Traditions
Area
Season
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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. -
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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Spectator Seating and Event Plans for Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2024 Fukuoka Stage in Okagaki Town (Date of race: October 14, 2024)
The Mynavi Tour de Kyushu 2024 Fukuoka Stage (Okagaki Side) will take place on October 14, 2024, and there is an array of options for watching the race. Spectators can cheer the race on at event venues set up at various areas around the circular course, where there will be comfortable seating and as well as other ticketed options available.
(1) Spectator Seating With Overnight Accommodation: Reserved box seating around the course. Accommodation will be near the race venue.
*This option includes the Event Passport in Plan (4).
(2) Spectator Seating Only: Reserved box seating around the course.
*This option includes the Event Passport in Plan (4).
(3) Accommodation Plan: Watch the race from the comfort of your own suite at a hotel located along the course.
(4) Event Passport: Includes discount vouchers for food, drink, and merchandise.
(5) After Race Party: Mingle with some of the riders after the race at a dinner party.
Teams scheduled to participate in the dinner party are VC FUKUOKA from Fukuoka Prefecture, Sparkle OITA from Oita Prefecture, Astana of UCI WorldTeams, EF, and other winners of four different prizes. This plan includes the cost of accommodation and shuttle service to and from Fukuoka City or Kitakyushu City. Tickets for this event are limited to 100 people. -
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. -
THE ROYAL EXPRESS ～HOKKAIDO CRUISE TRAIN～
THE ROYAL EXPRESS is a luxury train designed with a combination of traditional Japanese woodworking techniques with other distinct features. The train and a private bus will take you on a tour through the rich nature of Hokkaido. Along the way, you can relish in a culinary course prepared by a Hokkaido chef as you listen to a live violin accompaniment, or you can go on an excursion to experience some of Hokkaido's nature, farms, and ranches.
The three options are:
HOKKAIDO CRUISE TRAIN: A lavish combination of Hokkaido’s nature, food, and culture
HOKKAIDO 5th ANNIVERSARY CRUISE: A combination of sightseeing in the Lake Shikotsu area and canoeing on the headwaters of the Kushiro River
HOKKAIDO: JOURNEY TO JAPAN’S NORTHERNMOST POINT: A trip to Wakkanai, the northernmost point of Japan -
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. -
Rebun Gastronomy Tourism
Rebun Island is Hokkaido's northernmost island, and it is built on a history of fishing and trading. This private tour is interspersed with gastronomic experiences to allow participants to experience the unique terroir (the combination of climate, soil, and landscape and how it affects farming) of the island.
Rebun Island has undergone many changes over the years, from the Jomon Period 4,000 years ago, then the Okhotsk Culture Period 1,500 years ago, the Ainu Culture Period 400 years ago, and the Frontier Period 150 years ago. Despite the changes, the unique lifestyle of living in harmony with nature in this region is still alive and well to this day. While the history of the island can be seen in its fishing and trading, it's also important to keep in mind a sustainable future. This program combines many layers of context into a single dining experience, which offers deep satisfaction, bliss, and new insights.
What to expect:
(1) The ultimate way of appreciating nature via dining, based on the terroir and island time: Enjoy world-class, top-quality seafood in a stunning location unique to this remote island with a BBQ-style multicourse meal produced in collaboration with a Michelin-starred chef and a local fisherman. Take your island time slow with this ultimate "nature dining" experience.
(2) A walking route that uniquely combines interactive gastronomy and trekking experiences: The story of Rebun Island is long, with a symbiotic relationship with nature that was born from a life of fishing and trading. Enjoy a full walking route that incorporates trekking, stargazing, and a culinary excursion in the field of a national park to appreciate the ongoing ancient lifestyle and philosophy of Rebun Island.