Experiences

Invigorate your senses as you experience the way of life in Hida Furukawa - a fascinating and beautiful hidden gem without the throngs of tourists, only about a 30-minute car ride from Hida Takayama. Enjoy this day tour at a leisurely pace with travels by car accompanied by an English-speaking guide and a schedule chock-full of local specialties. Visit the Hida no Takumi Bunkakan (Takumikan Craft Museum) and learn of the exceptional local master craftsmen and their works, walk around the old town of great white-walled storehouses with a canal home to 1,000 brilliant carp of many colors, have a taste of a variety of sake brands exclusive to this tour from an award-winning local sake brewery, try out a herb-mixing activity and feast on a tasty, healthy meal made with local medicinal herbs. Hida City is considered a treasure trove of medicinal herbs with more than 245 varieties growing in the wild. Unsurprising, given that 90% of its expansive area consists of forests filled with nature's goodness. Herbs rich in minerals, though not classified as pharmaceuticals, are carefully selected and cooked into nourishing, delicious dishes. Learn of the wisdom behind life lived in harmony with nature here in the mountains of Japan as you create new, unforgettable memories of your stay in Gifu. 

Channel the pilgrims of old and follow their footsteps, embarking on your own day-long journey in honorable shiroshozoku (white robes) with staff in hand. Encounter the deeply divine and historical as you travel along a sacred route at the foot of Mount Hakusan, one of Japan's three holy mountains alongside Mount Fuji and Mount Tateyama, the origin of the Hakusan Shinko (Hakusan Faith), revered as a symbol of nature's abundance and Japan's spirituality. Discover the rich historical legacy of the Hakusan Faith at the Hakusan Culture Museum, then move to the Nagataki Hakusan-jinja Shrine, where a guide will show you the proper rituals for worship when visiting and praying at a shrine. Be astounded by an afternoon visit to the dynamic Amidaga Falls, one of Japan‘s top 100 waterfalls and a subject of a majestic ukiyo-e piece done by Katsushika Hokusai, a leading artist in Japan's Edo period. Next, draw close to the spiritual grounds of the Hakusan Chukyo-jinja Shrine, the main place of worship for Hakusan followers, before treading stone steps leading you to the Itoshiro Osugi - a great, sacred cedar tree of about 1800 years said to mark the beginning of the trail made by Taicho Daishi, the founder of Mount Hakusan. Enjoy a refreshingly delightful lunch of delicious nagashi somen near Amidaga Falls while rejuvenating your mind and body amidst nature's wonders. Finally, receive your hakui (the top half of your white robes), a tenugui (a handtowel), and a special goshuin (red seal) as treasured mementos of your spiritual sojourn. 

Take your very own awe-inspiring photo of Gifu Castle atop Mount Kinka with a supersized full moon as a magnificent backdrop, using only a smartphone at a photography course supervised by a local expert photographer. Before that, enjoy a delicious kaiseki lunch at a ryokan with an illustrious history of 130 years. Look forward to a menu inspired by the clear waters of Gifu, its local culture, and history, with dishes such as prized salt-grilled sweetfish, sarasa salmon, and ikadashi nabe - a recreation of the local fishermen’s stew. Riceballs and the Shokado refreshments are also available for those who prefer a lighter meal.  Then, take the ropeway to Gifu Castle and begin your exploration of the castle grounds with a guide. Consider the different compositions and timing for your photography as you learn of the history and culture of the castle. At the end of the photoshoot, you will be gifted a Gifu "Moon & Castle" Baumkuchen as a token of your travels. All this in a day of experiencing Gifu’s stunning sights and its countless wonders.

Walk the Nakatsugawa-juku post town along the historical Nakasendo with a guide, and go back in time to the Edo period, when travelers, merchants, and pilgrims made the journey between Edo (current-day Tokyo) and Kyoto. Along this route, a beloved treat was created in the homes of the countryside - the humble "Kurikinton". Commercialized during the Meiji period, it grew in popularity and became the signature sweet of Nakatsugawa.

Stop by a famous wagashi (traditional sweets) store for a well-deserved break to enjoy some local refreshments like the delicious "Kurukinton" with a delightful range of Japanese tea. To conclude, a local "Wagashi Navigator" will guide you through other local wagashi shops. Spend an unforgettable moment traversing time and taste, just like the travelers of old.

