Top Japan Culture - page 272

You can become a ninja and samurai and watch a professional show. You can Experience the secret weapon of the Ninja, the Shuriken（throwing knife). Learn how to use a long Japanese sword. Enjoy the program in Ninja and Samurai costumes. Defeat your enemies by using Ninja and Samurai techniques. Enjoy a show by professional Ninjas and Samurai.

Meet your guide at Keikyu Kawasaki Daishi Station to stroll the vibrant Nakamise Street, the historic path to the ancient Kawasaki Daishi Temple. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere: smell freshly baked senbei, admire colorful Daruma dolls, and learn about local treats like Kuzumochi. You will continue to the majestic Kawasaki Daishi Temple, a significant religious site with over 900 years of history. Discover its role as a center for yakuyoke (warding off bad luck) and learn about the unique traditions associated with this belief. Then, the real fun begins: the art of Tontoko-ame making! After watching a captivating demonstration by a skilled artisan, you’ll get to try your hand at rhythmically cutting the warm, soft candy with a specialized knife. This hands-on session is a blast, and you’ll take your unique sweet creation home as a memorable souvenir. The tour concludes here, leaving you free to explore the area further or revisit the charming Nakamise Street.

Experience Osaka’s vibrant culture and history on a private journey, traveling in a luxury Toyota Alphard with your own dedicated guide and chauffeur. Begin at Osaka Castle, where you can walk through its expansive grounds and take in the legacy of Japan’s samurai era. Continue to Dotonbori, known for its neon-lit canal and lively street food scene. Discover the striking lion-headed stage of Namba Yasaka Shrine, a unique and lesser-known highlight, before exploring the nostalgic streets of Shinsekai, home to the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower. Along the way, your guide will share local insights and recommendations, helping you experience Osaka’s renowned food culture in a more authentic and enjoyable way.

Follow our guide, you will visit Tokyo’s top attractions and UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto and Osaka, get up close with the adorable deer at Nara Park & Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and admire the unique Gassho-zukuri house design at Shirakawa-go Village. Last but not least, you can appreciate Hakone’s diverse scenery and watch Mt. Fuji from the ropeway and cruise ship.

Follow our guide, you will drawn to the contrast between Meiji Jingu Shrine’s tranquility and Senso-ji Temple’s vibrancy and marvel at the volcanic landscapes of Owakudani Valley and try the famous black eggs. Besides, you will feast your eyes on the enchanting view of Mt. Fuji and Lake Ashi from the cruise ship.

Take this 10-day private tour to explore some regions in Japan from Tokyo, including Mt. Fuji, Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima. You will see many famous shrines in Japan, the majestic Mt. Fuji, the beauty of sakura in Kiyomizu Temple and the wild deer of Nara Park. And also delight in traditional kaiseki meals and a variety of Japanese snacks.

Hakata dolls, with a history of over 400 years, are known to every Japanese person. On this tour, you will experience painting one yourself. You will also learn about Yamakasa, a summer festival in Fukuoka with a history of around 300 years. There are two types of floats: the decorative kazari-yamakasa and the carried kaki-yamakasa that race through the streets. Both feature enormous Hakata dolls meticulously crafted by master artisans. The tour includes a visit to Kushida Shrine, the starting point of the kaki-yamakasa and the place where decorative floats are displayed. Surprisingly, Fukuoka’s history is even older than Kyoto’s. Eisai, a Zen monk who first brought tea seeds back from China, founded Japan’s very first Zen temple here in Fukuoka—Shofukuji Temple. The tour also takes you there, where you will enjoy Japanese tea and traditional sweets at a tea café. Immerse yourself fully in the rich culture and history of Fukuoka!"

Enjoy an efficient tour of Tokyo accompanied by a government-licensed and experienced English Speaking guide! This 5 hr walking tour includes 1 hr Batto (Sword) experience with Hakama at HiSUi Tokyo in Ginza. Before your Batto (Sword) experience, you will go on a walking tour with our licensed guide! Your guide will drop you off at HiSUi Tokyo after a 4 hr walking tour. This Batto (Sword) experience allows you to actually cut with real sword! HiSUi Tokyo instructor will demonstrate the trial cutting, then you will have the opportunity to try it if you wish. Your start time for the experience and your experience time may vary. You can customize your tour directly with the guide after placing your reservation. Please craft your itinerary by choosing 2 to 3 spots on the ‘what to expect’ or ‘itinerary’ list.

