Experiences

Heaven meets earth in this course featuring the fascinating, centuries-long, deep-rooted local culture of medicinal herbs and the cultivation of the prized "Koraicha" tea variety in verdant terraced fields high up in the skies of the Kamigare District of Kasuga - examples of the bountiful blessings overflowing from the natural environment of Mount Ibuki, one of Japan's hundred famous mountains. With help and support from the Kasuga community members, learn of the different scents and shapes of herbs, as well as ways of handling them as you make your own blend using knowledge originating from as early as the Heian period, and using rare medicinal herbs that were said to have been established on Mount Ibuki by Oda Nobunaga himself. Next, see the vast, lush fields of "Gifu's Machu Picchu" with your very own eyes. This "Tea Plantation of the Heavens" is home to quality tea grown from the seed without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, carefully hand-picked and hand-rubbed. Nourishment from the mountain soil and the large temperature differences of day and night results in delicious tea with rich fragrance and clear flavor. Savor the beauty and the bounty of the mountains and the heavens here, through the natural wonders of medicinal herbs and tea.

Take the road less traveled - dotted with fresh, gushing springs and paved in epic history blending seamlessly into the present here in Ogaki. Stroll around this city of deep, understated beauty, which flourished as both a post town and a castle town on the Tokaido Highway during the Edo period, and you‘ll be quick to find vestiges of a bygone era sketched into its visage - from the boats ambling down in its river canals, to the sturdy remains of an old lighthouse and port, and the large storehouses that house elaborate festival floats. One can also easily find numerous, famous sites of natural spring water around the area, living up to its name, the “City of Water” from days of old. Delight in the fresh verdure of the cherry trees lining the banks of the Suimon River, the sight of the iconic red Sumiyoshi Bridge, the soughing of the lone weeping willow gently swaying in the wind as ducks and black carp swim idly by while you follow the footsteps of unparalleled haiku poet, Matsuo Basho at the final stop of his major journey on foot, and a setting from his masterpiece - Oku no Hosomichi, (often translated as The Narrow Road to the Deep North).

Try your hand at traditional crafts like mizu-manju (sweet water mochi) making and masu (wooden box) making, with steps inspired by techniques used in tasks like water transportation and sake brewing from the past, cultivated by the region’s abundance in water. Experience it all for yourself here, where folk tales are born of, that speak of the intimate connection between the lives of the local people and the sustenance afforded by water. Let your worries drift away as you soak in the goodness of life here at the Water Capital, rivers undulating like poetry in motion.

Relive the day on which Japan's history was forever changed by its largest, most tumultuous and most decisive battle, fought on the grounds of Sekigahara (also one of the world's three major ancient battlefields) in the year 1600. See with your own eyes and tour the very areas ventured by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, and his opponent, Ishida Mitsunari, as you discover the historical setting of the battle with weaponry and armory. Explore the Memorial Museum, featuring revolutionary technology in showcasing the details of main happenings and people of the battle, as well as exhibits both original and models that you can touch and interact with. Equip yourself with Sengoku armor and weapons, before making your way around the remains of Ishida's base camp and taking commemorative photos. Choose between a lunch of delicious Udon with tempura (in either Eastern or Western-styled broth), and Sukiyaki made from famous Omi beef. Turn back time and imagine yourself fighting to the very finish, joining in actions of bravery or perhaps, treachery, in the greatest samurai battle of all - the Battle of Sekigahara.

Harvest tea leaves and stroll through the lush, verdant tea fields at an altitude of 300 metres, at the Kamigare Tea Plantation in Kasuga Village, Ibigawa Town - a little-known region dubbed "Gifu's Machu Picchu" on social media. Take home processed tea leaves with a gentle, sweet aroma ready for brewing as a souvenir of your sojourn. Please note that due to time constraints the tea leaves you will be bringing home are different to the ones from your harvest. For lunch, look forward to a delicious and wholesome meal made from Ibi medicinal herbs unique to Kasuga Village - the village of medicinal herbs, cultivated at the foot of Mount Ibuki from days of old and fresh, local Mino vegetables. Next, head to a historical temple, a destination along the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage route, Japan’s oldest pilgrimage route with about 1,300 years of history. Experience the legendary and the spiritual for yourself as you make your way along this sacred path, and learn of yet another, separate way through the "kaidan meguri" ritual (the practice of going down to the basement of the main hall of the temple to search for a lock in complete darkness).