuoka City, which has worked to promote Fukuoka Art Next with the aim of creating a colorful city full of art, and Culture Vision, an NGO that creates opportunities for creators to co-create beyond the boundaries of industry, government, and academia. The goal of the event is to open up a diverse array of possibilities in Fukuoka City, a city that is already full of human encounters and interaction.
This year, the venue will serve as a sort of hub of exchange between Japan and other Asian countries. The focus will be on artists from around Asia and Kyushu. The event will also include collaborations with art museums, universities, companies, and art fairs in Kyushu and other parts of Japan and overseas, in an attempt to develop even more as an art fair based on the concept of Asia. Fukuoka City’s "FaN Week" will be held at the same time as the art fair, covering the entire city of Fukuoka in art. This one-of-a-kind experience is sure to stimulate the creativity of art fans and visitors in general.
We hope that as many people as possible get to experience the fascination and excitement of art in Fukuoka, a city that has long nurtured diversity and has continued to develop as a hub for the flow of people and goods in Asia.
We look forward to seeing you at Art Fair Asia Fukuoka 2024. -
GBB24 TOKYO (Grand Beatbox Battle 2024 World League)
Grand Beatbox Battle (GBB) is a world beatbox competition held by Swissbeatbox. GBB originated in Switzerland, then took place in Poland before being held in Tokyo last year—the first time it was held in Asia.
This year's 15th installment of the GBB, called GBB24, will be held again in Japan, and will determine the world's best in the five categories of solo, tag, loopstation, crew, and finally producer, a new category established in 2023!
The event will be held November 1-3 at Toyosu PIT in Tokyo. The "7 TO SMOKE" battle event, open to anyone aged 18 or older, will be held as an after-party on November 4 in Tokyo.
Come and experience GBB, a world tournament like no other, with world-class sound quality and hospitality that only Japan can offer! -
50 Kilometers’ Worth of Adventure Tourism on Shikoku’s Sadamisaki Peninsula!
This program provides six adventure tourism experiences on Sadamisaki Peninsula, available for a limited time only. These include a tour of the uninhabited island of Kuroshima, which is about 10 minutes from the port and has the dilapidated remains of a breakwater; a guided fishing boat cruise that will take you to view strange rock formations and allow you to try fishing at a first-class spot known only to local fishermen; a stay in a traditional private residence and a visit to the Oiwa Farm citrus orchard (with a citrus juice tasting comparison); a stay in a log cabin-style cottage and a barbecue meal of fresh seafood and game from the Sadamisaki Peninsula; a stay with breakfast at Bluestone, a stylish Western-style accommodation by the sea with a bath overlooking the sea; and a helicopter sightseeing tour for extended access to the Sadamisaki Peninsula. Come take part in these invaluable experiences and enjoy yourself to your heart’s content!
-
SENSE ISLAND / LAND 2024
The venues of this art festival include Sarushima, a Japan Heritage Site and the largest uninhabited island in Tokyo Bay, as well as several historic sites scattered throughout Yokosuka City. Tour the city while taking in works of art created specially for this art festival.
Although Sarushima is not normally open to the public at night, this tour will include a nighttime excursion so that participants can view the works of art scattered around the island by flashlight, which makes for an unprecedented art experience.
The festival will also include several related events, such as live music and nighttime Japanese dance performances on the sands of Sarushima, and artists’ workshops about indigo dyeing and Jomon-style earthenware production. We certainly hope you will join us for these events.
Yokosuka City in Kanagawa Prefecture, where the exhibition will be held, is located on the Miura Peninsula. By Keihin Electric Express Railway, it takes about 90 minutes from Haneda Airport, about 90 minutes from Shinagawa Station, and about 30 minutes from Yokohama Station, thereby enabling anyone staying in Tokyo or Yokohama to enjoy this extraordinary art experience. -
30th Anniversary of World Heritage Registration and 800th Anniversary of Sect Founding NAKED Light-Up at Nishi Honganji Temple 2024 Special Autumn Viewing
This year in Kyoto, Nishi Honganji Temple, the head temple of the Jodo Shinshu Honganji sect that was founded by the holy man named Shinran, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its World Heritage registration and the 800th anniversary of the sect's founding. To commemorate this event, the creative company NAKED, INC., will plan and host an autumn light-up event at Nishi Honganji Temple.
Experience the history and culture of Nishi Honganji Temple by carrying NAKED distance lanterns (artistic lanterns popular at NAKED events) while touring Miedo Hall, a National Treasure which will be decorated with digital art, and Hiunkaku Pavilion, a National Treasure that is usually closed to the public. In addition to the regular tickets, there will be special tickets available that will allow visitors to get a better feel for what Nishi Honganji Temple is like in the early fall. These include a special viewing ticket for admission to the Shoin complex, another National Treasure which is normally closed to the public, and a premium ticket enabling visitors to enjoy digital art and a tea ceremony experience at Hiunkaku Pavilion. -
Journey into KABUKI～Appreciation and Experience～
At 90 minutes long, this program includes both a kabuki performance and a variety of kabuki-related experiences to make the performing art accessible to those of all ages, nationalities, and languages.
Kabuki actors will explain the history behind the performing art and how to enjoy the humor in the plays. A few lucky audience members will also have the opportunity to perform kabuki gestures on the stage before viewing the kabuki performance. Consecutive interpretation in English will be provided during the actors' explanations, and an English audio guide (available for a fee) will be available during the performance.
Kabuki props (horses, boats, etc.), instruments for sound effects, costumes, and other items used in past performances will be on display in the theater lobby, with participants given the opportunity to actually hold these items in their hands.
The Minamiza Theatre, with its over 400-year history, preserves the history and traditions of kabuki theater and offers a wide range of attractions for kabuki lovers, first-time kabuki theater-goers, and visitors.
■ Performance schedule: November 2 (Sat) to November 10 (Sun)
■ Performance time: Afternoon at 2:00 PM / Evening at 6:00 PM
*On November 2 (Sat) and November 5 (Tues), only the evening performance will be held
■ Running time: Approx. 90 min.
■ Fee: 5,000 yen (all seats reserved)