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A Day to Experience the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Ritual Bonfires
The Kyoto Gozan Okuribi (lighting of ritual bonfires on the five mountains of Kyoto), which light up the summer in Kyoto along with the famous Gion Festival, has long been appreciated for its dynamism with large, blazing Japanese characters written with fire on the mountainside. The Gozan Okuribi event was not originally intended as a visual spectacle, but rather to see off the spirits of ancestors as they return to the afterlife at the end of their visit back to this world during the Bon Festival. For this reason, the five mountains where the bonfires are lit are considered sacred, and the public is not permitted to enter them, especially on days when the fires are lit.
For the first time ever, visitors will be able to go to the mountainsides on the day of the event, and experience the history, origin, and customs of each mountain, as well as observe the fire beds, so that they can learn more about the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi ritual. The same evening, visitors will also stop by the former Shimogamo Villa of the Mitsui family, an Important Cultural Property, and the Komai Residence, a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. Both facilities will be booked out exclusively for tour participants during times when they are normally closed, so that they can witness the actual lighting of the bonfires (from both facilities, you can see the lighting of the huge, blazing characters) alongside commentary from expert guides.
There is also the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Stamp Rally, which involves visiting shrine facilities and collecting a special red stamp at each of the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi mountains. The stamp rally is held in cooperation with cab operators and commercial facilities, and it will give participants various opportunities to experience and learn more about the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi ritual bonfires. -
FIA World Rally Championship FORUM8 Rally Japan 2024 - Hospitality Program
This hospitality program will make the experience of watching Rally Japan 2024 (the final match of the season in the FIA World Rally Championship) even more special than it already is.
Stadium hospitality: Watch the rally from the best seats, enjoy a meal at the stadium restaurant, attend a meet & greet, and more
Mountain hospitality: Includes transportation to and from the exclusive SS area in the mountains, and watching the race from amidst the great outdoors
Room hospitality: The top-of-the-line plan includes a comfortable stay in a Super Room at Toyota Stadium
Helicopter experience: The executive plan allows you to charter a helicopter to watch multiple SS races
This hospitality program includes special spectator seating, meals, rest areas, activity experiences, and more. That makes it the best way to watch up close and personal how the rally cars race at full speed and how the world’s top rallyists and mechanics working furiously to maintain them.
Take in the end of the WRC 2024 season in the best possible way!
◆ Services & activities:
- Rally car ride-along
- Meet & greet with special guests
- Priority entry to the course walk
- Service park tour
- Concierge service
- Rally Japan merchandise
- 20% discount on WRC merchandise
- Special pass gift -
Night Tour of the Sado Gold Mine: A World Heritage Site
The Doyu Mine is one of the most famous landmarks within the Sado Gold Mine World Heritage Site. During this event, Doyu no warito, symbol of the Aikawa Gold Mine, will be lit up for a fantastic night tour utilizing projection mapping and other light-based scenography. Available for a limited time only, this night tour is not something that visitors can experience on a regular basis.
The historic gold mine is a rare industrial heritage site, featuring a large-scale system of gold production that operated for more than 380 years on gold-rich Sado Island from the late 16th century to the mid-19th century. Under the management and operation of the Tokugawa Shogunate, isolationist policies limited the exchange of technology with the outside world. The system was thus quite different from those of Europe, and involved the use of Japanese traditional handicraft techniques to produce gold of world-class quality and quantity.
Workers were recruited from all over Japan by the shogunate, which resulted in a rich, diverse culture centered on the mine, including religious beliefs, performing arts, and entertainment.
In addition to the night tour, this event will give visitors a chance to experience Sado Island's unique performing arts, historical culture, and nature, as well as dishes showcasing the island’s delicious cuisine. -
Exclusive Four-Day Tour of Lake Kawaguchi, Nikko, and Ibaraki
On this exclusive four-day plan, you will be accompanied by an interpreter guide for the entire tour, take in the autumn foliage from the sky, and relax in your own private space.
View the splendid autumn foliage in comfort with unusual methods like helicopter rides and early morning private guided tours.
First, depart Tokyo by helicopter to enjoy a dynamic, spectacular view of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi. Then, after landing at Fuji-Oshino, enjoy sightseeing in the Lake Kawaguchi area. The next morning, you will visit Kawaguchiko Museum of Art, with its extraordinary view of Lake Kawaguchi. It will be privately booked out before its opening hours for a special viewing of rare original ukiyo-e prints by Katsushika Hokusai that are not normally shown to the public.
On the second day, ride the helicopter from Fuji-Oshino to Nikko. Take in the view of the famous Irohazaka slope. It's known for its autumn foliage, and this way you can see it from the skies without getting stuck in traffic. Once in Nikko, enjoy a private breakfast and special guided tour of the Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park, which was once the retreat of Emperor Taisho. You will also be able to experience Zen meditation at Rinnoji Temple, which is a World Heritage site, and take a tour not offered to the public.
Afterwards, enjoy spectacular aerial views of the Ryujin Suspension Bridge, Japan’s largest pedestrian suspension bridge. At Fukuroda Falls, one of Japan’s three most famous waterfalls, enjoy special admission in the morning when no one else is around for a quiet moment in the crisp, clean air. This special plan concludes with a helicopter ride from Ibaraki Prefecture back to Tokyo. -
A Gongen Noh Experience Limited to Overnight Guests: Special Noh Theater Performance at a World Heritage Site & Workshop to Learn About Noh with a Living National Treasure
- This year, a Noh performance limited to an audience of 100 people will be held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Yoshino's registration as a World Heritage Site.
