Experiences

Go beneath the surface, right into the heart of the lesser known gems of the Hida Region, from Takayama City, to Hida City, to Shirakawa-go, and finally, Gero City in this special tour, made convenient and very accessible by car. 

Enter the sanctuary of the Hakusan Shinko (Hakusan Faith), originating from Mount Hakusan, one of Japan's Three Holy Mountains. Discover its history at the Hakusan Culture Museum, before moving on to the Nagataki Hakusan-jinja Shrine, the most important of all Hakusan shrines in Japan. A 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. You will also receive blessings from the chief Shinto priest during your visit. Goshuin (red seal) featured in a Taiga (historical) drama included.

Take on this very special hands-on tour of the factory behind the wildly popular (to the point it's especially hard to buy before it's sold out), high-grade, cemented carbide kitchen knives - a first in Japan! Watch the production process, help with sharpening and testing blades. After the tour, create your very own original pocket knife by affixing the cemented carbide (said to be the hardest material next to diamond) blade to the handle, made in Gifu Prefecture. You can also buy knives and sharpening stones. Lunch will be miso sukiyaki made with delicious Hida beef and salad, sliced and diced with KISEKI: knives at Hana, a restaurant in a traditional Japanese house.

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 detailed explanations and demonstrations of swordmaking by master bladesmiths, Zen history and philosophy embodied by the samurai spirit, and swift but deadly motions of iaigiri. The best part is experiencing it all firsthand - hammer the steel fashioned into a blade, calm your mind and heart with Zazen meditation, and learn about the correct way to wield a katana as the final blow is struck. Unleash the fighter in you.​

Take in the marvelous sights along the pristine Nagara River, one of the three clearest rivers in Japan, as you e-bike the approximately 70km course from Gujo Hachiman to Gifu City. Stop by popular destinations like the Udatsu Wall Historical District of Mino City, the Seki Hamono Museum, Gifu’s Great Buddha (one of Japan’s Three Great Buddha Statues), and Kogane Shrine. 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. 

Walk parts of the historical Nakasendo at Nakatsugawa-juku and go back in time to the Edo period. Then, stop by for a well-deserved break at Ichikawa-guricha in Komanba Town to enjoy some local refreshments like the delicious Kurukinton, a well-known Gifu traditional sweet made from chestnuts. Spend a moment traversing time and taste with a delightful range of Japanese tea and kurikinton here, just like the travelers of old.