Traditions
Area
Season
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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. -
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. -
Fireworks, Yukata, and Live Music: Meiji Jingu Shrine's Prayer for Safety for Visitors Festival. Special One-Day Tour—Enjoy the Tokyo Summer Through a Shrine Fireworks Display
An extraordinarily special day at Meiji Jingu Shrine and Meiji Jingu Gaien, right in the heart of Tokyo. Take part in a special prayer ceremony for the safety of visitors to Japan at the Meiji Jingu Kaguraden, where you will be presented with a prayer talisman with your name written in katakana. Next, enjoy lunch at Forest Terrace Meiji Jingu inside Meiji Jingu Gaien. After a summer yukata dressing service, head to your special seats at Jingu stadium for a live show and fireworks. You will have an opportunity to take photos with live performer Ken Matsudaira (TBC) and watch a show of 400 fireworks to welcome you to Japan. Accomodation at a nearby hotel and arranged transport in special chartered vehicles will make your stay easy and comfortable. Enjoy all this and many other special perks and spend a summer in Tokyo unlike any other.
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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. -
”SHOGUN” Night Banquet & Tour at Nagoya Castle
The "SHOGUN" Night Banquet & Tour at Nagoya Castle is an exclusive outdoor dining and tour program that combines both culinary and traditional cultural experiences.
Aside from being one of the largest castles in Japan, Nagoya Castle is the only one with an authentic castle keep and palace architecture stunning enough to host the shogun.
The outdoor dining program starts by asking, "If the shogun existed today, what kind of banquet would he hold under the stars?" Participants will be treated to an exquisite dinner with this very theme, prepared by the youngest-ever chef to receive two Michelin stars. Feast on delicious cuisine that is specific to this locale in a glorious space right by the castle tower.
The program also features a tour of the Honmaru Palace, the pinnacle of early modern Japanese castle palace architecture, with the building booked out exclusively for you. The tour will include a recreation of a face-to-face audience with the shogun in the Honmaru Goten, with the highest level of hospitality ever offered by the Owari Tokugawa family at Nagoya Castle. In addition, there will be a Noh theater performance based on Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu's visit to Nagoya Castle.
This experience will be an unforgettable evening of elegance and splendor. -
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. -
World Natural Heritage Site of Shiretoko: Experience Fishing with Rausu Kelp Fishermen and Learn about Japanese “DASHI” Culture
The setting for this experience is the World Natural Heritage Site of Shiretoko. Rausu Kelp fishermen are traditional Japanese craftsmen, and one of their production sites will be made specially available to those wanting to experience the actual production of Rausu Kelp. Participants can see kelp fishing up close, try their hand at washing and drying kelp, and learn how kelp is made into different sorts of products. Some of the kelp fishermen will be offering tours on their fishing boats to help you get a sneak peek into the underwater world. You can use actual fishing gear to look down into the seabed to see how kelp grows. You can also help make some local dishes and special lunches with the fishermen’s wives. Finally, the tour will take you to the fish market (normally closed to the public) to see all the various types of fish caught in the local area and to watch the fish auction. Enjoy traditional Japanese culture at a deeper level. Seaside Cottage KOBUSTAY will open in February 2025, allowing guests to experience the kelp fisherman’s lifestyle in its entirety.