Search
Category
Area
Season
-
World's Best Way to Drink World's Best Whiskey "Distillery of Wind"
Celebrating 100 years since its inception, Japanese whiskey is gaining popularity and attention in Europe and the United States. "Yamazakura" is a blended malt whiskey distilled at the Asaka Distillery in Koriyama City, which produces the oldest local whiskey in Tohoku. Yamazakura won the world's best blended malt award at the 2022 World Whiskey Award (WWA) International Whiskey Competition. Alcohol is said to be cultivated by the climate, and this whiskey is the result of the fusion of three elements: limpid water of Asaka Sosui flowing from Lake Inawanashiro, which served as the foundation of the development of Koriyama and was mentioned in the Japanese Heritage "Ippon no Suiro"; the cold wind from Bandai, or the climate with large contrasts in temperature; and the ambition of Sasanokawa Shuzo that started brewing sake 300 years ago in the Edo period (1603–1867). Yamazakura whiskey is produced in the unique climate of the Asaka Plains. We hope that participants will also enjoy our hand-filled whiskey, which they can blend themselves from several different types of raw whiskey and pour into a bottle. We offer a distillery tourism that incorporates the local history and culture for those seeking authenticity. This is an experience-based tour in which participants will enjoy sampling renowned whiskey cultivated by the climate of Koriyama, along with dishes prepared by local chefs at hot spring ryokan inns and outdoor restaurants.
-
Nara Traditional Crafts Experience, Traditional Dance and Music Tour, and Special Exhibition of Nara Crafts, Shrines, and Temples
Nara's traditional crafts have a history that developed together with Nara's shrines and temples, and the techniques of these crafts have been passed down to the present day.
This event will feature the following four projects to allow participants to immerse themselves in its history and traditions.
Event Duration: (1) & (2) November 1 and 15, December 1 and 15, 2023, and January 15, 2024
(3) & (4) November 15, 2023, to January 21, 2024
Closed: every Monday (*Excluding January 8, 2024), the day after a National Holiday (November 24 (Fri.) and January 9 (Tue.)),
Year-end and New Year holidays (December 26 to January 5)
(1) Experience making Nara's traditional craft, korakumen masks
Participants can try their hand at coloring korakumen masks, which are used in Shinto rituals with bugaku music and dance performed at shrines and temples in Nara. This is a valuable experience where Ryudo Nakabo, an artist who has worked in the field for over 60 years, will provide instructions on how to make the masks and tell stories about korakumen masks.
(2) Himuro Shrine: Watching Nanto-style bugaku music and dance performance, and lighting ice lanterns
Participants will have a special seat from which to watch the bugaku performance, which has been passed down through the historic Himuro Shrine in Nara and can only be seen there. They will also experience an ice lantern lighting, which is unique to Himuro Shrine. (The god of ice is enshrined at Himuro Shrine, and the name of the shrine, Himuro means 'ice room.)
(3) Nara Crafts Museum: Special Exhibition of Traditional Crafts "Crafts, Shrines and Temples of Nara"
Please enjoy the works of contemporary artists together with the history of Nara's crafts, which developed hand in hand with the ancient and famous temples.
(4) Nara Crafts Museum: Sales of traditional crafts
Visitors can purchase artwork produced by Nara's craft artists. Visitors will be able to see firsthand and purchase the crafts of Nara, which have been produced using methods handed down and refined for over 1,300 years. -
Edo Tokugawa Culture Premium Experience Program in Modern Tokyo: Special Visit to Zojo-ji Temple & Tokugawa Culture Experience
The Tokugawa family founded Tokyo, which was known at the time as 'Edo', and brought one of the world's longest periods of peace, "Pax-Tokugawana," which lasted for over 300 years.
The tour will be led by Iehiro Tokugawa, the nineteenth head of the Tokugawa family. He will guide participants through Zojo-ji Temple, which has connections to the Tokugawa family, and will explore the essence of the history and culture of Edo, which prospered as the center of the samurai class and developed differently from Kyoto.
▼The following special programs will allow participants to experience a quality encounter with the essence of the history and spirit of samurai, an experience not offered anywhere else in Japan.
・A full-scale historical and cultural stay program, which is one of the few programs of its kind in Tokyo, and also the first that is offered by the Tokugawa family.
・Opportunity to learn about the samurai spirit through the Tokugawa Edo period, which established one of the longest periods of peace in the world.
・Fully authentic cultural experience of the Japanese culture that prospered during the peaceful Edo period and has continued to this day, with the head of family that has continued since the Edo period.
