Traditions
Area
Season
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Relive the history of the Meiji aristocracy and tour Nasu’s fall leaves
This luxurious tour includes the beautiful nature of Nasu’s autumn leaves, one of Japan's best hot springs, shopping at an outlet mall, Nasu’s unique food, and the culture and history of the Meiji aristocracy.
(1) Culture and history of the Meiji aristocracy
The Nasu area used to be a barren, uninhabitable wilderness until the Meiji elite had the Nasu Canal excavated in order to secure water that was essential for development. As a result of the subsequent establishment of large-scale farms, it has now grown into one of Japan’s leading dairy regions. Follow in the footsteps of Meiji aristocrats with a professional guide and dress up in aristocratic Meiji clothes for photos.
(2) Autumn leaves
With the arrival of fall, Nasu's rich forests turn into a sea of bright reds, oranges, and yellows, and the scenery of these colors surrounding the mountains and lakes is truly spectacular. Canoeing and other experiences are available and offer diverse views of the autumn leaves.
(3) Meals and shopping
Nasu has a treasure trove of fresh vegetables and mountain delicacies, and this program will serve food that can only be tasted in Nasu. Enjoy shopping for famous brands at the Nasu Garden Outlet mall, as well as attendning a brewery tour and tasting “Nasu de Suna”, a craft beer selected as a Nasushiobara brand. -
Hasedera NIGHT TABLE
Seven tailor-made experiences have been prepared especially for this event:
1. The first-ever dinner event in the history of Hasedera Temple!
A rare opportunity to share in this inaugural event.
2. A private event at Hasedera Temple, a historic and popular tourist attraction!
When the temple-goers finish their daily prayers, Hasedera Temple will open its doors to participants for this private event.
3. Private viewing of floral bonsai designed by renowned garden artist Kazuyuki Ishihara!
Visit an art installation from a garden artist who was featured in the TV documentary series "Jounetsu Tairiku."
4. A special musical experience in front of the magnanimous 1,300-year-old main deity!
Enjoy a different kind of musical performance every day in an otherwise solemn temple dedicated to the Buddhist deity of compassion, Kannon.
5. Special dinner with an assortment of delicious foods from Shonan and Kamakura!
Enjoy a limited-time menu specially crafted by local shops and restaurants for this event.
6. Beat the crowd to enjoy a private autumn stroll, with the season lit up in all its glory at Hasedera Temple!
Take an early autumn walk in privacy through the seasonal illumination event, which officially starts on November 23.
7. Prayer candle devotions for every participant!
Prayer candle inscriptions will be used during the Kannon Mandōe service on New Year’s Eve. -
Island-Hopping Tour around Japan's "Okinawa Remote Islands" Paradise
Key Attractions of the Tour:
◆Puts importance on sustainability views
The understanding and cooperation of both local residents and visitors to the area is essential to protect its beautiful nature. This tour chooses environmentally friendly activities, and meals are centered on the idea of local production for local consumption.
◆Shows hospitality through a fully guided, community-based & collaborative tour
Tour guides who love the area will assist participants throughout the entire duration of the tour. The guides' roles are also to connect the local residents with the visitors, promoting collaboration and communication.
◆Tours the unexplored, normally inaccessible "Maejima Island," and allows participants to explore and experience the old and new cuisines to fully appreciate the culture of Okinawa's remote, idyllic islands
Maejima Island became uninhabited about 60 years ago when the last family moved to the main island of Okinawa. The atmosphere is mystical, as the remnants of a previous lifestyle slowly merge with nature. Participants will also get to meet Mr. Nakamura, who was born on the island and continues today to protect it, hoping for its restoration. This experience is one of the the major highlights of the tour. -
Bask in the Glory of Nature in Wakasa, Fukui, With REAL WAKASA: A Limited-Time-Only Private Cultural Experience Plan for One Group Per Day
The Wakasa Fukui region offers four special experiences for you to try!
1. Get a taste of Japanese cuisine in your own privately rented temple! Savor dishes made with local ingredients from the sea using traditionally crafted Wakasa lacquer chopsticks. Add some light-hearted banter to your meal with the addition of a geisha dinner party experience.
2. Take in an unbroken 360-degree panoramic view of the Sea of Japan and the Five Lakes of Mikata! Admire the beauty of the setting sun before coming back to a privately rented guest house in a quaint fishing village. There, a home-cooked meal made with local ingredients and graciously crafted by your host awaits you.
3. Lake Suigetsu is home to 70,000-year-old varves, or sedimentary layers, which serve as a standard form of measurement for the age of fossils and archeological artifacts. Come see these ancient varves in the museum and go on an environmentally sustainable battery-propelled, guided boat ride to learn more about the process of collecting these unique varves. A tour of a local beer factory and meals can also be prepared.
4. Cook your very own seasonal dishes, using ingredients harvested from the forest and the sea, on a kamado, a type of traditional Japanese wood stove! You can enjoy your lunch in a Japanese-style room in a traditional Japanese house.
In this program, you can use a real kamado, sample real local ingredients in all their simplicity in style, record a video of staff for later use, and receive a guide on how to create your own delicious food at home. -
Inbound Tourism Project Kizuna: Private Rental of a Fukui City Cultural Property for Traditional and Cultural Experiences
This is no ordinary project—it is unique in that it aims to use “food” and “lifestyle” to unravel the history, traditions, and spirit of Fukui, a city that grew alongside Zen Buddhism. Visitors will be able to experience the teachings of Dogen, founder of the Japanese Sōtō Zen school of Buddhism, who taught that "everything in daily life, including waking, eating, cleaning, washing, and bathing, is as important as seated meditation, and thus forms the practice of the Zen practitioner.”
