From Sake Breweries and Silk Factories to Culinary Workshops, Martial Arts, and Spiritual Experiences, embrace local Japanese culture and craftsmanship through one of our unique private experiences.
On this private sea-to-table culinary adventure tour, fish, fry, flambe, and feast your way through the bounty of the Sanriku fishing grounds just off the coast of Ishinomaki.
After a tour of the famous Shiogama tuna auction and purchasing fish at the nearby wholesale market, learn from a local chef how to work with multiple types of Japanese knives to prepare rolled and nigiri sushi by hand with fresh ingredients from Miyagi.
Located conveniently in the heart of Yamagata City, create your own Japanese soba from scratch with the guidance of veteran soba masters.
Shojin ryori, is an ancient cuisine found on the Dewa Sanzan Mountains developed by the Yamabushi mountain monks with a storied history dating back over 1,400 years from when these sacred mountains were first opened.
Experience an indispensable element of Japanese holidays: mochi-pounding. Using a traditional mallet and mortar, pound mochi rice into this staple chewy morsel, and then enjoy the result as part of a delicious local dish.
Catch your own fish or shop for some at a local market, then watch or work alongside as a professional Japanese chef prepares it.
Experience life in rural Japan with an overnight farmstay experience in Yamagata.
In this cooking workshop based in Yamagata city, you will learn how to prepare a local style of tofu with Yamagata soybeans from start to finish.
At old-fashioned sweets shop Kurikomaya in the Muikamachi neighborhood of Kurihara City, learn from the shop owner how to make taiyaki sweets, then try your hand at making one yourself.
Visit the vast rice fields of Yamagata Prefecture, meet the farmers and chefs behind what is widely regarded as Japan’s top commercially produced brand of rice, and learn to properly prepare rice in this exclusive experience.
Learn how to make Yamagata’s soul food, Imoni. Start from the local market and then learn from a Japanese chef how to prepare and cook this delicious food.
Founded in 1897 (Meiji 30), Kichimi Seimen has faithfully preserved the traditional techniques and spirit of Umen-making.
During the factory tour, you can witness the noodle-making process up close, where manual craftsmanship and modern machinery coexist in harmony.
Experience the fruit kingdom of Yamagata Prefecture. Meet a Yamagata farmer and visit their orchard to harvest fresh fruit, then head to a cocktail bar where the bartender will craft an original cocktail or mocktail just for you.
Forage wild sansai vegetables on the slopes of Mount Haguro alongside yamabushi mountain monks, then use them to cook shojin ryori dishes.
After watching a live demonstration by a local washoku chef, participants will learn about kitchen knives and experience the difference in ease of slicing before and after sharpening. After that, participants will prepare sushi and sashimi to savor for lunch.
Learn how to prepare nigiri and rolled sushi under the guidance of a master chef in the heart of Yamagata City.
This June 1st – July 15th program offers an opportunity to experience “Sho-Aizome,” one of Japan’s oldest indigo dyeing techniques, passed down in the Monji area of Kurikoma, Kurihara City.
Experience Japan’s traditional sericulture (silkworm farming) in Marumori Town, Miyagi Prefecture, once renowned for a prosperous silk industry. Through exchanges with local farmers and artisans, you can enjoy a variety of hands-on activities related to silkworms and silk.
Make a fan using Shiroishi washi paper, a traditional product of Shiroishi City that is registered as a “Traditional Craft of Miyagi Prefecture.” Each piece of washi paper is hand-dyed, making your fan strong, durable, and entirely unique.
This hands-on experience offers the rare opportunity to help construct the floats which are paraded up and down the streets during the summer Kurikoma Festival in Miyagi, Japan.
Swordsmith Norizane Miyagi has been making swords for 45 years, continuing to refine his skills even to this day. At his workshop, receive a demonstration and explanation of the steps involved in sword making, try your hand at some smithing yourself, and view some genuine samurai swords in a private showing.
The kokeshi doll, born in the Tohoku region first as a toy, took on new life as an item travelers visiting the hot springs of the region would take back with them as a souvenir. In this experience, paint your own original kokeshi doll using the same kind of brushes and electric lathe the artisans themselves do.
Founded in 1897 (Meiji 30), Kichimi Seimen has faithfully preserved the traditional techniques and spirit of Umen-making.
During the factory tour, you can witness the noodle-making process up close, where manual craftsmanship and modern machinery coexist in harmony.
Zasu Pottery is one of the few remaining anagama (traditional wood-fired kilns) in the Tohoku region, continuing the tradition of producing unglazed, natural-fired pottery. Tour the old-style anagama kiln while listening to explanations from the pottery master.
See the tuna auction and morning market of Shiogama through this locally guided day trip from Sendai. This tour incudes lunch.
On this private tour of Kanenoi Sake Brewery, visit an incredible natural water source and go behind-the-scenes of this women-owned sake brewery in Miyagi Prefecture. Afterwards, delight in the subtle flavors of this incomparable sake in a guided a tasting session with one of the sake makers.
In the Meiji (1868–1912) and Taisho (1912–1926) periods, the Wakayanagi area of Kurihara flourished thanks to the production of Wakayanagi jiori, a traditional cotton textile. On this exclusive factory tour, see a one-of-a-kind loom and learn from a 3rd generation craftsman how a local Miyagi fabric is made.
