Traditions
Area
Season
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Immersive Musical Performance at Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theater
The story begins when guests enter the lobby. The lobby, dotted with cast members dressed in traditional Japanese costume, will make you feel you have stepped back in time. Some of them are actual maiko and geiko in training. Guests are made to feel like members of the cast, as if the entire venue, including the lobby, is the stage. The first portion of the show features a Japanese drum performance, and a joint performance of koto and traditional Japanese dance that will allow guests to truly feel the essence of Japanese wa (harmony). The second portion features an hour-long original selection of performances that combines a variety of genres. The entire program features top-notch musicians, traditional instruments, long swords, Japanese dance, and other cultural arts unique to Japan.
The venue, Kamishichiken Kaburenjo Theater, is rarely open to the general public, making this an incredibly rare experience. It is also the first time such a show will be held here. After the show, guests will be served Kyoto cuisine and sake from the Noto region, for a full experience of O-MO-TE-NA-SHI hospitality! -
A Journey in Silence: A Special Morning at Fushimi Inari Taisha and the Reliving of Myths
This tour provides participants with the opportunity to relive and experience the various myths surrounding Fushimi Inari Taisha to the max. First, guests will enjoy the charm of Fushimi Inari Taisha through a mystical trekking tour conducted in the fresh early morning air. During the trek, participants will visit sites related to Inari, a deity associated with agriculture, to gain a deeper understanding of the deity's significance and related legends.
Next, participants will enjoy inari sushi for breakfast. Inari sushi is traditionally used as an offering to the gods for a good harvest. This meal will deepen participants’ understanding of this connection. It is a sacred food experience, one whose depth can only be fully appreciated after the mystical experience of the tour’s morning trek. The tour will conclude with a special visit to Fushimi Inari Taisha's inner sanctuary, which is not open to the public. Listening to the stories of myths passed down from generation to generation and the role of taisha shrines as told by a Shinto priest, participants will come to further appreciate the depth of Fushimi Inari Taisha's history and culture. -
Limited to One Pair Per Day: The Ultimate Premium Night Experience, Taking in the Food Culture and Nature of Yoron Island with All Five Senses
(1) Only one pair of visitors per night will be invited to a special terrace overlooking the ocean, reserved for just the two of you. Enjoy a special premium dinner that reflects the unique characteristics of Yoron, carefully arranged by the chefs. Afterwards, you will be guided to the rooftop terrace by a star guide, who will show you how to enjoy the starry skies of Yoron. At the end of the day, you can rest on a sofa bed that you have all to yourself, and enjoy the 360-degree view of the starry sky along with dessert and coffee.
Main promotional points:
<1> Limited to one pair per day! Private seaside terrace and rooftop terrace for a private couple’s experience.
<2> Special full-course meal and drinks with carefully-selected Yoron Island ingredients, designed down to the slightest details.
<3> Flexible arrangements and services such as photoshoots, marriage proposals, bouquets, etc. are available. *Please consult with us at least 14 days in advance.
(2) Just one pair per night will be guided around Yoron Island by a Starry Sky Sommelier®. From caves and secluded beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs to special places known only to locals, you may even encounter creatures that are designated Natural Monuments. On a clear night, you will also be able to enjoy a truly special time under the star-filled sky of Yoron, known as one of the best places for stargazing in Japan.
Main promotional points:
<1> Limited to one pair per night! Premium illuminations are presented in a private secret cave.
<2> Guides and Star Sommeliers who know Yoron Island's night sky inside and out will teach guests how to enjoy the night sky! A special guide to nighttime fun on Yoron Island.
<3> If they are lucky, guests may also be able to encounter nocturnal creatures that are nationally designated Natural Monuments. Explore and discover nighttime creatures on Yoron Island—an experience that is not possible during the day.
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Hachinohe, the City of Fish: Food Experience at Hasshoku Center, with Famous Chefs Preparing Dishes With Ingredients from the Sea
Hachinohe City is known as the City of Fish and offers a bounty of seafood cultivated in the rough nearby seas, including squid, for which they boast the largest catches in Japan, as well as fatty mackerel. The city has long thrived and developed on the basis of its fishing industry.
Hasshoku Center, located in the city, serves almost like a kitchen for Hachinohe locals because all the produce of Hachinohe is gathered under one roof, from fresh seafood to dry foods, fruits, meat, vegetables, sweets, local sake, and more. The facility is also ranked among the top tourist attractions in the prefecture.
This program offers a premium culinary tour of Hachinohe City, with participants able to select seafood delivered from the fish market to Hasshoku Center, and enjoy these ingredients in dishes prepared by renowned chefs. Participants will also be able to tour sake breweries such as Hachinohe Shuzo, which has been popular in the port town for its sake which pairs well with fish, and will also enjoy the culture of Yokocho, a side street that flourished alongside the port. -
Kawazu Retreat: Full-Day Experience Tour with a Meal that Is Distinctly Kawazu
[September 1 - January 31]
- Nirvana Hall: Private viewing of Japan's three largest reclining Buddha statues (normally closed to the public and available especially for this tour)
- Naranda no Sato: View nationally designated Important Cultural Properties (a special private viewing experience)
- Retreat to Nanzenji Temple to enjoy a traditional local meal of yellow rice and sweet tea (a special private dining experience)
[February 1 - February 28]
・Naranda no Sato: View nationally designated Important Cultural Properties
・Retreat to Nanzenji Temple to enjoy a traditional local meal of yellow rice and sweet tea
・Kawazu Cherry Blossom Terrace Premium Experience (limited to February Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival, and includes special private seats and a Kawazu Cherry Blossom set meal) -
Japanese Hokuriku Pride in Tradition: The Skills, Pride, and Spirit of the Hokuriku Region
An experiential event to see, learn about, and appreciate the skills of the local craftspeople:
A rare opportunity to experience the charms of Japan's traditional crafts together with the traditional food culture of Yamashiro Onsen.