Soybeans are an integral part of the Sōtō Zen diet, and now, for the first time ever, guided factory tours are offered at two factories which process this key ingredient: Fuku Syouyu (a soy sauce factory established in 1918) and Komego Miso (a miso factory established in 1832).
Traditional Food and Craft Experience in a Historical Site, Reserved Exclusively for Your Private Use:
There are half-day rentals of five private houses in Osagoe Folk Village Museum, a cultural property of Fukui City featuring traditionally-built farming houses. This experience is the first of its kind to combine tours, traditional handicrafts, and food into a combination package for inbound tourists. Visitors can try their hand at making traditional Wakasa lacquer chopsticks and polishing Shakudani stones, which are used as building materials in nearby temples. Meals are served based on the Zen Buddhist style of vegetarianism. Visitors will get to select their own ingredients, make their own rice balls, and then wrap up by enjoying their own creations. -
Cultural Experience in Privately Booked World Heritage Site x A Meal from Japan’s Top Chef: “THE LEGENDARY JAPAN” program for wealthy overseas visitors offers a private, premium experience of Japanese history and culture
Guests receive special cultural experiences at Kyoto’s World Heritage Ninnaji Temple, such as a ritual prayers in the Daikokudo Hall and a special Buddhist memorial service at the Kondo Hall, which is designated National Treasure. You can also view an illumination of historic buildings and observe the wall paintings of the Five Wisdom Kings, which has been opened for the first time in approximately 400 years. After this cultural experience, you can enjoy top-tier traditional Japanese kaiseki meal by Chef Masayoshi Nishikawa, a top Japanese chef at Kyoto’s famous “Gion Nishikawa,” where it is nearly impossible to get a reservation. This exquisite meal prepared from only the best of the best Japanese ingredients is served in the Jikido Hall, which the general public cannot enter.
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2-day 1-night package with a Ghibli Park ticket and an authentic tea ceremony experience at a long-standing Japanese restaurant
1. Shiratama, a long-standing Japanese restaurant in Nagoya, the culture of hospitality has been passed down over 400 years from the Edo period. In this tour, guests are offered special cuisine overflowing with seasonal flavor and carefully selected dishes within the restaurant's beautiful interior decorations.
2. At Shiratama, guests will participate in an authentic tea ceremony experience, one of Japan's most famous traditions. Each tea ceremony strives to improve on the last so that guests can experience the intrinsic art and aesthetic beauty of tea ceremony. Guests can also admire tea ceremony tools from the Owari Domain. This program is a one-of-a-kind, rare opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the charm of Japanese tea.
3. On the second day, you will visit Ghibli Park, which opened in Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park) in November 2022, and celebrates the world of Studio Ghibli films. There are no large attractions or rides in Ghibli Park; rather, walk around the forest and paths, feel the breeze on your skin, and discover the secrets of the park's magical atmosphere.
4. This program includes same-day tickets for Ghibli Park’s main area “Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse”. In this massive facility, you can enjoy video exhibitions, three technical exhibitions, a children’s play area, shops, and cafes. -
Yamanashi Wine & Food Festival
Enjoy a festival of captivating wine and food in Yamanashi, a city filled with the flavors and harmony of autumn.
Special lunches and dinners will be served for one day only in the larger area that includes Erinji Temple, the family temple of warrior Takeda Shingen; Daizenji Temple, which has a long tradition of growing grapes; historical architecture built by a Japanese railroad magnate; and the vineyards of famous wineries. These areas usually do not allow eating or drinking, and some cannot even be entered without special permission.
Cooking contest winners and chefs from reputable restaurants in Tokyo and Yamanashi will select regional wines that match their cuisine, and the carefully selected local ingredients and wine will harmonize to deliver a delicious, heartwarming experience. -
Japan Fruits
Japan Fruits, a duty-free shop (Note 1) selling fresh, high-value Japanese fruits and cut fruit that can be eaten on the spot, will open in the special security-restricted area (the food and shopping area after passing through customs) of Terminal 3 of Tokyo International Airport for a limited time from early October 2023 until the end of January 2024.
Visitors can experience the full appeal of fruits, which can only be gained by visiting the store, including comparing the flavors of different fruits in season. Grapes and mandarin oranges are sold in October and November, mandarin oranges and strawberries in November and December, and strawberries in January; melons and apples are sold from October to the end of January. Please buy some as a souvenir for that special someone (Note 1). In addition, the store will also display information about tourist farms with fresh fruit harvesting experiences and other tourist attractions in the surrounding areas.
Please enjoy the delicious charm of Japan Fruits while reminiscing on your happy memories of Japan before getting on the plane.
(Note 1: Due to plant quarantine regulations, there are a limited number of countries and regions where Japanese fruits can be taken.) -
Light Up NIKKO 2023
For three days over winter, when their gates close at 4 PM, the UNESCO Shrines and Temples of Nikko will be lit up against the night sky and offer an entirely changed atmosphere than that during the day.
During these three days, visitors will encounter a completely different side to the normal daytime experiences of Nikko-san Rinnoji Temple, Nikko Futarasan-jinja Shrine, and Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Stage performances, food courts showcasing cuisine from around Nikko, and all sorts of hands-on content will amplify the colors of Light Up NIKKO set against Nikko Toshogu Shrine’s magnificent five-storied pagoda, the magisterial Nikko Futarasan-jinja Shrine, and Nikko-san Rinnoji Temple, which attracts lively crowds well into the night.
Personal experiences will also be offered to guests who decide to spend the night, culminating in a magical three-day event that will make visitors want to return to Nikko again and again.