Special Interests

If you are here, you are looking to experience something different that many people don’t, right? You can travel Japan and have a great time all on your own but there are things that are just beyond your reach if you don’t have a connection or local knowledge. As a bespoke tour specialist, we have a wide range of repertoire of experiences through which you can feel the real Japan. Don’t go away yet if you can’t find what you are after here because the list is ever-growing and more importantly, we are happy to create one for you.

Culture & Crafting

Tatami mats -畳-

Kyoto

Everyone knows what tatami mats look like, but how many of you know what they are made of, how they are produced, and why they are important to the Japanese housing? All these questions will be answered when you meet a tatami artisan, who has spent over half a century measuring, repairing, replacing, sawing tatami for the needs of folks in the old capital. In addition to to that, craft a mini size tatami to take home as a souvenir.

Zen meditation -座禅-

Kyoto (also available in other cities)

Zen Buddhism teaches us to live “now”, this very moment, while emptying our mind, but how are we supposed to focus on “now” with other tourists around us? Don’t you worry, because the venue is exclusively open to our tour, which means you get to have the whole temple building only for you. Experience Zen meditation and embrace the moment while no noise distracts you.

Tea ceremony -茶道-

Kyoto (also available in other cities)

Although matcha green tea is so popular worldwide, things that happen during a tea ceremony is very little known until you join one; to drink a cup of green tea is only one of many. Every single detail in the way of tea has a logical reason: from a way you enter a tea room to its interior decorations to how a host handles tea making tools tohow a guest is supposed to receive the tea. Through the experience you’ll learn so much of why things are the way they are in Japan as a whole and also be greeted by one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet in the hosting couple.

Maiko/Geisha -舞妓-

Kyoto

Enjoy dinner with a maiko/geisha, a traditional female entertainer, which even the Japanese feel envy of in a elegant restaurant in Gion, the center of maiko culture. A two hour dining experience includes a traditional dance performance, banquet games, and photo shooting. Ask them any questions to get a great insight into the little known world of the females performers who entertain privileged guests in an exclusive banquet with an exquisite social skill and a professional hospitality.

Indigo dyeing -藍染-

Kyoto (also available in other cities)

Create your own indigo dyed item with a traditional Japanese dyeing method called aizome. Once flourished as a popular clothing choice for folks including samurai back in the day, a dyeing technique using only natural resources still exists for you to try it first hand. Pick a fabric from T-shirt to a handkerchief to dye in a characteristic blue hue as you learn why modern indigo is so important to the Japanese.

Kimono fabric -西陣-

Kyoto

Despite its huge popularity among tourists, the material side of kimono is not so well known as well as the fact that a district where produces finest kimono’s obi sash is situated in the north west part of Kyoto city. The tour visits an obi sash’s designer in the district to learn its laborious production process and craft an accessory out of the woven fabric.

Temple lodge -宿坊-

Kyoto (also available in other cities)

A shukubo temple stay experience gives you a bit of sense of how Buddhist monks live their daily lives. It does not offer luxury that a five-star hotel does, but it makes you realize how much you are already given through a humble staying experience. Kyoto has plenty of temple lodging venues. Many of them are easily accessible from a city center and yet keep a secluded setting. Due to its monolingual environment most temples are in, HANDS ON JAPAN staff would need to stay on the same premise as a translator.

Homestay

ask (available in particular cities)

How about experiencing a down-to-earth way of living in a countryside? Through a homestay in an ordinary Japanese house, not only will you get a deep insight into an authentic Japanese life but also create an unforgettable bond with your host family. A list of things you experience during the stay could include vegetable picking, cooking, calligraphy, cycling, morning exercise, yukata wearing, joining a local festival and more.

Calligraphy -書道-

ask (available in particular cities)

Writing Japanese letters may seem complicated and difficult but once you grab an ink brush and give it a try it’s fun and actually not that difficult. Learn a meaning behind a Chinese character and suddenly you are not just copying random strokes but expressing yourself. Pick your favorite Japanese word from suggestions and write it on a piece of washi paper. Sing off the mission by adding your own signature in Japanese.

Kimono rental -着物-

Kyoto (also available in other cities)

Though you might feel a little too tight fitted or uneasy moving around until you get used to it, wearing kimono in a city as traditional as Kyoto is such a wonderful experience and it’s one of the most popular activities to do here. With hundreds of old temples and shrines still remained on streets, it is hard to resist to take a photo of yourself at every turn of a street. Once you are in Kyoto you should definitely take a kimono wearing into consideration!

