Experiences

Grab an e-bike and ride into a refreshing and exhilarating exploration of Japan's satoyama (rural areas where the foothills and farmlands overlap), the roots of its thriving in history, nature and community. Swing by wellsprings before enjoying a delectable lunch of Hoba-zushi, a local Hida cuisine, at Sakurano Park. The blossoms of the approximately 300 cherry trees are especially magnificent in spring. Next is Ankoku-ji Temple (northern Gifu’s only national treasure, a storehouse preserving ancient Buddhist scriptures), having tea at a traditional Japanese house, then taking in the vistas along the Araki River while cycling. The rare opportunity of spending time to chat with and connect with the locals, whether in the cozy atmosphere of a traditional Japanese home or during your cycling adventure, will surely be a memorable part of your journey. A part of the fee from this course will be donated to the communities overseeing the conservation of the local culture heritage. 

Wander into the winter wonderland wilderness of Hida Takayama through this private trekking tour in snowshoes, with the great Hida Choshi Falls (named after its likeness, a choshi - sake bottle) in its semi-frozen state, as a journey highlight. Once you've arrived at this magnificent, frosty sight, savor the hand-dripped gourmet coffee and tasty baked goodies personally prepared for you by a professional barista. You will be accompanied by a main guide - an experienced nature guide and member of the Japan Mountain Guides Association with WAFA and LNT qualifications and a supporting guide who is also a barista as you safely journey through and learn all you can about the flora, fauna, and snow-covered landscapes of Nyukawa Town, Takayama City. Guides are fluent in English so you can freely chat and banter about along the way. Equipment rental is also available. Course difficulty can easily be adjusted to your preferences and experience, from first-timers to winter sports enthusiasts. Venture forth into Hida's snowy grand outdoors, soak up your natural surroundings and relax as you sip your hot coffee while beholding the gorgeous wintry sights laid bare before your very own eyes.

Immerse yourself in the grand outdoors of Hida Takayama through this gentle, leisurely summer hike through sparkling clear waters, flowing over a massive rock slab formed from volcanic activity thousands of years ago. Savor and learn all you can about nature's wonders from its terrain, flora, and fauna, stopping for a break to enjoy hand-dripped gourmet coffee and tasty baked goodies personally prepared for you by a professional barista. Look forward to a wholesome lunch of sandwiches and soup made from ingredients locally sourced. You will be accompanied by an experienced nature guide and member of the Japan Mountain Guides Association with WAFA and LNT qualifications as you journey through the Soredani mountain stream, tucked away in between Nyukawa Town and Kamitakara Town in Takayama City. Get OFF THE GRID, away from the hustle and bustle of city life and digital connection, as you relax and soak up your wonderful natural surroundings, from the peaceful rippling of the mountain stream, to the melodic harmonies of the wild birds as you sip your gourmet hand-dripped coffee personally made for you.

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.

Fish for Gifu's renowned ayu (sweetfish), and one of Japan's finest, using a traditional method tried and tested by time! Presenting the tomozuri (live decoy fishing) style, which you will be introduced to through training videos in a lesson before putting it to practice fishing using live sweetfish as bait in the Nagara River with support from a professional guide. While tomozuri usually requires expensive specialized fishing gear, you will have free rental of the necessary equipment. Then, dig in to the freshly caught wild sweetfish, salted and grilled. Enjoy its mouth-watering taste and compare it to that of the locally farmed ayu. Ayu rice will also be served. Discover the goodness of "Ayu of the Nagara River System," a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).

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 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.