Situated in the center of Shiga Prefecture, Lake Biwa, easily accessible from Kyoto, offers beautiful lakeside scenery and plenty to do. Takashima and Kosei Areas are home to the Shirahige Shrine. It is said to bring a variety of good fortune. Also, there is a famous cherry blossom spot, Umezu Osaki. Omi Shrine, Biwako Terrace, and Ukimido are situated in Otsu and Konan Areas. Biwako Terrace is a popular spot for a breathtaking view. Ukimido is believed to have been built to pray for safety on the waters of Lake Biwa. If you are interested in the Sengoku period, you cannot miss the Azuchi Castle Ruine, the residence of the famous warlord Oda Nobunaga. Hikone Castle, one of Japan's most beautiful castles, is set in the Koto Area. In the Koga area, there is the Miho Museum and "Shigaraki Toen Tanuki Mura" where you can see Shigaraki ceramics of Japanese tanuki! This tour is for a pick up and drop off in Kyoto city only.

This 6-hour walking tour includes a 120-minute Kyaraben-making lesson at Kawaii Cooking Studio in Roppongi*. Kyaraben, or "character bento," are boxed lunches decorated to resemble popular fictional characters and other cute things such as animals or plants. In this lesson, you'll have the opportunity to create your own adorable Kyaraben! Making kyaraben is a special experience that can only be done while staying in Japan. Before your experience, you will go on a walking tour with our licensed guide! Your guide will drop you off at Kawaii Cooking Studio after a 4-hour walking tour. Your start time for the experience may vary. The estimated time for the experience will be about 4 hours from the start of the tour. *If Roppongi Studio is full, we will arrange other studios in Omote-Sando, Ginza, or Yoyogi.

This 6hr walking tour includes 45min Origami Experience at Taro's Origami Studio. Before your experience, you will go on a walking tour with our licensed guide! Your guide will drop you off at Taro's Origami Studio after a 5 hour walking tour. Start time: The estimated time for the experience will be about 5 hours from the start of the tour. You can customize your tour directly with the guide after placing your reservation. Please craft your itinerary by choosing 2 to 3 spots on the ‘what to expect’ or ‘itinerary’ list.

This 4hr private customized walking tour includes a 2hr Geisha (Geigi) performance and dinner experience! Explore the beautiful town of Kanazawa with your English-speaking guide, who will efficiently show you the city, such as Kenrokuen Garden—one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens—Higashi Chaya District, a teahouse area from the Edo period. After the walk, enjoy a rare Geisha experience—typically not open to first-time visitors—in a private setting at a historic machiya. Watch elegant traditional dance and join in ozashiki games. Then savor a beautifully prepared Shokado bento dinner from a long-established ryotei (traditional Japanese fine dining restaurant). Choose 2-3 spots from the list in the tour information to create your itinerary and inform your guide post booking. Note*1:Children age 6 and under are free. Dinner not included, but you may bring food. Note*2:Minimum charge is for two adults, so if your group has one adult and one child, please count the child as an adult.

This private tour is designed for cruise passengers arriving in Beppu, Japan's greatest hot-spring city. Your government-licensed English-speaking guide and private vehicle meet you right at Beppu Port (or a nearby hotel) and take you straight to the highlights, with no time wasted on logistics. Over 6 fully customizable hours you choose 2-3 destinations and your guide tailors the day to you. Marvel at the cobalt-blue Sea Hell and the steaming crimson Blood Pond Hell, meet the wild monkeys of Takasakiyama, explore the yunohana steam huts of Myoban Onsen, or cook your own lunch with natural geothermal steam at a jigoku-mushi workshop. Prefer something gentler? Add the stylish hot-spring town of Yufuin. With your own private vehicle the pace is entirely yours - ideal for families, seniors, and small groups wanting comfort and a friendly local expert. You'll return to your ship relaxed and on time, having seen the very best of Beppu in one seamless day.