Private evening in a temple -寺貸し切り-

Kyoto

This is a nice cultural experience with a taste of food of your choice on a plate. You get to have a temple hall as a dining space and eat some finger foods overlooking a Zen garden following a short temple tour led by a monk. During the experience the temple has no other visitors. A variety kinds of catering food is available such as French, Italian and Japanese.

Local festival -祭り-

anywhere

If an encounter with local people is a big part of your travel, visiting a local festival known as matsuri in Japanese can give you just that. Its primary purpose is religious based, but they often decorate an event with lots of food stalls and friendly and welcoming spirits. It is a great opportunity not only to mingle with the Japanese who are notably shy but also to gain a insight into the lives of them. With almost every municipality holding a festival at one point a year, all you need to do is to be at the right place at the right time, which is obvioulsly where we come in to help you with that.

Cuisine

Japanese sweets -和菓子-

Kyoto

Confectionery artisans have long been responsible for developing folks’ sense of seasonal appreciation while expressing a hint of changing seasons in edible arts. Meet an artisan who has been taking on that task for over half a century creating top notch Japanese sweets. He simply finds sweets making a sheer joy. Join him to share the joy together.

Tofu -豆腐-

Kyoto

Tofu appears to have gained a citizenship world wide as a healthy food but wait till you join this tour to know its true potential. In this 90 minute tour hosted by a passionate tofu artisan at his own store, you’ll learn how tofu is hand made from scratch, eat bite sized pieces of tofu straight up from kitchen assorted with many different condiments, experience a coagulating process of tofu to eat eventually, and more. Discover how good tofu can actually be when it is made at the hands of an artisan. Mouthwatering experience and an enthusiastic tofu professional await you. An empty stomach is all you need.

Bar hopping -はしご酒-

anywhere

Want to experience Japanese cuisine in depth but have no clue where to start? Hit three local izakaya (Japanese tavern) with us where you otherwise wouldn’t go on your own as we explore different areas including Gion, Kyoto. Feel a lively atmosphere as the night unfolds in the ancient capital. Make friends with the locals and discover local foods you have never tried before.

Sake -日本酒-

ask (available in particular cities)

Sake has been playing such an important role for the folk’s life in Japan since as far as a history book can go back not just as an alcoholic beverage but also as a sacred drink considered to be gifted by the nature gods. It tastes wonderful even though you know nothing about it, but it tastes even better if you have the knowledge of it. And that’s what you’ll gain from this firsthand sake experience.

Cooking class -料理教室-

ask (available in particular cities)

If you are looking to get a deeper insight into Japanese food (washoku), there is no better way to do it than cooking it. So here we are at a small cooking studio in which you can experience a Japanese home style cooking. This is a great chance for you and your travel mate to escape from the travelling crowd and make a delicious meal together.

Outdoor

SUP

ask (available in particular cities)

You’ll hardly have to worry about finding a place to SUP in this archipelago. For example on Lake Biwa on Shiga Prefecture, you can SUP around a torii shrine gate built on water. Doing SUP on Japan’s biggest lake is not just about a Japanese experience but also a great summer activity. Even if you are a first timer, don’t worry. An instructor will give you tips for an easy and safe ride on the paddle. Even if you travel elsewhere or in a different season, we are happy to suggest a great spot for it.

Kayak

ask (available in particular cities)

If you want to have some activities in the nature, how about consider kayaking? Enjoy paddling through a beautiful river which Japan is never short of while discovering unique inhabitats in the water. Depending on your travel route and how much you are experienced, we are happy to find a perfect place to kayak and include it in your itinerary.

Hiking

anywhere

There are few simpler and perhaps better ways to truly appreciate beautiful sceneries Japan has to offer than hiking. Walk through the awe-inspiring forest of Kumano Kodo, a network of ancient pilgrimage trails in the southern Kansai region, or perhaps stroll through old local towns along the Nakasendo Route, trails that travelers used to take between Tokyo and other major cities when trains weren’t around. Depending on your mobility and preference, we can give you a suggestion on where to hike for how long from hours to even days.

Cycling

ask (available in particular cities)

On the warm, quiet Seto Inland Sea in the western Japan lies the Geiyo Islands. There you can enjoy a fantastic bike ride along the toll road that connects the small islands while taking in the beautiful blue marine sceneries. With the total length of 70km, the cycle lane is diverged from the car’s and has no large inclines, so intermediate cyclists can easily complete it in a day. Of course more shorter courses are also available. Join us for this amazing island-hopping cycling!