Traditions
Area
Season
-
NAKED Night Walk™ Natadera Temple, Ishikawa
This fall nighttime illumination event is a collaboration between Natadera Temple, one of the most famous sites in the Hokuriku region for its fall foliage, and the creative company NAKED, INC. This event showcases the beauty of Natadera Temple and its fall foliage as viewed at night when the temple is illuminated, emphasizing the natural wisdom and beauty of nature that Natadera Temples so cherishes and respects. Artist Ryotaro Muramatsu's DANDELION PROJECT will also be exhibited for the first time in the Hokuriku region as a prayer for the restoration and recovery of the Noto region. DANDELION will be set up on the observation deck overlooking the strange rock formations of Natadera Temple, where participants can offer prayers for the restoration and recovery of the Noto region.
-
Japan Job Challenge in Senshu
This job workshop event will be held for the first time on Saturday, October 26, and Sunday, October 27, in the Senshu area of southern Osaka, near Kansai International Airport. The aim of the event is to showcase of traditional industries, lifestyle/culture, and various occupations. Locations will include Kishiwada Castle, local shopping areas in Sakai and Izumisano, Kansai International Airport, and a variety of other spots.
With around 60 programs, you can experience the traditional industries of Senshu, such as cutlery, glasswork, tea ceremony, Japanese sweets, local sake, wooden danjiri floats, Noh theater, and more. Not only that, but you can also immerse yourself in the daily life and culture of the Senshu area, such as tatami mat-making, working at shrinesk and local shopping districts, and more. Professionals of each job will guide participants through the process, making for great interactions with locals. Participants can also try out several occupations over two days. Take this opportunity to truly experience the various cultures and lifestyles of Japan! -
Gastronomy Tour of Aso Caldera's Finest Produce and Japanese Brown Wagyu
Minami Aso Village at the southern foot of the vast Aso Caldera is a healing sanctuary abundant in nature and pure spring water. Shirakawa Suigen, which was selected as one of the 100 Best Natural Waters in Japan, is among one of its most famous springs.
Participants will partake in a sumptuous dining experience that stimulates the senses, featuring Aso Japanese Brown wagyu and other carefully-selected local ingredients. Lunch is served on an open-air trolley car, whereas dinner is prepared right in front of you by chefs using wood and other natural flames.
Participants will also experience traditional Japanese culture in an authentic tea ceremony performed by members of the 400-year-old Urasenke school founded by tea master Sen Rikyu. The ceremony will take place at Shirakawa Suigen, which was selected as one of the 100 best waters by the Ministry of the Environment.
The rich nature and local cuisine of this volcanic region will provide an extraordinary experience that will heal both the mind and body.
Head Chef
Kenshin Miyamoto: A goodwill ambassador for “Kumamoto, the Land of Food,” and the recipient of the Culinary Masters Award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. Boasts an illustrious career that includes a culinary showcase at Expo 2015 Milan, which promoted the charms of Aso to the world.
He will prepare exquisite multicourse meals that make the most of Aso Japanese Brown wagyu, cooked skillfully over natural flames borne of wood and charcoal, and Kumamoto Prefecture's bountiful seasonal produce. -
The Birthplace of Japanese Wine, Featured in the Manga Drops of God! Three days to enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Kyoutou region in Yamanashi Prefecture and taste Koshu wines
(1) Special private viewing of one of Japan's three new most beautiful nightscapes
Enjoy dinner at the Fruit Park Fujiya Hotel with a beautiful night view of the Kyoutou region, which was selected as one of Japan's "New Three Most Beautiful Nightscapes." They can also enjoy the night view from the Fuefukigawa Fruit Park, which is normally closed to the public at night.
(2) Tour of historical sites from the early days of authentic winemaking
Visit the Former Lumiere Underground Fermentation Tank, which is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property, and learn about the unique Japanese winemaking methods that continue to this day.
(3) Premium dinner experience at Daizenji Temple with Japanese cuisine and Koshu wine
Take in the local food culture of the area (local Japanese cuisine and wine from the Kyoutou region) with a premium dinner expeirence at Daizenji Temple, a national treasure which has a history of over 1,000 years. The temple also houses a statue of Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, holding a bunch of grapes—the only statue of its kind in Japan.
The temple grounds will be used to host a special art show by internationally acclaimed dye artist Ena Furuya, who has brought the 1,200 year-old traditional craft of wax-resist dyeing to the modern age.
