inuyama castle
Inuyama Castle is one of Japan’s castles designated as a national treasure, and was built in 1549. The castle tower is one of the oldest surviving castle towers, and is also designated as an Important Cultural Property. From the castle, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Kiso River and the surrounding beautiful scenery, and many tourists visit the castle, especially during the cherry blossom season in spring and the autumn leaves in fall. There are also historical documents and exhibits inside the castle, where you can learn about the history of Inuyama Castle.

Yurakuen
Yurakuen is a Japanese garden near Inuyama Castle, which was built by Yurakusai, a vassal of the Tokugawa family, during the Edo period. The garden features ponds, waterfalls, and teahouses, and you can enjoy seasonal flowers. In particular, the garden also has a teahouse where you can enjoy matcha green tea. It is a space where you can relax your mind and body while feeling nature in a quiet environment.

Kiso River Cormorant Fishing
Kiso River cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method carried out on the Kiso River, which flows through Aichi and Gifu prefectures, and is known as a seasonal feature of the summer. This fishing method, which uses a bird called a cormorant to catch fish, has been practiced throughout Japan since ancient times, but cormorant fishing on the Kiso River is particularly famous.

The Seki Blade Making Experience is a traditional blade making experience program held in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. Seki City is known as a production center of Japanese blades and has a history of several hundred years. In this experience, participants can learn the process of actually making a blade and see the craftsmanship of the craftsmen up close.

The experience includes choosing the material for the blade, designing the shape, sharpening it, and more, and at the end you can take home your very own original blade. Many programs are suitable for beginners, making it popular with families and tourists alike.

This tour requires advanced booking, so let us know early if you are interested.

Gensaka Sake Brewery
Genzaka Sake Brewery is a sake brewery located in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, and continues to produce sake using traditional methods. The sake, which is painstakingly made using high-quality local rice and pure water, is popular with local Japanese people as well as foreigners from overseas, and some people even travel all the way to Ise just to see the brewery.However, the sake brewery tour and tasting program is not open to everyone, but is only available to guests of luxury hotels and travel agencies that have contracts with Motozaka Sake Brewery. Visitors can learn about the sake brewing process while enjoying fresh, juicy sake.

Japanese cuisine: Hinakaya
This famous Japanese restaurant was awarded one Michelin star in the Mie Michelin Guide. It stands next to the pesticide-free “Isenishiki” rice fields that Gensaka Sake Brewery has revived, and serves exquisite seasonal kaiseki cuisine amid a spectacular view of the scenic and abundant Isemiya River. With its thatched roof, earthen walls, earthen floor, and hearth, the restaurant retains the original scenery of good old Japan, allowing you to feel Japan through its food and architecture.

Visiting Gensaka Sake Brewery and Hinakaya will give you a valuable experience of enjoying Ise’s sake culture and local ingredients. It is especially recommended for those who are interested in sake or want to learn more about local culture.
This time, the tour will be specially designed to pair the cuisine of Hinakaya with Gensaka Sake Brewery’s sake.

Sawada Sake Brewery is a sake brewery located in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, that produces sake using traditional methods. Sawada Sake Brewery offers sake that is painstakingly crafted using high-quality local rice and pure water. In particular, they are known for being a sake brewery beloved by locals, focusing on sake brewing that makes use of the specialty products of the Iga region.

Sawada Sake Brewery offers a program where you can tour the brewery and enjoy sake tastings, where visitors can learn about the sake brewing process while enjoying freshly brewed sake. You can also learn about the history and culture of sake brewing, so it is a particularly recommended spot for those who are interested in sake.

If you plan on visiting, it’s a good idea to make a reservation in advance and check the opening hours. This experience at Sawada Sake Brewery will be a valuable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the local sake culture. Please do visit.

Mikimoto Pearl Island, located in Toba City, Mie Prefecture, is a facility that introduces pearl farming and its culture. It is known as the place where founder Kokichi Mikimoto succeeded in cultivating the world’s first pearls. At Mikimoto Pearl Island, you can learn about the pearl farming process and its history, and also enjoy activities such as actually harvesting pearls and making pearl accessories. There is also a program where you can experience the traditional fishing methods of “Ama” (female divers) who are engaged in pearl farming, and you can watch a performance by the female divers. In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom also visited the island. Enjoy the history and culture behind the beautiful pearls.

Matsusaka city is located halfway between Ise Grand Shrine and Nagoya, so 200 years ago in the mid-Edo period, it was bustling with pilgrims from Edo to Ise Grand Shrine, and it was the town that gave birth to the Matsusaka merchants who laid the foundation for the commercial development of Japan.Today, it is the production center of “Matsusaka beef,” known as the world-famous brand of Wagyu beef. Sukiyaki made with this Matsusaka beef is said to be artistically delicious, with the beef melting in your mouth. Enjoy this Matsusaka beef sukiyaki on your way back from Ise-Shima.

Chubu Centrair International Airport is a 40-minute high-speed ferry ride from Tsu City, Mie Prefecture. Enjoy the short boat trip while taking in the scenery of Ise Bay from the window.

After arriving at Chubu Centrair International Airport, we will take you on an optional tour to Sawada Sake Brewery, located across the river from the airport. Sawada Sake Brewery is a long-established sake brewery founded in 1848, and the sake “Shiraoi” produced here is a famous sake that has won gold medals at the National New Sake Tasting Competition many times. At Sawada Sake Brewery, you can observe the brewing process and sample the sake. Why not take a moment to experience the mellow aroma of sake at this long-established brewery before returning home?