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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 -
Silk culture tour of Kaga silk production areas with Mr. Takamatsu, the only Japanese tailor of haute couture for women
・Private tour to experience silk culture in the Johana area of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. The tour is led by Taichiro Takamatsu, the only Japanese tailor of haute couture for women, with a background in Christian Dior Couture Paris.
・Exhibition and explanation of dresses made of shike silk, the only one of its kind in Japan that uses the breed called Koishimaru, a native breed also kept by the Imperial family (some dresses are not available for viewing).
・Visit to Matsui Silk Weaving, the only weaver of shike silk in Japan, accompanied by Mr. Takamatsu himself, who will explain the weaving process.
・Accommodation at the art hotel Rakudo-An, where guests can enjoy food, folk art, and contemporary art.
・Dinner party with Mr. Takamatsu at il Clima, an Italian restaurant that lavishly uses local ingredients. -
Experience the deep Iriomote Island. Come and dive into the unknown.
Iriomote Island is the largest island among the Yaeyama Islands, where about 90 percent of the island is subtropical jungle. There are plenty of activities that take advantage of the abundant nature, but this tour steps even further into the charm of Iriomote Island, an unexplored gem where the only way to reach other villages is by boat. Hence, this tour take participants through a mangrove on traditional Okinawan Hari boats to Funauki village, which is like its own little island but on land.
Iriomote Island is the first internationally recognized International Dark Sky Place in Japan, where the Milky Way can be seen all year round and constellations change with the seasons. Participants are offered a luxurious stargazing experience, where they enter a tent sauna to observe the island's soothing yet impressive starry sky while enjoying the warmth of the sauna.
The ultimate diving experience is offered off Barasu Island, an uninhabited island located 5 kilometers off the northern coast of Iriomote Island, between Iriomote Island and Hatoma Island. This includes PADI and divers who offer inbound guiding and a chartered cruiser for small groups of participants.
The upstream of many of the rivers on Iriomote Island are home to undiscovered secluded waterfalls and a great variety of wildlife. The tour offers trekking and canyoning with a professional guide at Geta Waterfall, which is referred to as a mythical waterfall, and Yutsun Falls, which has a 35-meter drop and the most beautiful gradation of water thanks to the ebb and flow of the tides. Participants will feel energized from the greenery of the subtropical jungle and the clear water of Geta Waterfall on this guided tour.
We have a wide range of intimate tour products of Iriomote Island that can only be experienced here and nowhere else in Japan or in the world. -
Project hosted by the prominent Takeda family, which has supported Arimatsu tie-dyeing for 400 years, to deliver an experience of hospitality meant for the Shogun
(1) Dressing in the finest Arimatsu tie-dyed kimono and having authentic makeup (for women) applied is a rare experience even for Japanese people. This is a rare and valuable experience for overseas visitors, and they will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience of elegance. In this attire, participants will have commemorative photographs taken at Japanese gardens, a traditional house, and around the town.
(2) A tea ceremony will be held at the tea house Saishoan, a significant tea house which was visited by the Tokugawa Shogun twice. Participants will enjoy an authentic Japanese tea ceremony using a tea bowl made by an artist who is a living national treasure. The tea room is a special place that exudes a simple atmosphere of the Japanese idea of wabi-sabi, or imperfect and ephemeral beauty.
(3) Wear a kimono and take a stroll through the traditional streets of Arimatsu, a town that has continued since the Edo period. On the way, visit an Arimatsu tie-dyeing workshop to observe the dyeing process of Sekka, also known as Itajime, or board-clamping tie-dye. The moment the dyed work is finished is truly awe-inspiring, creating a one-of-a-kind, original work of art. -
Sustainable Tour of Kameoka Basin, the town of water and fog
Kameoka is adjacent to Saga Arashiyama and is rich in natural resources. It has inherited many traditional industries, and is actively involved in SDG initiatives.
In this quaint city of Kameoka, we offer a tour like no other.
On the first day, participants will enjoy the seasonal beauty of the valley from the Sagano Romantic Train. Then they will rent a bicycle to enjoy the satoyama landscape of Kameoka.
Participants will make their own original eco-bags from discarded paraglider fabrics and have lunch using locally grown ingredients at KIRI CAFE, which is a cafe renovated from an old minka (traditional Japanese house).