Spend the night in a mountain lodge in Yamagata and kayak in a submerged forest as the sun rises for an incredible outdoor experience.
Coming to Tohoku? Try one of these three off-the-beaten-path active experiences you can easily go for a day trip from Sendai City.
At Oku-Matsushima, a scenic spot rivaling Matsushima in both beauty and the freshest seafood, experience seaside horseback riding (including underwater riding during summer only).
Embrace the hobby sweeping the masses: birdwatching. The Izunuma-Uchinuma wetlands are one of the wintering grounds frequented by the migratory waterfowl that come to Japan each winter. Contemplate the relationship between man and nature as you observe waterfowl rising from their roosts in the early morning and returning at dusk.
Mt. Kurikoma Area Geopark, located around Mt. Kurikoma, features a rich and diverse natural environment. On this guided hike, learn the story of how people in the region have lived through and overcome numerous natural disasters, including earthquakes and floods.
Embark on a winter spiritual hike to experience Shugendo culture and nature in Yamagata. Escape from your busy daily life, and spend some quiet time reflecting on yourself on a mountain where prayers have continued for 1300 years.
Around the end of May, rice fields of the Okitama region are filled with water. This hike aims to see the sunrise colors the surface of the rice fields and scattered villages below and travel to the summit of Mt. Kumano.
Kayak through the submerged forests of Yamagata in the dams of Iide high up in mountains during the spring time.
The Hanagasa Festival is the largest festival in Yamagata City where thousands of dancers fill the streets.
Enjoy the scenic beauty of Miyagi’s Sagakei Gorge from a boat while listening to the captain’s commentary on this adventurous voyage.
The Uesugi Festival commemorates the samurai clan who once ruled Yonezawa. The main event is a reenactment of the Battle of Kawanakajima. Join the fight as a member of the Takeda or Uesugi forces in a special one-day tour.
Enjoy a tranquil river cruise through the Geibikei Gorge, one of the most beautiful places in Japan, in a boat propelled by an oarsman maneuvering it with a single long pole.
Leave the car behind and explore the wide open plains of Yamagata Prefecture on a guided cycling tour.
Enjoy a private performance of the Yatsu Shika Odori deer dance, a folk performing art from the Kurihara Ichihasama area with a 400-year history, which has been registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Miyagi Prefecture.
Experience the symbiosis of horses, the forest, and the land in this unique hands-on agricultural experience in Miyagi, Japan.
Swordsmith Norizane Miyagi has been making swords for 45 years, continuing to refine his skills even to this day. At his workshop, receive a demonstration and explanation of the steps involved in sword making, try your hand at some smithing yourself, and view some genuine samurai swords in a private showing.
Step into the world of samurai warriors and feel the spirit of history as you become a Sengoku warlord for a day at Shiroishi castle, Miyagi.
The Uesugi Festival commemorates the samurai clan who once ruled Yonezawa. The main event is a reenactment of the Battle of Kawanakajima. Join the fight as a member of the Takeda or Uesugi forces in a special one-day tour.
Observe the sophisticated techniques of Yagyu Shingan-ryu sword style in action on the Mori Butai Stage at the Tome City Dento Geino Densho-kan, then try out some of the techniques for yourself.
Experience Iaido, a traditional sword-based martial art, at the very place it was founded: Iai Shrine in Yamagata Prefecture.
Experience what it felt like to be a retainer of the castle town of the Sendai Date clan. You will have the opportunity to try out drawing a real sword, which is something you don’t usually get to do, and try out tea at the Zangetsu-tei teahouse, where you will experience the mindset of a samurai.
A guided hike up the 2,446 stone steps of holy Mount Haguro, with a lunch of Dewa Sanzan shojin ryori mountain monk cuisine.
The Gyo Experience: Join yamabushi monks for traditional spiritual training at a waterfall on Mount Yudono of the Dewa Sanzan.
In this private experience, make a night visit to Zuihoden, the mausoleum of Date Masamune, the samurai who built the foundation of Sendai. After a special viewing of the main hall, enjoy a performance of Japanese musical instruments in a solemn atmosphere, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the experience at this remarkable place.
Featuring a goma fire ritual at a Tendai temple as a highlight, this is an ideal cycling tour for those interested in holistic health.
Rinnoji Temple, which has one of the best gardens in the Tohoku region, offers a private tour and immersion in Japanese culture as you learn about the history of Rinnoji Temple and Zen culture. After a prayer and zazen experience, enjoy a meal of shojin ryori.
Experience being a miko, a shrine maiden, for a day at a largely revered shrine. Wear traditional miko clothing, learn about shintoism, create your own lucky amulet and participate in a formal
ceremony, then enjoy a local lunch.
Immerse yourself fully in Japanese cultural arts with a tea ceremony experience. Learn how to properly prepare ceremonial matcha from a master of the urasenke school in a purpose-built tea ceremony room. After, be introduced to the various purpose made tools and utensils of this aristocratic art.
Experience the wonders and history of this legendary temple complex with a professional and skilled English guide.
Venture into the nature of Yamagata with yamabushi mountain monks along their ancient training paths on Mount Kinbo.
Embark on a winter spiritual hike to experience Shugendo culture and nature in Yamagata. Escape from your busy daily life, and spend some quiet time reflecting on yourself on a mountain where prayers have continued for 1300 years.
