Experiences

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 a historical 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!

Breath in deep. Relax. Take in the sights, scents, sounds of your natural environment covered in lush greenery, filled with the fresh, earthy aroma of a forest cherished throughout the ages. Focus on the here and now, as you immerse yourself in this shinrinyoku (forest bathing) course that reconnects you to the roots of restoration in the quiet and stillness of your surroundings. Shinrinyoku specialists will aid you in gently awakening your senses through activities of mindfulness, allowing you to commune deeply with nature, resetting your mind and body, making space for holistic healing. Knowledgeable local guides will take you off the beaten track to a nearby shrine and a legendary lake as they give you insights into the significant bond between the local Japanese people and the environment. Welcome profound revival.

Step right through the doors of a popular restaurant into a realm of delicious culinary possibilities! Create your ultimate, mouth-watering gyoza (Japanese dumplings) with this cooking lesson filled with expertise, humor, and cheer from gyoza expert, Chef Suzuki, using ingredients sourced from Takayama. From the classic, with fillings like Hida beef and Hida pork, to vegetable gyoza, and special variations like the rose-shaped gyoza dubbed by the media as "too pretty to eat", there's an almost endless variety of gyoza offered in this popular gyoza specialty restaurant. International tourists in snaking queues outside this restaurant are a common sight. Skip the wait, sign up for the cooking lesson of a lifetime and experience the local Japanese culture for yourself, from the art of preparing your edible masterpiece to savoring tasty food with fun-filled company, one delectable gyoza at a time.

Step into the shoes of a sake brewer! Get an exclusive taste of the magic that goes into the sake brewing process and how it differs to that of beer and wine with the help of a knowledgeable kurabito (brewery worker). With guidance from them, put rice through steps like polishing, steaming, molding, pressing, and more until it transforms into the liquid ambrosia recognized and valued worldwide for its sublime tastes. A local guide will also be with you to ensure that nothing gets lost in translation, making the very most of your sake brewery experience. There are slight variations in course content depending on the season. This course takes place during the sake brewing season from October to March.

Beat the sweltering heat and humidity of summer with this invigorating, thrilling, and wildly popular seasonal activity! Breathe in the fresh air and wade upstream through the refreshingly cool and clear running waters of the Kijiya Valley in the Nyukawa River in this shower climbing course about a 30-minute drive from the city centre of Takayama, Japan's largest city by area - 90% of which consists of forests filled with nature's abundance. This course includes an accompanying guide to help with navigation of the terrain, transportation between Kijiya Valley and Takayama, as well as rental wetsuits, ensuring convenience and safety for everyone. Elementary school children of 100cm or taller in height can also join, making this activity a great choice for families. Bask in the wonders of the great outdoors as you soak in cooling waters and enjoy summer to your heart's content.

Chop, simmer, and boil your way to making tasty seasonal culinary delights in the local way using ingredients such as Hida beef, Hida vegetables and seafood from the Hokuriku region, with a huge Japanese machiya (townhouse) built 200 years ago in an old merchant town as a very special setting. Tour the townhouse and and observe its elegant architectural styles and furnishings, featuring prized Takayama crafts such as Shunkei lacquerware and Shibukusa-yaki ware. Listen to stories of the rich history behind these traditional crafts while you are served food piping hot on fine tableware lovingly passed down from many generations prior. Enjoy friendly chats and banter with the owners of the townhouse while they share tales about Japanese traditions and the local history as everyone digs into the delicious meals prepared together, just like a Japanese home party - truly a priceless moment of connection to be had on your Japan travels.

Welcome to the tasty culinary world of Hida Takayama! Featuring the mouth-wateringly rich and earthy flavors cultivated deep in the heart of the mountains, prepared using the very best of nature's bounty. Start with a refreshing serving of complimentary Hida apple juice, before cooking and making delicious regional dishes and onigiri (riceballs) with the guidance of a local cook, using fresh ingredients from the Hida region and other areas in Gifu Prefecture. While certain ingredients may be sourced from other prefectures depending on seasonal and weather conditions, the unique flavors of the regional dishes will be maintained. End your cooking and dining session with dessert, featuring tochimochi - traditional sweets made from Japanese horse chestnuts and ricecakes. As you finish your course, hear of tales behind the history and setting of how the bitter Japanese horse chestnut found its place on the dining table of Japanese households, along with other stories highlighting the natural features of Hida, as well as its illustrious past. If requested beforehand, Hida beef can be swapped out for substitutes like Hida pork and buri (Japanese yellowtail) from Toyama. This fish has been long enjoyed as a delicacy in the area along the Etchu Highway - so much so it's also called the Buri Highway. 