Next, participants will harvest fresh vegetables grown using a high-quality water source at the Rokuya Wonder Village, an eco-farm redeveloped from abandoned land.
Participants will also try their hand at making dinner chopsticks and plates at an onsite workshop held by a long-established bamboo fence specialty store.
To finish off the evening, participants will enjoy dinner made with freshly harvested vegetables and game meat from the mountains behind the restaurant.
On the second day, participants will climb up to Senjuji Temple, which offers a panoramic view of the Kameoka Basin, where they will have a leisurely breakfast while taking in the spectacular view for a special start to the day.
This will be followed by a visit to Izumo-Daijingu Shrine, Japan's number one matchmaking spot with a history of approximately 1,300 years. Try your luck with an omikuji fortunetelling slip, which reveals your fortune when dipped into water.
To finish the tour off, participants will have a one-of-a-kind indigo dyeing experience using Kyoto indigo, which once ceased production entirely due to various reasons.
This tour will include the full range of Kameoka's attractions, offering a special experience that is available only here. -
Slow Photography Project: JAPAN LOCAL inside 2DAYs
In an age where it is increasingly easy to take photographs, this art project dares to use the earliest photographic techniques to capture the streets of Japan that retain an Edo Period ambience. The Fukusumi area in Tamba-Sasayama City, which has been designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, retains the looks of an Edo period post town and surrounding rural landscape. The area is about an hour's drive from the cities of Kyoto and Osaka.
Participants will learn about the earliest photography techniques and the history of photography in a lecture by photographer Koichiro Kurita while also participating in an art project. Participants can take home photographs that they have taken and developed themselves using these techniques.
For accommodation, participants will stay in a hotel renovated from a 250-year-old traditional minka house, where they will enjoy creative fusion cuisine that combines French and Japanese culinary techniques. Enjoy a two-day trip of authentic local culture and Japanese art right between Osaka and Kyoto. -
A high value-added stay program to experience the mystique of the 1250-year-old Shingon sect Daihonzan Daisho-in Temple of Mt. Misen on Miyajima (Itsukushima), the "island of the gods"
This program will focus on the spirituality of Miyajima, which has been worshipped as the "island of the gods" since ancient times. The entire island is registered as a World Heritage site, and by offering experiences of Japanese culture and history unique to Miyajima, this program offers a deep dive into spirituality to encourage participants to converse with themselves. Through historical and cultural experiences at Shingon Buddhist Daisho-in Temple, the oldest temple on Miyajima, visitors can feel spirituality that has been passed down for more than a thousand years. The tour will provide visitors with the key to unlocking the history of Miyajima while allowing them to pay their respects by visiting the seven shrines around the coast of Miyajima.
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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. -
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
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"Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple-style" morning activity experience Premium night concert ~Gagaku x Buddhist sutras and pipe organ~
Morning activity experience
•Change into a "samue," which is worn by monks when they perform their work, and take part in the morning prayer.
•The "Naijin-no-Yoma" (space on the far right and far left of the inner sanctum), which is usually closed to the public, will be open for special viewing to tour participants.
•Enjoy a special live performance of gagaku (Japanese imperial court music) just for tour participants in the Naijin-no-Yoma.
•Enjoy the 18-item breakfast at "Tsumugi," which is so popular that lines form in front of the store from early in the morning.
•Experience polishing Buddhist altar equipment, which normally cannot be touched, with other monks.
•While you experience polishing Buddhist altar equipment, you can talk with the monks in close proximity about your daily life and other topics.
•You can take pictures with the monks.
Special performance
•Hear explanations about Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple and gagaku classical music from the monks via an interpreter.
•Entry into Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple after the gates have closed, which is normally not allowed, will be permitted to tour participants.
•Enter an area that is normally off-limits to the general public for a special close-up look at the lit-up main, enshrined image of the temple.
•You can take pictures with the monks.
■Music memorial service
•You can listen to an original musical memorial service that interweaves the chanting of Buddhist sutras by more than ten monks with a performance of traditional Japanese classical music (gagaku) and pipe organ, a symbol of Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple.
•Experience a surreal atmosphere thanks to special lighting displays
■Special performance
•Enjoy a special performance of gagaku crossed with a pipe organ.