・Special visit to the restricted area of Zojo-ji Temple, one of Tokyo's most famous temples associated with the Tokugawa family.
(Visit to the upper level of Japan's Important Cultural Property Sangedatsumon Gate, which has watched over Edo/Tokyo since its establishment over 400 years ago)
・Special exhibition of historical cultural properties owned by the Tokugawa family -
Fire & Smoke Gastronomy Tour
Makurazaki City in Nansatsu is
connected through techniques using fire.
Makurazaki City is located in the Nansatsu area in the southern tip of Kyushu.
The area is frequented by volcanic eruptions and has developed
its own food culture based on fire and the skills of the craftsmen who work with it.
There are three traditional Japanese foods made in this area: tea, dried bonito flakes made from smoked-and-dried bonito,
and shochu, a traditional Japanese distilled spirit.
In the Nansatsu plateau, which stretches from Makurazaki City to Minamikyushu City
and boasts the largest area of tea fields in Japan,
participants in this tour will meet artisans that steam the tea with the power of fire and then roast the tea differently according to the season to give it a unique taste.
In Makurazaki, Japan's leading producer of dried bonito flakes,
participants will meet artisans who produce the highest-quality dried bonito flakes, Makurazaki Honkarebushi, which are smoked with fire to produce a nice umami flavor.
At Satsuma Shuzo, which is the only shochu brewery in the world that has its own dedicated cooper,
participants will meet the craftsmen who give the shochu its smoky flavor by recharring the barrels with fire.
And to breathe new life into the craftsmanship of each ingredient,
Asia's 50 Best Bars & Restaurants winner and world-class bartender Shuzo Nagumo and chef Hiroyasu Kawate will host a party for one night only.
Mr. Nagumo is Japan's leading mixologist who creates cocktails that defy conventional ideas, while Mr. Kawate is Japan's leading chef who is currently extremely popular.
This is a journey to rediscover the umami flavors produced by fire,
as participants learn about the unique foods through the craftsmen of this region connected by fire techniques. -
Entertainment by Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine and the geisha of Fukagawa, sure to be an extremely memorable part of your visit to Japan
1. Japanese traditional performing arts: A well-paced show of Japanese traditional performing arts with English commentary at the Wedding Hall of Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine. An opportunity to learn about history and tradition.
2. Cultural experience: Experience the beauty and spirit of Japan, from putting on a kimono upon arrival, to the sword action in the play and the tea ceremony after the meal.
3. Ozashiki games with geisha: You can enjoy ozashiki party games, which usually require a referral and reservation, with a lecture by a geisha as an attendant.
4. Sacred venue: Decorated with seasonal decorations, Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine is a sacred space that is not available for public use, with approximately 400 years of history.
5. Fine kaiseki dining at the prestigious Tsujitome: High-end kaiseki cuisine with seasonal ingredients and the chef's extra care to create well-balanced dishes. Finish with Fukagawa-meshi rice dish. -
Private VIP tour of world-renowned Naoshima and Setoda by HONDAJET
A new partnership between HONDAJET and helicopters, yachts, and hire cars is here! The trip from Haneda Airport to Naoshima, which used to take five to six hours, has been shortened to only two hours. The Geiyo Islands area, which includes Setoda and Shimanami Kaido, is also now only an hour away from the Naoshima area. This partnership has achieved an unprecedented level of convenience for visitors!
The local experience offers an exclusive taste of all three categories: culture, mindfulness, and interaction with locals. In Naoshima, the renowned Chichu Art Museum and Teshima Art Museum are fully chartered. Participants can also experience the "Ma" program, which uses aroma and tea to harmonize the five senses and mind.
In the Setoda area, participants will tour the hidden secret islands by catamaran yacht. On board, private chefs offer sushi, Japanese meat cuisine, Japanese-French cuisine, and more. Participants will also stop at local residences on the islands along the way and enjoy welcome parties thrown by the islanders.
There are also a variety of cultural experiences to have, such as visits to sake and soy sauce breweries, Japanese paper studios, pottery studios, Shinto shrines, and Buddhist temples. Surprising experiences that even Japanese people do not know about await visitors, including Gerhard Richter's largest work of art, Chichibugahama Beach, known as the Salar de Uyuni of East Asia, and the giant Goemon Cauldron Baths, which are only found in Japan. At dusk, a colorfully constructed grazing table is prepared, loaded with locally sourced ingredients. With a local brew in hand, sit back and enjoy the sunset and evening cruise. -
Delivering a luxurious experience in Oku-Nikko during the fall foliage season
Nikko has a rich historical and cultural heritage, including the World Heritage site, "Shrines and Temples of Nikko." Nikko is also a world-class tourist destination with natural attractions such as the Oku-Nikko-Shitsugen wetland, a Ramsar Convention wetland. As the seasons change, so to does Nikko, but the most spectacular time of year is during the fall foliage season, which attracts many tourists from within Japan and abroad.
