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Heian Jingu Tsuki Otoyo: Kyoto Harvest Moon Concert 2024
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration that originated in China to celebrate the fullest and brightest moon of the year. It is now celebrated with great enthusiasm in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and many Southeast Asian countries. This year, the festival falls on August 15, as per the lunar calendar. Traditional "moon-viewing parties" will be hosted this October in the modern setting of Kyoto’s Heian-jingu Shrine. The Daigokuden (outer hall of worship) will be lit up in the background for special live performances by talented musicians to embody the elegant and romantic time that is mid-autumn.
■ Dates: October 12 (Sat.) - October 14 (Mon.)
■ Admission: All seats reserved, advance purchase 8,000 yen / 25,000 yen with meals included (scheduled/admission date designated)
■ Performer: October 12 (Sat.): Hiromi Go October 12 (Sun.): Erika Ikuta October 14 (Mon.): NEO PIANO
[Special Gift for Visitors: Original Japanese Sweets]
This tradition of admiring the moon originates in China. There, they serve round mooncakes in the shape of the full moon. The Tsuki Otoyo Kyoto Harvest Moon Concert represents East Asia's shared culture of affection for the moon. Original Japanese sweets will be handed out to all who join in on the festivities.
[Plan with Dinner]
Enjoy an exquisite dinner at Rokusei, a restaurant located near Heian-jingu Shrine. Savor their Kyoto-style kaiseki cuisine which embodies the culinary culture of Kyoto cultivated over its long history.
Time: 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. each day (concert begins at 7:00 p.m.)
Details: Kyoto-style kaiseki cuisine -
Night Festival at the Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum has the longest history of any museum in Japan. It's collection includes numerous masterpieces exemplifying Japanese art, including paintings, swords, calligraphy, and kimonos. This summer, the museum will be holding a special exhibition to showcase valuable cultural assets, such as Buddhist statues and paintings inherited from Jingoji Temple in Kyoto.
In addition to these precious tangible cultural properties, guests can experience the Japanese summer traditions of matsuri festivals and temple fairs.
The temple fair atmosphere cleverly recreated on the museum grounds will greet guests as they enter through the Kuromon "Black Gate" instead of the regular entrance. Once inside, guests can enjoy traditional Japanese festival sweets, such as cotton candy and shaved ice, and take part in popular festival activities and items, including target practice, ring toss, wind chimes, daruma dolls, and masks.
A variety of festival foods will also be offered, from takoyaki octopus dumplings and yakisoba noodles to Japanese beer, chocolate bananas, and other such festival treats. -
Premium Sports and Cultural Tourism Project with Imabari Castle, Japan’s Strongest Castle
Imabari City is centrally located and faces out toward the Seto Inland Sea. It is renowned throughout the world for its beautiful scenery of scattered islets and islands. This area was a key hub for maritime traffic in ancient times, connecting the east and west ends of the Seto Inland Sea. The Murakami Kaizoku pirates, Japan's largest group of pirates, were active in this region during the medieval period. Imabari Castle was built by one of Japan's master castle builders, Todo Takatora, in the early modern period to take back control of maritime traffic. The castle was a crowning achievement of the coastal castle style.
A special stage set against the backdrop of the magnificent and illuminated castle tower of Imabari Castle will be erected for the Kabuki performances. Kabuki, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, is a combination of traditional Japanese music and dance. Ichikawa Danjuro XIII, one of the leading stars of Kabuki, will give a special performance of one of the definitive masterpieces of Kabuki entitled Renjishi (with English audio guide).
Guests will be treated to traditional Japanese hospitality alongside this brilliant theater performance, with guides dressed in kimono serving limited-edition Kabuki boxed lunches featuring seafood from the Seto Inland Sea. (Boxed lunches and tickets will be sold separately.) -
Tokyo | Intensive Noh Masterclass
Theater steeped in spiritual traditions
Austere, meditative, and steeped in spirituality, Noh Theater is one of Japan's oldest performing arts and a recognized UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Characterized by masks that carry a multitude of emotions within a single carved expression, Noh performances consist of rhythmic chanting, slow, measured movements, and an iconic stage adorned with a painted pine tree that mimics outdoor structures.
In this Noh Masterclass, you will receive a comprehensive introduction to the world of Noh - from its history to performing styles, masks to costumes - from a 4th-generation Noh performer at his private residences. Walk across the sacred stage, witness performances up close, and experience the indescribable elegance of Noh Theater. -
From Fukushima to the World: Symphony of Peace Interwoven with Fireworks
On Saturday, September 28, the Fukushima Pyrotechnics Association will host the Japan Tourism Agency's subsidized project “From Fukushima to the World: Symphony of Peace Interwoven with Fireworks” at the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum and the Futaba Business Incubation and Community Center. The goal is to invite domestic and international tourists alike to Futaba to experience Fukushima's artistic fireworks, as well as to dispel any misinformation concerning the earthquake disaster and create new tourism material for the town of Futaba.
