Traditions
Area
Season
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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. -
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.
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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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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 -
"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. -
Embracing a healthy way of life through Okinawan karate
Karate is a practical martial art that was developed in a war-torn world long ago but has been handed down with a focus on kata practice performed alone. As such, it is a type of martial art that can be practiced by anyone, regardless of physical fitness, age, or gender. Karate practice, which helps to control the heightened tension in the mind and body so that the body can relax, can be considered a kind of moving Zen, and is an ideal "bodyfulness" method for business people who are exposed to intense stress on the front lines of their work. There are just over 350 dojos in Okinawa, the birthplace of karate. Participants on this tour will receive private lessons in Kobayashi-ryu karate and Ryukyu Kobudo from a renowned master who has students all over the world and who has passed on the teachings of Taira Shinken, the restorer of the Ryukyu Kobudo School. Inbetween training sessions, participants will take a tour to learn about the history of Shuri, and experiences related to food culture introduced as part of Blue Zones Okinawa and beauty are also included.
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The Tengu's Invitation: A Premium, Sanguine Night in Saijo-ji Temple
Daiyuzan Saijo-ji Temple is the third most prestigious Soto Zen temple, following Eihei-ji Temple and Soji-ji Temple in Tsurumi. The temple is steeped in Japan’s unique history and traditions and is a sanctuary of power spots. Enveloped in an air of solemnity and adorned with the legend of the Tengu, a long-nosed mountain goblin, this temple, built upon a sacred mountain, exudes a mysterious atmosphere quite unlike any other. Beloved by international travelers, this enchanting area boasts year-round allure, but it has a particular charm during the fall when vibrant reds and oranges hues transform the landscape. It is during this magical season that our special event unfolds.
-Special Autumn Foliage Light Up Event
For the first time ever at Saijo-ji Temple, for one week during fall, witness the temple grounds and fall foliage around the belfry hall and the Rurimon Gate be lit up in a breathtakingly beautiful illumination event.
Allow mystery and whimsy to spirit you away on this premium experience.
-Special Zen Meditation and Dharma Talk
Weary travelers may find solace and rejuvenation within the serene embrace of the main hall through this special journey of learning and healing.
Imbibe the intoxicating rhythm of Japan’s soul while enveloped in the velvety black of night and the bright colors of the autumn leaves.
-Limited Time Premium Dining
Let the tengu be your guide as you learn more about the Zen spirit of vegetarian cuisine that has been passed down through Saijo-ji Temple, and dine on original dishes from a progressive and modern restaurant where no other has dined before in the private drawing room, to which access is normally restricted for the general public. -
Project that creates and sells high value-added products that utilize the Geionkan facility and luxurious Ryukyu Bingata costumes, combining Okinawa’s history, culture, and cuisine
Participants can wear luxurious Ryukyu Bingata costumes, which are highly valuable and not normally available for rental, as well as indulge in an extravagant time at the Geionkan facility, an old, traditional, Japanese-style house privately reserved for participants and serviced for guests. Here, guests can leisurely partake in creative Ryukyu cuisine, which lavishly makes use of Okinawan ingredients, while watching Ryukyu performing arts (from among an Eisa folk dance, a Sanshin lute performance, a karate demonstration, or a Shishimai lion dance). In addition, a commemorative video in Ryukyu Village will be shot and specially edited into an original video for participants to take home as a souvenir of their trip. For those with limited time, there is also an à la carte plan available.
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Mt. Minobu Wellbeing Bus Tour—750 Years of History ~Limited edition night tour of the Okuno-in Temple & ropeway, guidance from a real monk, and a vegan tasting experience~
Mt. Minobu is home to the head temple of Nichiren Buddhism, a major school of Japanese Buddhism. On this tour, guests can partake in a profound Japanese experience with an exclusive night tour of the Okuno-in Temple. With the Buddhist monks as your guide, visit the mountaintop observatory where, under the night sky, you will witness the silhouette of Japan's three holy mountains (Mt. Fuji, Mt. Haku, and Mt. Tateyama) overlooking the Kofu Basin. Afterwards, take part in the ancient art of sutra copying at the temple. This mindful experience in a serene environment is sure to become one of the most cherished and unforgettable memories of your journey. Meals will be prepared according to the Buddhist vegetarian diet and are nutritious and highly regarded as a popular choice for a healthy diet.