- Participants attending the Noh performance will be able to witness the special viewing of Kongo Zao Daigongen, the largest ""hidden"" Buddhist statues in Japan, which are held in Zaodo Hall at the National Treasure and World Heritage Site, Kinpusenji Temple.
- At night, Zaodo Hall at Kinpusenji Temple will be privately booked out for staging Noh, a traditional Japanese performing art which is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. It will be performed by Living National Treasures Bunzo Otsuki and Genjiro Okura.
- The Noh play performed will be ""Taniko,"" which expresses the profundity of the Shugendo mountain ascetic faith. This special nighttime performance can only be experienced on this date, in this place.
- On the following day, participants can take part in a workshop to learn the traditional Japanese performing art of Noh theater, taught by Living National Treasure Genjiro Okura and Kiyomasa Kanze. This workshop is only available for the 30 guests staying at Yoshino. -
Ritsurin Garden Wagashi and Walk
This exclusive eight day event will be held at the historic Ritsurin Garden, a landscape garden with walking paths that allow guests to enjoy its scenery from various angles. For this event, Mineko Kato, named Asia's Best Pastry Chef in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024, has developed original Japanese wagashi confectioneries using wasanbon, a fine-grained sugar that is said to have originated in Ritsurin Garden. The beverages to be served with the wagashi sweets will be overseen by Shuzo Nagumo, one of Japan's leading mixologists. Savor these wagashi sweets and exquisite beverages in the historic Kikugetsu-tei and Higurashi-tei tea houses, as well as a modern outdoor tea room designed by a team of architects led by Yuko Nagayama Associates. The traditional Japanese tea ceremony has been reinterpreted and remade in a modern way so as to offer a new experience to guests.
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Enjoy Nasushiobara's Food, Hot Springs, and History with a Unique Garden Party at the Former Villa of Aoki Shuzo, Designated as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese Government
Nasushiobara has fantastic natural and cultural resources, including the great Nikko National Park, located in the Nasu and Nikko mountain ranges, as well as 178 cultural properties designated by the national and prefectural governments. Although the idea has always been to protect these resources, this program aims to use them in new and unprecedented ways in order to increase their appeal as tourism resources and pass them on to future generations.
This tour will offer special experiences such as a unique nighttime garden party at the villa of former Foreign Minister Aoki Shuzo (an Important Cultural Property that is also designated by the Japanese government as a Japan Heritage site); a wedding event set on the Momijidani Suspension Bridge which spansa the valley of Nikko National Park and is known as a ""sacred place for lovers""; and other special events that offer a glimpse of the local culture of Nasushiobara.
There will also be a premium gastronomy walking tour, which explores the nature, history, and cuisine of Shiobara Onsen and Itamuro Onsen in Nikko National Park. -
Private Nighttime Firelit Takigi Noh Theater Performance at Kishiwada Castle to Mark the 70th Anniversary of the Castle Tower’s Reconstruction!
- Kishiwada Castle, located not far from Kansai International Airport, will be booked out for a firelit nighttime Noh performance in a very special setting.
- With the lighting and sound showcasing the nationally designated cultural assets and the castle serving as backdrop, this is a scene that simply cannot be experienced on a regular Noh stage. The Hachijin no Niwa Garden, a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty, will be open to allow visitors to enjoy the castle and garden together as scenery that is unique to Kishiwada City.
- There will be an even deeper experience of Kishiwada's history and culture at the Sugie Noh Theater and Gofuso garden, both national and municipal tangible cultural properties located adjacent to Kishiwada Castle.
- At the Ninomaru plaza of Kishiwada Castle, participants can enjoy foods and festivities distinct to Kishiwada and the Senshu area.
- This altogether makes for a condensed experience of Japanese culture, all in Kishiwada City. -
Get to Know the Gods and History of Nikko through Traditional Japanese Cultural Experiences and a World Heritage Theater Form
Nikko City is proud to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "The Shrines and Temples of Nikko" is a World Heritage Site that includes not only the beautiful well-known buildings of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikkosan Rinnoji Temple, and Nikko Futarasan Jinja Shrine, but also the cultural landscape formed by the surrounding natural environment. During the quarter century since it was registered as a World Heritage Site, it has been visited by many visitors, both from Japan and overseas. December 4, 2024, will mark the 25th anniversary of its registration. An Executive Committee for the 25th Anniversary of World Heritage Registration was even established to make this commemorative year a more exciting one, with various celebratory plans underway. Visitors will enjoy experiences linked to the historical significance and background of the various shrines and temples in Nikko, as well as traditional Japanese performing arts such as Kabuki, and dramatic readings that offer insight into Japan’s modern anime culture.
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Enjoy Ukiyo-e Woodblock Prints and Edomae-Style Sushi After a Private Viewing at the Sumida Hokusai Museum
The tour includes an early-morning private viewing (an experience that is not usually available) at the Sumida Hokusai Museum, a museum established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. During this viewing, a curator and English-speaking professional guide will explain the ukiyo-e woodblock prints on display. Afterwards, a professional folding screen artisan from Tokyo’s only folding screen specialty store will guide you through the making of an ukiyo-e folding screen and give a talk on the history of folding screens used in Japanese daily life and culture. This will be conducted at MARUGEN 100, a less crowded area of the Sumida Hokusai Museum. You'll be able to take home a karakuri-byobu folding paper screen as a souvenir. Later, enjoy Edomae-style nigiri sushi made by a sushi chef from Sumida City, the birthplace of nigiri, using ingredients shipped directly from Toyosu Fish Market. This will be an unprecedented combination of Edo art, culture, and culinary tradition, and a very fun, content-packed experience for visitors to Japan.