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Daisetsuzan National Park! Experiential Tour of the Unexplored with Water Activities and Spectacular Views of Taisetsu Dam
You are invited to take part in special water activities at Taisetsu Dam, Hokkaido's highest elevation dam which is set against a spectacular backdrop of nature.
Taisetsu Dam, normally closed to the public, will be offering activities like stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and fishing together with local guides. This event is not merely an outdoor experience. Experiential tours to remote and unexplored areas of the Taisetsu Dam are also available. These adventures in the great outdoors are sure to give all participants unforgettable memories.
Guests can also experience traditional Ainu crafts, watch Ainu dance, and partake in Ainu cuisine during this event. Experience the local Ainu culture and learn about its deep history and traditions.
This event offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience merging nature with culture. Water activities at Taisetsu Dam, adventures in unexplored areas, and Ainu cultural experiences will make for special memories for all participants. -
History, Aesthetics, and Philosophy of the 15th Mito Tokugawa Family: Experience the Tokugawa Collection and Tea Ceremony
The Tokugawa family ruled Japan for about 260 years after succeeding the other shoguns. This makes them comparable to a royal family in European terms. The Tokugawa Museum in Mito houses about 30,000 precious samurai helmets, famous swords, and other heirlooms passed down from generation to generation within the Tokugawa family. This event is a unique opportunity in which the 15th generation Mito Tokugawa family will welcome visitors, talk about the history of the Tokugawa family, and introduce some of their family treasures. You may select three items from the collection not on display, such as tea bowls, maki-e lacquerware, or hanging scrolls, and view them in private in the VIP guest room with explanations provided. You can also try on a samurai helmet and armor or a high-quality kimono made by artisans in Japan and enjoy an authentic tea ceremony in a privately-owned tea house. This is a truly unique event where you can fully immerse yourself in Japanese history and culture rather than simply viewing cultural properties. We are also offering tours of Mito City and its surrounding areas, including a visit to the oldest sake brewery in Japan, which began making sake in the 12th century; a tour of a multi-award-winning plum wine brewery; a visit to Nishiyama-Goten Heritage, which was a retirement residence of Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the second lord of the Mito domain; and a ride on a charming sailboat on Kasumigaura Bay.
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Tsuzawa Yotaka Andon Festival: Special spectator seating with delicious festive food as impressive lanterns clash
Held every year on the first Friday and Saturday nights of June, the Tsuzawa Yotaka Andon Festival is a historical festival that originated in the Edo period (1603–1867). During this event, illuminated lantern floats assembled from dengaku lanterns, dashi floats, and hanging lanterns crafted with bamboo and washi paper are paraded through the streets at night to the sound of taiko drums and cheering. The main attraction of the festival is the Toyama fighting lantern floats: giant lanterns that are 7 meters high and 12 meters long. The lanterns crash fiercely into one another, and the goal is to break the opponents floats.
Special up-close spectator seating has been made available to watch this powerful clash of lanterns. This unique experience also comes with a meal and beverages, including local sake. The second floor of the Oyabe Tsuzawa Andon Fureai Hall, located near where the clash is set to take place, will be decorated as a dedicated space for this two-day event, allowing visitors to take in the view at their leisure.
Visitors can also tour the town with an interpreter and guide in addition to the lantern float parade. Experience the area firsthand as you learn about the festival and the local community.
Workshops will be held to create lantern art by reusing parts of the lantern floats that have broken off in the collisions. These lantern floats were created especially for the festival, and they are filled with the passion of its participants. While the broken pieces originally would have been incinerated, they are instead recycled for the workshop where they will be transformed into one-of-a-kind artworks that you can take home with you. -
SAMURAI Drive - A Journey Tracing the Beauty and Honor of the Famous Warring States Families: Uesugi and Date
This tour takes participants back to (1) the world as seen by the warlords of the Uesugi and Date families, who ruled Yonezawa during the Warring States period, and (2) the world as seen by Uesugi Yozan, the lord of the Yonezawa domain (whom US President J.F. Kennedy called "the most respected politician in Japan during the Edo Period").
(1) See the Important Cultural Properties and National Treasures of the Uesugi family, then travel back in time to the Warring States Period with a fireworks display unlike anything you've ever seen in Japan.
(2) Go on a backyard tour of the traditional food and textile cultures that flourished in the Edo Period by visiting Toko, a sake brewery that has been in business for the past 426 years, and Nitta, a Yonezawa textile company established 150 years ago.
(3) Experience cuisine and hot springs in a way that fuses Japanese traditions with global values. -
Experience the Edo period at night with Edo Wonder Night
Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura is a cultural theme park in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture that recreates Japanese history, traditions, and culture in the Edo period, a period of cultural flourishing that began almost 400 years ago.
The vast 16-hectare museum grounds faithfully recreate the bustling streets of Edo merchant districts, samurai residences, and post-station towns, with cultural experiences, theatrical performances, events, and exhibition halls that transport guests back in time and allow them to experience the historical past.
The fun at Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura does not stop when the sun goes down. The limited nighttime event "Edo Wonder Night" creates a magical atmosphere with town-wide illuminations, traditional cultural experiences, Edo cuisine, and a ninja action show that you will not want to miss.