Experiences

Go beneath the surface, right into the heart of the hidden gems of the Hida Region, with a guide familiar with the insides and outs of the area, helping you uncover not just the usual tourist locations, but the local, cultural spots and eateries only the locals know of. Start from Hida Takayama, to Hida City, to the World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-go Village, and finally, the famous hot springs of Gero City in this special day-long tour with a private guide, made convenient and very accessible by car. Customize various parts of the tour such as stops and activities based on your preferences.

Enter the sanctuary of the Hakusan Shinko (Hakusan Faith), which began at the foot of Mount Hakusan, one of Japan's three holy mountains alongside Mount Fuji and Mount Tateyama. Discover its history at the Hakusan Culture Museum, then move to the Nagataki Hakusan-jinja Shrine, where your guide will show you the ins and outs of correct etiquette when visiting a shrine, and walk you through powerspots and local sites of Important Cultural Properties of Japan. 

A valuable opportunity to experience a formal worship ceremony awaits you at the worship hall. Step up to the stage, normally off-limits to visitors, and receive blessings dedicated solely to you by the chief Shinto priest of the shrine. After that, you will receive a traditional goshuin (red seal), featured in a Taiga (historical) drama, as a memorable token of your journey. 

Take on this very special hands-on tour of the factory behind the highly sought-after and constantly sold-out premium, cemented carbide kitchen knives - a first in Japan, right here in Gifu! Watch the production process, help with sharpening and testing blades. After the tour, create your very own original pocketknife by affixing the cemented carbide (said to be the hardest material next to diamond) blade to the handle, made of wood produced in Gifu. For lunch, enjoy an enticing serving of Hida beef miso sukiyaki with salad sliced and diced with KISEKI: knives at Hana, a restaurant in a traditional Japanese house. Share conversations with the owner of the restaurant, who can vouch for the many excellent features of the KISEKI: knives, adding a little something to your visit.

Invigorate your senses as you experience the way of life in the mountains of Hida Furukawa, and how it connects and blesses people across generations. Visit the Hida no Takumi Bunkakan (Takumikan Craft Museum) and learn of the exceptional skills and works of the local master craftsmen, walk around the old town of stone temples and great white-walled storehouses with a canal, home to 1,000 brilliant carp of many colors, join a local sake brewery tour, try out a herb-mixing activity and feast on a tasty, healthy meal made with local herbs. This place of hidden treasures is only about a 30-minute car ride from popular destination, Takayama. 

Enter the sanctuary of the Hakusan Shinko (Hakusan Faith), and encounter the spiritual culture of Japan from ancient times as you make your pilgrimage in honorable shiroshozoku (white robes). Discover the rich history between faith and nature at the Hakusan Culture Museum, then move to the Nagataki Hakusan-jinja Shrine, where a guide will show you the ins and outs of correct etiquette when visiting a shrine and praying. 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 Faith at the Hakusan Chukyo-jinja Shrine, the main place of worship for Hakusan followers, before treading stone steps that will lead you to the Itoshiro Osugi - a great, sacred cedar tree of 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.

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 Gifu's expert photographer, Atsushi Kobayashi! Enjoy lunch and then, a soak in a private rotenburo (open-air bath) while you take in the grand scenery of nearby Gifu Castle and Mount Kinka from a different viewpoint at Hotel Park, a ryokan with an illustrious history of 130 years. Look forward to a special menu highlighting local specialties and Gifu’s history such as the prized salt-grilled sweetfish and sarasa salmon, with dishes inspired by the cuisine that the local fishermen dined on and more! (Optional) There are also riceballs and the Shokado refreshments available for those who prefer a lighter meal. 
 

All the world's a stage, and this one has a role with your name on it! Check out one of Gifu's treasured local specialties,  ji-kabuki, or country kabuki, distinct from other types of kabuki for its down-to-earth atmosphere and strong connection to the local community. Get up close and personal with the local kabuki troupe, take in the sights, sounds, and stories of the stage and even put on the kumadori make-up yourself as you prepare to act in your very own role in a kabuki play right here in the Kashimo Meiji-za theatre, a designated Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Gifu Prefecture established in 1894. Enjoy a specially prepared wariko bento (Japanese lunchbox) after your visit! Then, take a trip to Tsukiji Gorge, a valley tucked away in a fragrant canopy of Kiso cypress, and walk along the stunningly emerald waters of the Tsukechi River flowing from the snowmelt of venerable Mount Ontake. No time to waste - the stage and nature await!

Step into the daring domain of the Japan’s historical warriors with this travel plan featuring sword forging, iai-jutsu (sword drawing), Zen history, philosophy and meditation embodied by the samurai spirit. The best part is experiencing it all firsthand - start by watching the sparks fly up close as master bladesmith Fujiwara Kanemasa puts tried and trusted techniques to astounding work, hammer the steel fashioned into a blade at the workshop of the Cutler SANSYU / Seki Hamono Museum, before calming your heart and mind with Zazen meditation amidst the tranquil surroundings of the Ryutai-ji Temple, and finally, witness the swift but deadly motions of iai-jutsu with a genuine katana on the temple grounds. Unleash the fighter in you.

Take in the marvelous sights along the pristine Nagara River, one of Japan's three clearest rivers as you e-bike for about 70km from Gujo Hachiman to Gifu City, surrounded by abundant nature, history, and local culture. Stop by popular destinations like the Udatsu Wall Historical District of Mino City, Gifu’s Great Buddha, Kogane Shrine and the Seki Hamono Museum, where you get to not only observe a traditional sword smithing demonstration, but also hammer a katana the way it's been done for centuries at the workshop of renowned bladesmith Fujiwara Kanefusa, whose family has been crafting swords for the Tokugawa family from the Muromachi Period for generations. Truly an exclusive experience! This course is recommended for those staying overnight in Gujo City and are planning to travel southwards the day after. Luggage will be delivered separately to your destination, further adding to your convenience with light and easy travel.

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