This experiential event will be held throughout the hot spring resort area, offering participants the opportunity to see, learn about, and appreciate the high level of craftsmanship in traditional handicrafts such as Kutani ware and Wajima lacquerware, and food culture such as Japanese confectioneries, kimonos, and famous sakes. -
Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s Greatest Swordsman: Experience the Spirit of Musashi with the 18th Head of the Niten Ichi-ryu Style (The Book of Five Rings: Ground, Water, Fire, and Wind editions)
The spirit and culture of Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman, still lives on in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Kumamoto is where Miyamoto Musashi spent the last years of his life. Miyamoto Musashi was invited there as a guest of Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the first lord of Kumamoto, and spent the last five years of his life in Kumamoto. There, he established the military art Niten Ichi-ryu, and wrote The Book of Five Rings. This book, which explains the spirit of the samurai, is nowadays read by people throughout the world. And now, 380 years later, there is a modern-day samurai—an 18th-generation samurai who has inherited the spirit of the Niten Ichi-ryu, and who is working to promote it in modern times. Spending time with him and experiencing the essence of the spirit conveyed in The Book of Five Rings, is sure to be a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
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Ride the Tadami Line with Local Guides & A Night Tour of Mugenkyo Gorge
At 135.2 kilometers in length, the JR Tadami Line connecting Aizu-Wakamatsu Station in Fukushima Prefecture with Koide Station in Niigata Prefecture is famed as a hidden gem of a local rail line which boasts extraordinary views. The scenery, which includes the spectacular landscape of the Tadami River, the villages dotted along its riverbanks, and the majestic mountains nearby, is astoundingly beautiful no matter the season and has proven highly popular amongst visitors. This special tour is offered by a guide who is one of the most well-versed people in the world about the Tadami Line. Enjoy hidden sights and photo spots known only to this guide—both from inside the train and from the train’s windows.
The Mugenkyo Gorge ferry is a hand-pulled boat that runs between the towns of Kanayama and Mishima in Fukushima Prefecture, crossing the Tadami River. The name "Mugenkyo” derives from the ephemeral beauty of the valley when it is shrouded in river mist on summer mornings and evenings—as if in a scene from a dream. Although the Mugenkyo Gorge ferry normally runs only from morning to evening, this tour features special yakatabune boats that operate at night. The illumination of the yakatabune boats will give the nighttime Mugenkyo Gorge an even more mystical appearance. You will also enjoy a meal that is often served at times of celebration in this region, prepared with lots of local ingredients and traditional dishes.
On both the Tadami Line and Mugenkyo Gorge tours, you will be loaned a tablet with video and audio features that can provide multilingual guidance for your convenience, and you will stay at a guesthouse renovated from an old private residence.
Packed with rare content, these tours offer deep experiences of the culture of the Oku-Aizu region.
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ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2024
The 9th Art Fair Asia will be held from Friday, September 20 to Sunday, September 22 at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center, a convention facility in Hakata well-known by Fukuoka residents. The event will be co-hosted by Fukuoka City, which has worked to promote Fukuoka Art Next with the aim of creating a colorful city full of art, and Culture Vision, an NGO that creates opportunities for creators to co-create beyond the boundaries of industry, government, and academia. The goal of the event is to open up a diverse array of possibilities in Fukuoka City, a city that is already full of human encounters and interaction.
This year, the venue will serve as a sort of hub of exchange between Japan and other Asian countries. The focus will be on artists from around Asia and Kyushu. The event will also include collaborations with art museums, universities, companies, and art fairs in Kyushu and other parts of Japan and overseas, in an attempt to develop even more as an art fair based on the concept of Asia. Fukuoka City’s "FaN Week" will be held at the same time as the art fair, covering the entire city of Fukuoka in art. This one-of-a-kind experience is sure to stimulate the creativity of art fans and visitors in general.
We hope that as many people as possible get to experience the fascination and excitement of art in Fukuoka, a city that has long nurtured diversity and has continued to develop as a hub for the flow of people and goods in Asia.
We look forward to seeing you at Art Fair Asia Fukuoka 2024. -
30th Anniversary of World Heritage Registration and 800th Anniversary of Sect Founding NAKED Light-Up at Nishi Honganji Temple 2024 Special Autumn Viewing
This year in Kyoto, Nishi Honganji Temple, the head temple of the Jodo Shinshu Honganji sect that was founded by the holy man named Shinran, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its World Heritage registration and the 800th anniversary of the sect's founding. To commemorate this event, the creative company NAKED, INC., will plan and host an autumn light-up event at Nishi Honganji Temple.
Experience the history and culture of Nishi Honganji Temple by carrying NAKED distance lanterns (artistic lanterns popular at NAKED events) while touring Miedo Hall, a National Treasure which will be decorated with digital art, and Hiunkaku Pavilion, a National Treasure that is usually closed to the public. In addition to the regular tickets, there will be special tickets available that will allow visitors to get a better feel for what Nishi Honganji Temple is like in the early fall. These include a special viewing ticket for admission to the Shoin complex, another National Treasure which is normally closed to the public, and a premium ticket enabling visitors to enjoy digital art and a tea ceremony experience at Hiunkaku Pavilion.