This tour is designed for travelers who arrive at Hososhima Port (Hyuga) by cruise ship and want to explore Takachiho, one of Japan's most sacred and scenic destinations. We pick you up at the port or a nearby hotel with a private vehicle and a government-licensed multilingual guide - a comfortable, efficient way to reach this beautiful inland region. Enjoy a 8-hour private tour of the spectacular Takachiho Gorge, a V-shaped ravine of towering basalt cliffs and emerald waters formed by ancient lava from Mt. Aso. Walk the gorge path, admire the 17-meter Manai Falls, and (seasonally) glide beneath the cliffs in a rowboat. Takachiho is also the cradle of Japanese mythology. Visit Takachiho Shrine among ancient cedars and Amano Iwato Shrine, linked to the sun goddess Amaterasu, plus Kunimigaoka, famous for its early-morning seas of clouds. Choose 3-4 sites from the itinerary and your guide will tailor the day to your interests.

Step into the heart of Niigata on this private, fully guided day tour led by a government-licensed guide, with your own private vehicle and driver. Niigata grew rich as one of Japan's first international ports and as the gateway to the country's finest rice and sake, and this tour brings that story to life. Begin at Hakusan Shrine, the city's spiritual heart, then explore the grand Northern Culture Museum, former estate of Niigata's wealthiest landowning family. Wander the lively Pia Bandai market and the historic geisha quarter of Furumachi, and step inside the Imayo Tsukasa sake brewery to taste crisp local brews born of pure water and premium rice. Take in sweeping views from the Befco Bakauke Observatory atop Toki Messe, admire the Meiji-era Former Niigata Customs Office on the Shinano River, and browse the Honcho market. With hotel pickup, a flexible customizable route and an expert guide, you'll discover the best of Niigata in comfort and at your own pace.

Discover the proud castle town of Kumamoto on this private, fully guided day tour with a licensed guide and a private vehicle and driver. The centerpiece is mighty Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan's three great castles, famed for its black keep and steeply curved stone walls built by the warrior-lord Kato Kiyomasa. Your guide brings to life its history and its recovery from the 2016 earthquake, and you can pay respects at nearby Kato Shrine and the hillside temple of Honmyoji, where the lord is enshrined. Beyond the castle, wander the Edo-style streets of Sakuranobaba Josaien to sample local flavors such as basashi, and find calm in Suizenji Jojuen, an exquisite strolling garden recreating the Tokaido road in miniature. Visit a refined samurai residence and atmospheric shrines that reveal the city's deep samurai heritage. Because this is a private tour, the pace and itinerary flex around your interests, making it easy to enjoy the best of Kumamoto in a single day.

Experience the spiritual and cultural heart of Nagano on this private, fully guided day tour with a government-licensed guide and a private vehicle and driver. The highlight is magnificent Zenkoji, one of Japan's most important temples for over 1,400 years, where your guide leads you along the lively Nakamise approach and into the grand main hall. From there you can venture into the mountains to Togakushi Shrine, whose inner sanctuary is reached beneath an awe-inspiring avenue of giant cedars, with ties to ninja and ascetic traditions. The tour also reveals Nagano's samurai past in the Matsushiro castle town, home of the cunning Sanada clan and their treasure museum, and the artistic charm of nearby Obuse, where the great painter Hokusai left masterpieces at the Hokusai-kan and Ganshoin Temple. Because this is a private tour, the pace and itinerary flex around your interests, making it easy to enjoy the very best of Nagano comfortably in a single day.

Discover Kochi, the gateway to southern Shikoku, on this fully private 6-hour tour led by a friendly, government-licensed guide with a private vehicle and driver. Famed for its laid-back charm, Pacific coastline, and samurai history, Kochi rewards curious travelers. Climb the original wooden keep of Kochi Castle, one of only twelve to survive in Japan, and stand beneath the bronze statue of local hero Sakamoto Ryoma above Katsurahama Beach. Sample seared bonito and sake at lively Hirome Market, cross the storied red Harimaya Bridge, and visit the serene Chikurin-ji Temple with its sweeping Godaisan views. Because the tour is completely private, the itinerary is flexible and built around you: travel at your own pace, linger wherever you like, and ask your guide anything about local history, culture, and food. With comfortable door-to-door transport and a knowledgeable local by your side, you'll enjoy the very best of Kochi in one relaxed and memorable day.