Draw ever closer to your beloved and deepen your mutual connection with a kimono wedding photoshoot far beyond the typical, here in the dreamy Japanese fairytale village and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shirakawa-go. Welcome the concept of "musubi", a profound and essential part of Japanese culture. With multiple meanings such as to tie, to bind, and to link, it also includes the act of bringing forth new creations from the connection between formerly separate entities. From the joining of two households through ceremonial vows in marriage, to the fated meeting between two individuals, and even in the visible representation shown in the tying the obi (sash) of a wedding kimono, “musubi” is ever-present in Japan. We warmly invite you to partake in a day of commemorating and celebrating your love in the context of “musubi” clad in resplendent wedding kimono with photos taken of your time in Shirakawa-go – a beloved village retaining the quaint beauty of the Japanese countryside. Photography will be done while adhering to the established rules and regulations when visiting Shirakawa-go, as well as responsible tourism guidelines. Throughout the photo shoot, an accompanying guide will introduce to you the wondrous scenery of Shirakawa-go along with captivating stories of the local people, culture, and more. Create new, eternal memories of romantic bliss, linking the present to the future as you experience the essence of traditional Japanese weddings through this exceptional photo shoot.

Get an exclusive look behind the scenes of the Takayama Festival, one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals featuring 23 gorgeously elaborate floats with an illustrious history of about 350 years. Repairs and preservation of the floats are maintained by the master craftsmen of the Hida region, called the "Hida no Takumi", esteemed for their exceptional skills and expertise nationwide, commissioned with repairs for temples, shrines, and festival equipment all over Japan to this very day.

As part of this tour, participants get to see the Takayama Festival floats up close, and gain special access to a craftman's workshop which is not usually open to the public. Your guide will accompany you to one of the following workshops of your choice and according the craftmen's schedule: shrine and temple carpentry, Hida Shunkei lacquerware, blacksmithing, Ichii itto (yew wood) carvings. Try crafting under the careful guidance of a master, or a take home a special gift made by them depending on your choice of workshop. Enjoy this exclusive opportunity to delve deep into the local culture of traditional crafting and carpentry, unavailable to independent travelers and standard tours.

Draw ever closer to your beloved and deepen your mutual connection with a kimono wedding photoshoot far beyond the typical, here in the Japanese traditional town of timeless charms, Hida Takayama. Welcome the concept of "musubi", a profound and essential part of Japanese culture. With multiple meanings such as to tie, to bind, and to link, it also includes the act of bringing forth new creations from the connection between formerly separate entities. From the joining of two households through ceremonial vows in marriage, to the fated meeting between two individuals, and even in the visible representation shown in the tying the obi (sash) of a wedding kimono, “musubi” is ever-present in Japan. We warmly invite you to partake in a day of commemorating and celebrating your love in the context of “musubi” clad in resplendent wedding kimono with photos taken of your time in Hida Takayama – a town of historical, wooden architecture and traditional streetscapes preserved for centuries. Throughout the photo shoot, an accompanying guide will introduce to you the picturesque scenery of Hida Takayama along with captivating stories of the local people, culture, and more. Create new, eternal memories of romantic bliss, linking the present to the future as you experience the essence of the traditional Japanese weddings through this exceptional photo shoot.

Introducing the world of green woodworking with natural and limitless potential of creativity. Fashion household items like spoons, butterknives, bowls and more from unseasoned wood recently harvested, as you learn about the strong bond between mountains and the people in the Hida region, and how it has shaped their life and work from the days of old. Take in the crisp scent of freshly shaved wood, and find enduring joy in creating a keepsake of your own making right in the heart of nature.

Introducing the world of green woodworking with natural and limitless potential of creativity. Visit the forest nearby the workshop and safely remove wood, then fashion household items like spoons, butterknives, bowls and more from recently harvested wood, as you learn about the strong bond between mountains and the people in the Hida region, and how it has shaped their life and work from the days of old. Take in the crisp scent of freshly shaved unseasoned wood, and find enduring joy in creating a keepsake of your own making right in the heart of nature. This Premium Course starts a visit at the forest nearby the workshop to safely remove wood, and includes a packed lunch.