Top Japan Unique Experiences - page 8

An excellent afternoon of learning and drinking sake. Kiyomi was amazing as she took us through all the various varieties and techniques and taught us how to read a sake bottle. I am now not overwhelmed when trying to buy and can go straight to the variety I like. Highly recommend.

This was a great experience to learn about Japanese tea culture. The hosts were great and very informative. They give information about traditional tea ceremonies and where they divert from tradition to make it more interactive for us. We wear Kimonos including our little one. At the end of the ceremony one person from each group make matcha tea.

Rika was our guide and she was fantastic! Easy to find at the meeting point, very knowledgeable and articulate, very personable - we felt like a personal friend was taking us on a tour and teaching us all about sake!! Very fun learning about the history of sake here in Kyoto, the main brewers, the brewing process, etc. The tastings themselves were a delight. Wide variety of sake to sample, with a nice option to have some food if one desires. At the conclusion of the tour Rika made it super easy to catch the correct train and head back to our hotel area. I highly recommend this tour and especially this guide!! Rika is the best!!

We absolutely loved this tour with our amazing guide Kyoko. She was so knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging! The tour was a great length with lots of information, and the tasting was fun and plenty. It was great to be in the traditional sake neighborhood of Fushimi, and we also enjoyed exploring it before the tour. Would definitely recommend!

An excellent introduction to Sumo! Very informative and entertaining. The included lunch prepared by the sumo wrestlers is delicious, and the show is fabulous (and interactive if you’re brave enough to take on an ex-professional sumo wrestler!). We also had the opportunity to ask any questions we had, and to take photos with the wrestlers at the end of the session.

Amazing experience. The host explains the historical significance of the ceremony and explains the key portions of the ritual. She also highlighted things that we would be doing different for our ceremony (due to the nature of it being a tourist event versus a traditional ceremony) and gave us ample opportunities for photos.

An absolutely fun and amazing experience. If you are looking for an immersive activity to learn about Japanese Samurai culture and history then this is the place to go. The activities led by the instructor were well paced and very fun to do. He was absolutely brilliant with his instructions as well as his sense of humour and warmth towards us. The museum tour afterwards was also absolutely amazing. The guide did a phenomenal job of both entertaining and educating the visitors as we toured the exhibits. Honestly she would have made a phenomenal history teacher if she ever decided to become one! Visiting this museum is a huge reason why I have enjoyed my holiday to Japan thus far!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We absolutely loved YUCa’s cooking class and it may well end up being our favourite experience from our entire Japan trip. Yuca’s studio kitchen is beautifully set up — intimate, welcoming and clearly designed with love. Our class of six felt just the right size, and Yuca and her husband were both incredibly warm, hospitable and knowledgeable. The ramen and gyoza we made were genuinely delicious, and we left feeling confident enough to recreate them at home. We were travelling with our nine month old son and Yuca was wonderfully welcoming of him from the moment we arrived. She was happy for us to bring his pram up the stairs so he could sit comfortably during the class, and she even made him his own little onigiri for lunch — such a sweet and thoughtful gesture that completely melted our hearts. It’s about an hour from Shinjuku but don’t let that put you off — it is absolutely worth every minute of the commute. And when you arrive, Yuca provides a sheet of local recommendations for sightseeing, cultural experiences and food nearby, which is such a thoughtful touch. We followed her suggestions and spent the afternoon at Yanaka Ginza and Ueno Park — a perfect way to round out the day and explore a part of Tokyo most tourists never see. Don’t hesitate, just book it. The experience, the food, the hospitality and the local knowledge Yuca shares make it exceptional value and a truly memorable way to connect with Japanese culture. Highly, highly recommended! 🍜🥟