(4) Breakfast at a popular scenic spot with a panoramic view of Mt. Fuji
A special early morning bus service will be provided to take participants to FUJIYAMA Twin Terrace to see a stunning panoramic view of Mt. Fuji with the sunrise.
(5) Drops of God! Collaboration
Receive a guidebook supervised by the author of Drops of God!, a legendary wine manga that has sold 15 million copies worldwide and is adored by wine lovers around the world, as well as wines with original Drops of God! wine labels. -
Fire Festival and Miare Festival on the World Heritage Site, the Sacred Island of Okinoshima
★ Miare Festival, one of Munakata Taisha's Shinto rituals: A magnificent parade of fishing boats that is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Folk Cultural Property
★ Special plan limited to 6 people: Helicopter tour of the Miare Festival parade (Special plan for 6 people only)
★ Change into yukata and join us on the eve of the festival at the Fire Festival FROM PORT OF GOD.
Enjoy a brilliant bonfire and traditional performing arts on the sandy beach at the entrance to the World Heritage Site. Participants will also get to visit the local fishermen's Sunday market
★ The Three Shrines of Munakata, a World Heritage Site: take a boat from Konominato to Oshima Island and visit the World Heritage Site of Nakatsumiya Shrine, then head to Okinoshima Yohaisho, which offers a distant view of Okinoshima Island, the sacred island where the gods dwell.
★ Tour the Hetsumiya Shrine and the Shinpokan Museum, which houses 80,000 sacred treasures (certified as national treasures) of Okinoshima and more.
★ Neo Gastronomy Tourism: Special dinner supervised by a renowned Fukuoka chef using ingredients from Munakata, including fresh seafood from the Genkai Sea.
★ Katsuya Shuzo and the Akama-juku area: Tasting sake at Katsuya Shuzo, a sake brewery with a 200-year history, and shopping in an Edo Period inn town
★ Umi no Michi Munakata Hall: A facility where participants can learn about the World Heritage Site and the history and culture of Munakata -
Tour of the Spiritual Culture of Jion-ji Temple, the Tohoku Region’s Finest Prayer Temple
This two-day program allows participants to experience spiritual culture with both the body and the mind to gain invaluable spiritual and physical enrichment. The program takes place at Mt. Hayama, which was once home to 48 monasteries in three different temples, and was one of the three mountains of Dewa, as well as Jion-ji Temple, a nationally designated historic site with a 1,300-year history and the Tohoku region’s finest prayer temple.
Spiritual and cultural programs include a dialogue with the head abbot of Jion-ji Temple, a performance of Jion-ji Bugaku, a prayer dance designated as a National Intangible Folk Cultural Property,
and a hike to Mt. Hayama, a former site of importance in Shugendo, a type of Japanese mountain asceticism.
The health food meals that will be served during the program will be a modern take on traditional vegetarian recipes from Jion-ji Temple.
This normally unavailable program at the historic Jion-ji Temple in Mt. Hayama will have yopu surrounded by the magnificence of nature, and you will gain a sense of spiritual richness and health you will not find anywhere else. -
Private Sightseeing Tours to World Heritage Sites with Shugendo Practitioners as Guides, for a Special Experience of Art and Nature
The tour includes a commentary by a sightseeing guide driver who is a Shugendo practitioner at Kongobuji Temple. Participants will tour the sacred sites and pilgrimage routes of the Kii Mountain Range, a World Heritage Site, and visit various spiritual hotspots. Participants will also be able to take part in a workshop at the Shiyu-en Special Arts Museum—once a place of lodging for Emperor Go-Shirakawa during his pilgrimages to Koyasan—where they can paint nihonga Japanese paintings while sipping on sake. Participant accommodation will be provided in the form of a glamping experience at the Kudoyama Forest Fairy Tale House (former Kubo Elementary School), a facility located by a World Heritage Site called Kuroko Michi. For dinner, participants will enjoy a BBQ meal made with locally-caught wild game. They will also have the opportunity to engage in special experiences only available on this tour, such as viewing the famous sword Ichimonji Tachi, which the Warring States warrior Sanada Yukimura is said to have offered at the World Heritage Site of Niu Kanshobu Shrine, as well as view the World Heritage Sites of Jison'in Temple and Choishimichi Road, which are themselves associated with Kobo Daishi.