This is the ideal tour for travelers who want to discover the highlights of Shizuoka and the port city of Shimizu efficiently, in a private vehicle with a government-licensed, experienced multilingual guide. Set on the shores of Suruga Bay beneath Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka is the heart of Tokugawa Ieyasu's domain and Japan's most famous green tea region. On this private 6-hour tour you will enjoy iconic Mt. Fuji views from the pine-fringed beach of Miho no Matsubara, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and visit the lavishly decorated Kunozan Toshogu, where Ieyasu was first enshrined. Take in sweeping panoramas from the Nihondaira plateau, explore Sunpu Castle Park and the colorful Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, and sample fresh seafood at the Shimizu fish market beside the cruise port. Your private guide and vehicle let you set the pace, skip the crowds, and tailor the day to your interests, be it history, scenery, tea, or food, for a relaxed and memorable visit to Shizuoka and Shimizu.

Visiting central Japan and want to discover Nagoya in comfort? This tour is perfect for you! With a government-licensed guide and a private vehicle, exploring Japan's fourth-largest city has never been easier. Explore the dynamic city of Nagoya with our experienced, English-speaking licensed guides! From the magnificent Nagoya Castle with its golden shachihoko, to the sacred forests of Atsuta Shrine, the samurai treasures of the Tokugawa Art Museum, and the lively Osu shopping district, Nagoya blends history, craftsmanship and modern energy. Hungry after exploring? Nagoya is the home of "meshi" food culture - try local favorites like miso-katsu, hitsumabushi (grilled eel) and tebasaki chicken wings. We welcome you to come and experience the unique culture of Nagoya with us! Note*1: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government and requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.

Step into the heart of Japanese mythology on this private tour of Takachiho, the mountain town where the gods are said to have descended to earth. Travelling in a comfortable private vehicle with your own government-licensed guide, you set the pace throughout the day. Begin at the dramatic Takachiho Gorge, a ravine of columnar volcanic cliffs where the Manai Falls tumble into emerald water. Walk among the towering cedars of Takachiho Shrine, then visit Amano Iwato Shrine and the sacred cave of Amano Yasugawara, where the legend of the sun goddess Amaterasu comes alive through your guide's storytelling. Enjoy sweeping views from Kunimigaoka Observatory, famous for its autumn sea of clouds, and sample premium Takachiho wagyu and local specialities at Gamadase Market. With a private guide and vehicle throughout, the itinerary is fully customisable, making it ideal for first-time visitors, families and photographers seeking one of Japan's most spiritual landscapes.

Explore the vibrant heart of Edo culture in Ryogoku, home to Japan's national sport, sumo. This 3-hour walking tour takes you through the Sumo Museum, where you can learn about the rich history and artistry of sumo wrestling. Stroll through the serene Former Yasuda Garden and Yokoami-cho Park, before visiting Ryogoku's famous food street, renowned for its delicious sumo hotpot. With a small group size of up to 12, enjoy an intimate experience with insights from a knowledgeable English-speaking guide. - Discover the history of sumo at the Sumo Museum - Visit beautiful gardens and historic Edo landmarks - Taste local delicacies on Ryogoku's food street - Small group tours for a personalized experience

Please note that this tour does not use a private vehicle and uses public transport. This tour involves several hours of walking in the outdoors You will have the opportunity to learn all about Kawagoe’s past and significance in the ’Old Town’ and Castle remains, walk the streets lined with Kurazukuri clay warehouses and the famous Toki no Kane Bell Tower, shop for local crafts and delicious street food, and visit some beautiful and unique shrines and temples. This is the perfect opportunity to get out of Tokyo and experience a different side to Japan!

Embark on a journey through the spiritual and scenic wonders of Kyoto. This tour takes you to the historic Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, up the breathtaking cable cars of Mount Hiei, and through the legendary Enryakuji Temple, the birthplace of Tendai Buddhism. Enjoy panoramic views, serene mountain trails, and a deep dive into the Zen traditions that have shaped Japan’s spiritual landscape.