Experiences

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.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Preserve precious moments into a series of everlasting wedding photos taken in the Japanese traditional town of timeless charms, Takayama. While both Japanese and Western wedding attires are available, you are more than welcome to bring your own traditional attires for the photoshoot. We customize this wedding photo plan to your preferences, from outfit combination choices like two sets of kimono in different colors, Japanese and Western attires, traditional clothing, and requests for specific locations in Takayama. Photoshoot locations feature well-known and loved sites in Hida Takayama, including its historical streetscapes, shrines, temples, and various buildings of the past fashioned from the master craftsmanship of Takayama carpenters. A guide will help you uncover the hidden gems of the area, further deepening your experience of your visit and photoshoot. This travel plan is highly recommended not just for newlyweds, but also for any couple looking to commemorate a special anniversary. Begin eternal memories of your wedded bliss right here, right now.

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.