Cuisine and Culture in Kaminoyama and Yamagata
Delight in the Culinary Culture of Yamagata
On this three night, four day gastronomy tour, explore Yamagata’s traditional and modern food culture in Yamagata city and Kaminoyama. Meet local farmers and other producers, chefs, restaurants, and restaurants to experience, interact, and deeply enjoy all facets of this region’s incredible cuisine. This one-of-a-kind experiential tour is for gourmets, gourmands, and all who want to deeply learn about and enjoy the unique food culture of the region, as well as the history and local characteristics behind it.
Tour at a glance
Inclusions:
- All lodging and accommodation fees
- Breakfast on days 2 through 4
- Lunch on Days 1-4
- Dinner on Days 1-3
- On-trip remote support via WhatsApp or other instant messaging service
- English-speaking interpreter-guide
- Transportation between accommodations and most scheduled activities
- Soba, Matcha, and Wasabi Workshops
- Maiko Performance
- Bar Hopping Tour
- Onsen Ryokan Stay
- Farm Tour
- Koto Lesson
- Guided Hike of Yamadera
Exclusions:
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Admission fees to attractions during self-guided time
- Food and drink in addition to the prix fixe meals included as part of the package
- Optional extensions or customizations to trip
- Other items not explicitly listed as included
We can also provide the following options for an additional fee:
- Add-ons to the tour
- Interpretation in languages other than English
Minimum number of participants
2 (Solo travellers may book, but the price will be greater!)
Cost
From ¥660,000 (per person, based an estimated group of 2)
Tour Length
4 days, 3 nights
Tour availability
Year-round, though weather may impact availability of some experiences.
Tour Start/End Location
Kaminoyama Station
Important notes
Dietary Restrictions:
Day 1: Arrival
Day 1 Tour Highlights
Arrive in Yamagata via a morning Shinkansen. For lunch, enjoy a soba making workshop and lunch near the station before being taken via private charter vehicle to a local farm or winery, depending on the season, for a tour and tasting of locally produced wine or fruits. After, check into your luxurious onsen ryokan accommodations for the the next three days. Enjoy a delicious traditional Japanese kaiseki dinner and natural hot spring bath to end your first day on-tour.
Day 2: Mountains, Streams, and City Scenes
Day 2 Tour Highlights
After breakfast at your ryokan accommodations, be spirited away to the stunning mountainside Buddhist temple complex of Risshaku-jin Temple, or Yamadera. Learn about the history of this incredible architectural and spiritual wonder from a knowledgeable local guide on a guided tour, before enjoying a hot or cold soba lunch at a family-run shop that has been here for generations. After lunch, make your way to the heart of Yamagata farmland to learn about and pick your own fresh wasabi, fed by crystal clear streams, with a local farmer. In the late afternoon, enjoy a stroll around Yamagata city center, from the art pieces near the station to the historic Bunshokan museum. Dinner this evening will be Yamagata wagyu, some of the most delicious beef in the country, with your wasabi on the side, cooked directly at your table at an incredible local restaurant. Finish your day back at the onsen ryokan with a long soak in your private bath.
Day 3: Matcha, Music, and Maiko
Day 3 Tour Highlights
Enjoy breakfast at your accommodations. After breakfast, return to Yamagata City for a one-of-a-kind experience: a private koto lesson from a professional musician, followed by a tea ceremony experience where you will have the chance to whish your own traditional matcha!
Afterwards, experience the finer things in life with a private maiko performance and multi-course traditional Japanese kaiseki meal at an exclusive ryotei restaurant in the heart of the city which was founded in 1897.
In the afternoon enjoy a guided tour of Yamagata, including a visit to a sake brewery, before heading to Zao Michi no eki Roadside Station to do some serious souvenir shopping. For dinner, experience life like a local with either an izekaya or okonomiyaki restaurant experience (complete with translator guide!).
Return once more to your onsen ryokan accommodations for a final relaxing evening.
Day 4: Kaminoyama Castle and Cuisine
Day 4 Tour Highlights
After breakfast, visit Kaminoyama Castle, a reconstruction of the original which was destroyed. Enjoy a visit to this incredible local museum, before heading off to visit some of the intact samurai houses which overlook it. For lunch, enjoy a macrobiotic tour-de-force lunch at a local cafe, followed by some of their delectable in-house sweets. Afterwards, continue your travels in Japan wherever they may take you!
Reservations
You can send a booking inquiry below. After we receive your inquiry, we will confirm if we can accommodate your group and tour dates and contact you from there.
Cancellation Policy
Our cancellation policy for this tour is below.
21 days or more before date of tour
No penalty
20 days to 8 days before date of tour
20% of total price
7 days to 2 days before date of tour
30% of total price
1 day before date of tour
40% of total price
Day of the tour
50% of total price
After start of tour or no-show
100% of total price
