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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. -
Natural Wine Stand
The town of Tamba Sasayama is well known for its remarkably preserved Edo Period atmosphere. Located in a renovated former bank in this historical town is a classic but modern wine bar. Enjoy a guided tasting of Japanese wines, with a focus on natural wines produced in the Tamba region. The second floor also serves as lodging, transforming this former bank into an inn where you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back in time. There is also a travel plan that includes the Natural Wine Stand event combined with an overnight stay in the inn. The Tatsumachi area of Tamba Sasayama features local cuisine only available in the region, as well as a Michelin Bib Gourmand-listed restaurant in an old Japanese-style house that has been renovated. Hop from one place to the next at your own leisure. Special desserts are available in addition to the wine, made by pâtissiers from local restaurants using mainly local ingredients. These are served alongside the wine, so feel free to grab a bite with your drink!
July 20 (Sat.), 2024, 3:00 P.M. - 10 P.M.
40 Tatsumachi, Tamba Sasayama, Hyogo, Japan
*Please use the nearby municipal parking lot. -
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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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. -
Visit A Traditional Kyoto Artisans Workshop and Create One-of-a-Kind Artworks with Kyo-yuzen and Fusai-zome Dyeing
◆ Create an original work of art at Kyoto's long-established Isshin Kobo studio
Artisans and participants share their thoughts about the piece to be created and what it should look like, after which the artisan creates the piece as envisioned by the participant. Experience the creation of a one-of-a-kind personalized work using traditional fusai-zome dyeing techniques that have been passed down in this studio for many years.
◆ An authentic kimono experience event in Kyoto
Participants will wear traditional kimono and be led by artisans through the streets of Kyoto, and then they will help create original works of art using the fusai-zome dyeing technique. This special one-day program allows you to experience authentic kimono culture, including explanations about Japanese kimono culture, yuzen dyeing, and fusai-zome dyeing, as well as the opportunity to create your own work. Isshin Kobo will also hold events that promote authentic kimono culture, such as special kimono-related lectures and special sales of fusai-zome items. Isshin Kobo, founded in 1868, is a Kyoto institution that works to preserve the tradition of hand-made kimono, even as the number of kimono workshops declines across the country. -
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. -
EUROJAPAN CUP 2024 Borussia Dortmund vs Cerezo Osaka
Choose from 3 different special packages.
(1) Premium Hospitality Package: Table seating + participation in exclusive activities through in-stadium hospitality programs
(2) Pitchside Seat Package: Seats to watch the game at pitch level, which is normally restricted to players and staff. A rare opportunity to experience the excitement pitchside
(3) City Tour Package: Enjoy a bus tour of Osaka City and a stadium tour before the match. Then watch the game from Category 1 seats. Also features a meet & greet with Dortmund alumni. -
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. -
Ascetic Training, Senchado Tea Ceremony, and Fucha Cuisine at Manpukuji Temple
Manpukuji Temple was founded in 1661 by the Chinese monk Ingen Ryuki and is the head temple of the Obaku sect of Zen Buddhism. It is characterized by its Chinese-style architecture, in which its seven halls are arranged in the Ming Dynasty style.
The Daio Hoden Main Hall—the only one made of teak in Japan—the Dharma Lecture Hall, the Kaizando Founder’s Hall, and more, still stand as originally constructed. Highlights of the temple also include its Important Cultural Properties, which consist of twenty-three main buildings, corridors, plaques, and hanging couplets.
You can also experience the Chinese culture of the time through the temple's collection of Buddhist statues, framed inscriptions, paintings on sliding-door panels, and hanging scrolls by Buddhist artists from China.
Zen Master Ingen introduced a great number of things to Japan, many of which are taken for granted today. Such imports include kidney beans, watermelon, lotus root, sencha green tea, bamboo shoots (moso bamboo), chairs, tables, and manuscript paper.
Fucha cuisine, the Chinese version of Japanese Buddhist Shojin vegetarian cuisine, is beautifully presented and tastes divine. It is one of the highlights of the event that allows guests to truly experience Chinese culture.
There are Zen monks at Manpukuji who continue to practice asceticism to this day. These monks devote themselves to their practice through zazen meditation, Zen dialogue, religious services, alms begging, and other daily temple work at the Zen dojo located on the temple grounds. Visitors can deepen their understanding of the history and culture of Manpukuji from a digital guide available in seven languages: Japanese, English, French, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese (simplified and traditional).