Discovering Samurai Spirit 'BUSHIDO' in 4 Tourist Spots

Overview

Don't you want to know how the Samurai spirit ‘Bushido’ was raised and kept in those days in Japan? You will find the answer by joining this tour. In this tour, there are four elements relating to Bushido; Castle, Tea-ceremony, Sword and Japanese paper ‘Washi’. I am sure you will realize that these cultural elements contributed to create a unique Japanese refined value of life.

Highlights

•   Inuyama Castle
•   tea-house 'Joan' with tea tasting
•   Seki Traditional Sword Smith Museum
•   Mino-Washi Museum
•   Strolling traditional areas in Mino
•   Mino History Museum (Former Imaike Residence )

Information

City	Gifu
Depart From	Gifu , Aichi
Meeting Point	At JR Gifu station or At Meitetsu Inuyama Yuen station
Ending Point	At JR Gifu station
Departure	08:30 AM ( recommended )   Flexible
Duration	8:30h   Flexible
Languages	English (License)
Tour Type	Private Tour ( only for you )
Number of people	1 ~ 4

What to Expect

You will enjoy four Japanese traditional cultures through one-day excursion from the castle town ‘Inuyama’ in Aichi to two small towns Seki and Mino in Gifu.

First you will visit a National Treasure Inuyama Castle which is the oldest castle in Japan. You can touch and feel the authentic wooden building, climbing steep and narrow steps toward the upper floor. On each floor, you will see some antiques, maps and documents to learn stories about the castle. From the top, you will have a panoramic view while strolling along the outside balcony.

Secondly you will visit another National Treasure, tea-house ‘Joan’ in Inuyama. It is located in a beautiful Japanese garden near the castle, You will find a simple aesthetic value based on Zen Buddhism in it. You could also drink matcha-tea in an adjacent tea-house in the same garden. Once,matcha-tea tasting gave samurai a moment of relief between battles. You might feel it,too.

Next you will visit Seki Traditional Swordsmith Museum. You can not only learn the history and the forging-process of swordsmiths but also enjoy seeing many masterpieces of swords and knives. Many visitors give a sigh of admiration to see them. Then you will drop in some cutlery shops where you enjoy shopping for souvenirs.

Finally you will visit a small cozy town Mino, the hometown of Japanese paper ‘Washi, which was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2014. You can learn how hand-made durable paper ‘Washi’ is fabricated. You can also enjoy strolling around traditional building areas which include beautiful old houses and fancy shops.

*The attached video is an demonstration of Sword forging in the Seki Traditional Sword Smith Museum.

---

What‘s included

guide fee

---

What‘s not included

transportation fee for guide and guests
entrance fee for guide and guests (total fee is about 2500yen/person)
lunch,tea and dinner for guide and guests

---

Important

1) The tour is not possible during extremely bad weather, such as typhoons or snowstorms.
2) The destination is flexible. It will be customized according to your interests, preference and physical condition.
3) Food preference information is important. I would like to know your likes and dislikes in advance.
4) Hotel pick-up is possible according to the location.

---

Example of your tour experience