Unravel the threads of Hida Takayama's culture steeped in history and cultivated in centuries of relative isolation, as you visit its key locations accompanied by a local guide in this popular walking tour. Begin from the famous Takayama Historical District, with its traditional architecture made from the artisanal carpentry skills of the Hida master craftsmen, with streets that retain the look and feel of a time from centuries past, then walk across the prominent vermillion Nakabashi Bridge - part of a well-loved and known part of Hida Takayama. Moving on, you'll be encounter the venerable Takayama Jinya (also known as the Takayama Historical Government House), established as the center of politics in the Hida region during the Edo period and the only remaining facility of its kind in Japan, and the Jinya-mae Morning Markets in front selling a variety of folk crafts, local produce and sweets, with opportunities to mingle with the locals. Try delicious local Takayama snacks like "midarashi dango", before walking towards the Hida Kokubun-ji Temple and beholding for your very own eyes a place reputed to be the finest ancient temple in the Hida region. 

Rediscover fine dining done the way of the samurai with the Sowaryu Honzen Kuzushi and the Sowaryu-style tea ceremony still thriving well even to this day in Hida Takayama, a town famous for its well-established traditional crafts and historical districts. The Sowaryu-style tea ceremony was founded about 400 years ago by Shigechika “Sowa” of the Kanamori family that ruled the Hida-Takayama domain and passed down primarily through temples in Takayama. It left an indelible mark on the culture of Kyoto as a warrior-style tea ceremony practiced in various places from the gardens of Ohara Town's Sanzenin Temple to the tea rooms of Kinkakuji. Prepared in the refined spirit of the tea ceremony is the Sowaryu Honzen, a kaiseki course said to date back from the late Edo-period, popular with the samurai class, and a rare luxury that very few restaurants continue to offer nationwide. While it originally features a staggering array of 30 dishes, the Sowaryu Honzen Kuzushi (simplified) course lunch instead showcases a selection of 11 dishes expertly put together from an abundance of fresh, local ingredients with a profound sense of aesthetics reflected in its presentation, tableware, and dining ettiquette. After finishing your sumptuous meal, you will then be transported to the long-established Nobato Chaho where you will learn about the differences between the tea ceremonies held by the merchant class and that of the samurai class, and enjoy Japanese sweets with usucha ("thin tea" - usually used for tea ceremony). Taste and see the beauty in the silence and ceremony through the way of the samurai.

Delve deep and engage with two integral practices of bushido, the way of the samurai, thriving well even to this day in Hida Takayama, a city well-known for its traditional crafts and historical merchant districts. The first featured through this course is the Sowaryu-style of tea ceremony, founded about 400 years ago by Shigechika “Sowa” of the Kanamori family that ruled the Hida-Takayama domain. Passed down primarily through temples in Takayama, this warrior-style left an indelible mark on the culture of Kyoto, influencing the tea ceremonies held in various locations from the gardens of Ohara Town's Sanzenin Temple to the tea rooms of Kinkakuji. Discover what it's like for yourself by joining a Sowaryu-style tea ceremony, and enjoy Japanese sweets with usucha ("thin tea" - usually used for tea ceremonies) while you learn about the differences between the tea ceremonies held by the merchant class and that of the samurai class. After that, it's time for a change of clothes and pace for iaido! You'll put on kimono and hakama, before moving to the Emaden (shrine building where votive picture tablets are hung). Calm and steady your heart as a hanshi (master instructor) of the Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu Iaido, one of the two most widely practiced schools of iaido in Japan, guides you through a series of kata (form, movement), such as battou (sword-drawing), kobo (attack and defense), noto (sword-sheathing). You will receive a certificate of completion upon finishing the iaido activity. From the calm and graceful steps of the tea ceremony, to the swift and powerful moves of iaido, walk the paths of righteousness the way the samurais did in the spirit of bushido.