This tour goes to and from Tokyo and offers a truly special time in Nikko during the fall foliage season.
A helicopter will be used for the trip to Nikko, providing stress-free views of the fall foliage below. After arriving, guests will head to the Ritz-Carlton Nikko hotel, where the G7 Ministerial Meeting was held. They will be fully immersed in the history, nature, and culture of this area through private tours to learn about and see Japan’s history and nature firsthand with professional guides, followed by dinner at the former embassy villa, a symbolic international summer resort. This 2-night, 3-day plan provides a special time that is "exclusively now, exclusively here, and exclusively for you." -
Admire the beauty of Japan at Mishima Taisha Shrine, an Important Cultural Property - The ultimate shrine experience to be appreciated with all five senses
Special nighttime viewing of Mishima Taisha Shrine, an Important Cultural Property, decorated with lit-up autumn foliage and waka poems written on tanzaku paper strips. Guided by a British guide who has passed the first grade of the Jinja Kentei (Shinto culture exam), visitors will tour the precincts and pavilions and experience a formal visit to the shrine led by a Shinto priest in accordance with traditional manners at the hall of worship. Special seating, arranged around the designated cultural property Maidono Stage, allows visitors to appreciate gagaku (traditional Japanese court music) performed by Hideki Togi, a court musician. After the gagaku performance, guests will enjoy a premium dinner at Ryusenen Japanese Garden, a registered Tangible Cultural Property, featuring creative Japanese cuisine developed by a renowned chef using branded agricultural and marine products from Mishima in the western foothills of Hakone and Izu.
-
Assan: Enjoy your own Hiyama with all five senses
Enjoy the nature and food while also experiencing the local traditional culture and history and interacting with the local people
- Experience a bridal procession in the snow set at a Heritage Site, starting with dressing as a bride and groom in costumes using cultural properties
- Commemorative photo on the Kaiyomaru, a large warship dating to the 1800s, and winter fireworks
- Watch a mochitsuki-bayashi performance and experience making rice cakes
- Enjoy winter: Memorial tree planting in the snow, May Queen potato harvest, snowball fight and playing in the snow
- Special local dinner using Hiyama’s produce and specialty products
- An “original croquette making” experience in the town famous for its jumbo croquette event
-- Experience the local area through traditional performing arts and projection mapping-like visuals that evoke Hiyama’s four seasons
-
Inbound visitors only! VIP order-made guided tour project ~ A collaboration with VIRTUOSO to provide high-value-added benefits for wealthy FIT travelers, which are in short supply in Japan ~
(1) First time to create inbound products for a certain theme park in Chiba Prefecture.
- Created the first-ever tour where inbound visitors are accompanied around the park by a guide.
Special, in-depth experiences will be provided at the various attractions by utilizing points and timing known only to those in the know
- Conduct the first familiarization tour of the park aimed at inbound visitors.
(2) Experience old culture such as historical relics and buildings with "Samurai" as the hook
- Conduct an experience wearing Japanese armor (which became a talking point in the MLB this year) in Otaki Town, Chiba Prefecture, and a tour experience of a swordsmith shop in Narita, which can only be arranged by a long-established ryokan inn.
(3) Japanese food has been registered as a World Heritage! “Raw food,” a part of Japanese dietary habits that particularly surprises inbound visitors
An official tour of the Toyosu Market brokers, which has not been available until now, and a visit to a sake brewery with a professional sake and food guide. The contents of the tour include eating ramen, the meal of the common people, a visit to a sake brewery, where AI analyzes visitors’ tastes and selects sake for them, and observing a tuna auction followed by a Japanese meal at a Michelin starred sushi restaurant.
(4) Pop culture such as "anime" that represents modern Japan
A tour of the sights and attractions that are difficult to visit alone, led by a professional guide. Pokémon-related Locations: A stay in the Matsushima area, a Tohoku location that is more popular among inbound travelers than Sendai, and an introduction to Pokémon-related locations. The contents of the tour will be irresistible for anime lovers.
(5) Order-made contents specifically for customers in line with their needs