Yonezawa Anime Special Interest Tour

Explore traditional culture through the lens of anime in rural Japan

Why Yonezawa?

Once ruled by the powerful Uesugi clan, a samurai family of great renown, Yonezawa is a quaint and peaceful city in northeastern Japan featuring spectacular scenery, deep history, and craftmanship handed down from generation to generation. Known for its sake brewing, traditional weaving, and top-quality wagyu beef, Yonezawa is a perfect getaway for an adventurous traveler looking to get off the beaten path and step into rural Japan. Experience the cultural riches and charm of countryside Japan in this hidden gem of a destination.

Special Interest Tour

Specially designed for fans of anime wanting to experience traditional Japan, this 3-day 2-night tour covers points of interest in Yonezawa, hands-on experiences with traditional crafts and arts, and a pilgrimage to locations featured in the 2024 anime film, My Oni Girl by highly-acclaimed Studio Colorido.

Tour at a glance

Inclusions:

All lodging and accommodation fees
Breakfast on Days 2, 3
Lunch on Days 1, 2
Dinner Day 1, 2
Transportation by private charter vehicle
English-speaking interpreter/guide
Admission fees to attractions during guided tour
Dyeing experience
Taiko drum experience
Sake brewery tour
Winery tour

Exclusions:

Travel insurance
Personal expenses and gratuities
Food and drink in addition to the prix fixe meals included as part of the package
Street food, souvenirs and cafe purchases during guided tours
Anything not explicitly listed as included

We can also provide the following options for an additional fee:

Minimum number of participants

From 2 participants

Maximum number of participants

Please inquire

Cost

From ¥225,000 (per person, based on estimate for group of 2)

Tour Length

3 Days, 2 Nights

Tour availability

Year-round, please inquire

Tour Start/End Location

Yonezawa Station/Takahata Station

Important notes

Dietary Restrictions:

Day 1: Yonezawa Walking Tour

Day 1 Tour Highlights

Arrive at Yonezawa Station to start your adventure in rural Japan. Meet up with your local guide, and take a private charter vehicle to drop your luggage off at the night’s hotel.

Head out for a walking tour of locations featured in Studio Colorido’s My Oni Girl. Start at the former site of Yonezawa castle, now a peaceful park featuring beautiful moats and historical sites associated with the powerful Uesugi samurai clan. Visit Uesugi Shrine (dedicated to the famous warrior ‘God of War’ Uesugi Kenshin) and wind your way around the movie locations.

Take a break for lunch in the picturesque former residence of an Uesugi clan lord. Enjoy a luxurious kaiseki meal crafted from local ingredients and a view of the Japanese garden.

After lunch continue your walking tour. Stop by shops and museums while you wander, and soak up the atmosphere of small-town Japan.

After finishing your exploration of the downtown and park areas, stop by a local restaurant for a delicious sukiyaki dinner featuring different cuts of top-quality Yonezawa wagyu beef. Enjoy some local sake with your meal.

Part with your guide, and relax in your accommodations—a stylish business hotel in a quiet location.

Day 2: Experience Traditional Arts

Day 2 Tour Highlights

Meet up with your guide again and head out for a light breakfast in the area, then onto another day of exploration and experiences.

Start with a fabric dyeing experience. Using techniques passed down in the area, dye an original handkerchief or ?/ under the instruction of a local, and learn about Yonezawa’s traditional weaving and dyeing culture.

Have a lunch of delicious soba noodles—a specialty of Yamagata Prefecture—at a local restaurant.

Move on to a taiko drum experience, where you can watch a demonstration by expert players and then try drumming yourself under their instruction.

After the drumming experience, take a tour of a sake brewery that has been in operation for over 400 years. Learn more about the production process and why sake from Yamagata Prefecture is so highly regarded. Do some tasting at the end of the tour!

Transfer to your accommodations for the night—a traditional onsen ryokan inn. Part with your guide and enjoy relaxation, dinner, and the onsen hot spring baths.

Day 3: Onsen and Takahata Town

Day 3 Tour Highlights

Take a lazy morning for breakfast and a last dip in the hot springs. Transfer to nearby Takahata Town, known for its grape and wine production and as the birthplace of the author of the famous The Red Oni who Cried, which is considered to be a masterpiece among stories for children in Japan.

Enjoy a tour and tasting at a local winery, see how many red and blue oni you can spot throughout the town, and visit more of the locations featured in My Oni Girl—including the remains of a quarry where straight stone walls tower mysteriously more than 25 meters above your head.

Transfer to Takahata Station, bid farewell to Yamagata Prefecture, and catch your train on to your next adventure.

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. Cancellation fees may vary according to exceptional circumstances.

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