Japanese Experiences During New Year

Key Features

• Experience the spirit of Zen at a historic Asakusa temple linked to the Tokugawa family in this Wabunka-exclusive plan
• Receive personal instruction from the head priest and the director of the Tokyo Zen Center of the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, covering everything from basic Zen principles to zazen practice
• Tune your mind and body with the head priest's sermon while enjoying matcha and sweets

Key Features

• In this exclusive Wabunka plan, take in a private performance by Keizo Nagayama at the Noh actor’s private home stage.
• Learn Noh performance directly from Nagayama himself and experience dressing in a real Noh stage costume and mask. As an option, guests can view four more Noh masks.
• Deepen your enjoyment of Noh through stories based on famous classics like The Tale of the Heike.

Key Features

• Print with an Edo-style woodblock printing workshop with over 160 years of history.
• Following a lecture from an artisan, create 3-4 colored patterns on rectangular washi paper using Edo woodblock printing, and fashion a bamboo fan
• As a souvenir, you can take home an ukiyo-e print of Katsushika Hokusai or Utagawa Hiroshige carefully crafted by the artisan

Key Features

• Dress in a high-quality kimono in the Zangetsu tea ceremony house at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, and learn both the culture of kimonos and the art of moving gracefully while wearing this traditional garb
• Kimono stylist and model Hitomi Ito, well known through her active media presence, serves as the experience instructor
• Enjoy a commemorative photoshoot by a professional photographer in the hotel’s traditional garden, with photos delivered at a later date

Key Features

• Personal instruction in sushi-making from a master who honed his craft at Udatsu Sushi, recognized with a star in The Michelin Guide.
• Exclusive fully-reserved use of the entire restaurant, including special access behind the counter where the master works.
• Optional fish filleting and sushi topping preparation experience, including wasabi grating, available (for an additional fee)

Key Features

• Discover a fresh and exciting take on Buddhist vegetarian cuisine that pays homage to tradition with a modern twist
• Delight in the harmony of specially curated Japanese wines and sake sourced from across Japan
• Indulge in a menu consisting only plant-based dishes, free of animal products, to nourish both your body and spirit

Key Features

• Make elaborate traditional sweets at a wagashi-making studio that holds classes in small groups, making it difficult even for Japanese locals to secure a reservation
• A Wabunka-exclusive plan that includes preparation of an original dessert right in front of you — your instructor is an expert at coming up with dessert ideas
• Learn about the tableware, the high-quality Uji tea served with your wagashi and dessert, and other details that further add a touch of elegance to this refined experience

Key Features

• Spend an extraordinary time in a tea room set in the courtyard of a long-established tea merchant and a Japanese-style room overlooking a gorgeous garden designated as a scenic spot by Kyoto Prefecture
• This Wabunka-exclusive plan includes a special tea ceremony experience, meal and mini tour
• Perfect for both first-timers and those who want a more in-depth experience of Japan’s tea culture

Key Features

• Spend an extraordinary time in a tea room set in the courtyard of a long-established tea merchant and a Japanese-style room overlooking a gorgeous garden designated as a scenic spot by Kyoto Prefecture
• Try your hand at grinding tea leaves with a millstone and taste usucha (thin tea) prepared with freshly ground matcha
• Explore the world of tea in an approachable way, even if you have no prior experience in the art of tea ceremony

Key Features

• Take part in a tea ceremony at Seika-an, an authentic tearoom named by Zabosai, the 16th master of the Urasenke tea-ceremony school
• Includes a light meal featuring seasonal delicacies prepared by Towa Ryokan's owner chef and the head chef, who trained a long-established traditional cuisine restaurant in Kyoto
• Vegetarian and vegan alternatives available for the light meal
• Learn Japanese tea-ceremony etiquette and practices from Towa Ryokan's proprietor, an experienced tea-ceremony practitioner

Key Features

• An original Wabunka tour that gives you exclusive access to Arashiyama's Fukuda Art Museum and its collection, either before or after the museum opens
• Through in-depth explanations by a museum curator, deepen your appreciation of highly prized masterpieces
• Enjoy a drink at the museum cafe if you take the pre-opening tour, or end the night with champagne if you take the after-hours tour

Key Features

• Special limited solo experience, including a guided weaving experience and studio tour
• Create a unique textile piece with a master weaver
• View thousand-year-old restored textiles and other valuable pieces

Key Features

• Private training at a Kyoto dojo with kendo practitioner Tomoyoshi Yamanaka, who comes from a family with a long martial lineage
• Enjoy an in-depth talk about kendo, replete with stories about Yamanaka’s forebear Yoshishige Hayashi, a bushi from the Hikone clan, and other historical figures
• After getting the basic movements down, don a suit of kendo armor and enjoy a thrilling bout of swordplay

Key Features

• Learn about koji and its role in traditional Japanese cuisine and fermented seasonings
• Make and enjoy dishes using fermented seasonings like miso, shio koji, and amazake, with vegan options available
• Gain insights and recipes from a long-established shop, and take home pesticide-free dried koji and recipes as souvenirs