-
Kumano Food and Culture Branding Promotion Project: Experience the Essence of the Kumano Faith and Savor the Bounties of Nachi-Katsuura
This program is a chance to spend a meaningful time at Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, Seigantoji Temple, and Nachi-Katsuura Nigiwai Market.
- After the shrine gates are officially closed, head to the World Heritage Site Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine for a special nighttime visit in the hushed atmosphere. Afterwards, enjoy a premium dinner in the shrine precincts, with dishes and tableware that express the world of the Kumano mandala. After dinner, listen to a sacred dedication and savor local Kumano sake made from the holy waters of Nachi Falls.
- Experience a tea ceremony in Heian costume in the tea room at the World Heritage Site of Seigantoji Temple. This is the first time this tea room has been opened to the public, and it overlooks the three-story pagoda and Nachi Falls. Experience Kumano Shugen by viewing the hidden Buddha statues of Fudarakusanji Temple, learn about the essence of the Kumano faith through a Kumano mandala painting session, and participate in a ceremony at Gyojado Hall, which took 150 years to construct.
- You'll also go to Nachi-Katsuura Nigiwai Market. This market, which is attached to the Katsuura Tuna Market, serves fresh raw tuna from Katsuura, masterfully prepared on the spot by locals. This is a rare and delicious opportunity to appreciate fresh-caught whole tuna.
-
Train with the Last of the Ninja: Nindo Demonstration and Training by a Genuine Agatsuma Sanada Ninja
Experience training under an authentic Agatsuma Sanada ninja in Higashi-Azuma.
The training is supervised by Master Jinichi Kawakami, who currently holds a 10th dan in the art of nindo, the highest rank in Japan, and who is an advisor to the Japan Ninja Council. Master Iyoku Matsukaze of the Sanada Ninja Arts Research Association, the only remaining master of Agatsuma Sanada ninja and a descendant of the Sanada ninja, will lead you through a genuine ninja training experience.
The implements used in technical demonstrations and training include authentic ninja tools from a time when ninjas were still active in Japan.
Learn the basics of ninja and Sanada ninja—etiquette, basic physical techniques, walking techniques, ninjutsu, ninja staff techniques, kuji symbolism, shuriken (throwing stars), and more—over the course of two days.
In the early morning, you will experience the sunrise at Mount Iwabitsu, a mountain once revered by the Agatsuma Sanada ninja, and be awarded Nindo Level 2 as proof that you have completed all of your ninja duties.
Only in Higashi-Azuma can visitors learn from the descendants of the real Agatsuma Sanada ninja and experience ninja training using real ninja gear! -
Yamaguchi City Ouchi Culture Experience Tours: Yamaguchi Gion Festival Course and Yamaguchi Tanabata Chochin Festival Course
Enjoy the Yamaguchi Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Yamaguchi, and the Yamaguchi Tanabata Chochin Festival, one of the three major fire festivals in Japan, both of which have links to the Ouchi clan.
The Yamaguchi Gion Festival Course is a special experience plan that includes explanations by the chief priest of Yasaka Jinja Shrine on the eve of the festival, and a chance to take part in rituals that are not normally available to the public, such as carrying a portable shrine. Enjoy a meal and local Yamaguchi sake while watching the festival from special seating.
The Yamaguchi Tanabata Chochin Festival Course is a special experience plan that allows participants to interact with locals through activities like lighting lanterns and carrying a portable shrine.
The Onari Procession Experience Plan features an event based around the Ouchi clan—powerful daimyo lords in western Japan who built a cultural sphere to rival Kyoto using the wealth they gained through trade with Ming China around the fifteenth century. This reproduction of the Onari procession and banquet is based on Japan’s largest banquet of the Medieval period, which was held on March 5, 1500, when Ouchi Yoshioki entertained Ashikaga Yoshitane, the former shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate. At this event, a total of about 20 people, representing the shogun, Ouchi clan members, and the shogun's entourage, will wear Muromachi period costumes, ride horses, and take part in a parade through designated Ouchi cultural areas. Afterwards, you can enjoy a traditional banquet at Yuda Sansuien Garden. Dine on a Ouchi-gozen meal while watching traditional entertainment, as if you yourself were at this historical banquet. This is your opportunity to become a shogun and truly immerse yourself in the Ouchi culture of Japan’s Medieval period.
This is a comfortable tour that comes with a nationally licensed guide-interpreter, a tour guide, and private car.