This tour is set in Echizen (eastern part of Fukui Prefecture), where traditional culture remains strong,
This is a special cultural experience tour that allows you to enjoy a variety of traditional crafts in the Echizen area.
We offer our guests the special experience of "making one-of-a-kind traditional crafts with your own hands.
On this tour, you will have the opportunity to meet traditional craftsmen Takeshi Saji and Kazuo Nomura at their workshop, which is not open to the public, In this tour, visitors can learn how to make Echizen hammered blades from traditional craftsmen Takeshi Saji and Kazuo Nomura at a workshop that is not open to the public.
In addition, maki-e, a process of painting on the handle to match the mini knives and forks made in the workshop, will be offered,
Traditional craftsman Naganobu Komamoto will teach you how to apply maki-e to the handles of the miniature knives and forks made at the workshop.
A craftsman will also carefully teach you how to make a Japanese umbrella using Echizen washi paper.
Another enjoyable part of the trip will be the meals,
You can experience Fukui Prefecture's brand beef "Wakasa beef" shabushabu cuisine and Echizen soba (buckwheat noodles).
This is a special tour that allows you to experience the various traditions of Echizen while staying in luxurious accommodations.
First, depart by car to Ashihara Onsen Grandeur Hosen.
Transportation will be provided by a comfortable hired car so that you can spend a pleasant time without feeling tired from the trip.
The Wagasa Making Experience using Echizen Washi paper allows visitors to enjoy making authentic Japanese umbrellas. Visitors can choose from a variety of washi paper designs to make their own handmade wagasa under the guidance of a craftsman.
The ryokan where we will stay is Grandeur Hosen, a long-established ryokan that boasts of its popularity in Ashihara-Onsen. The rooms are the luxurious "Besso Koto Fukiitei". The exquisite suite room with an open-air hot spring bath surrounded by a Japanese garden provides a blissful healing experience of elegance and high quality.
We will start from the continuation of Day 1.
The completed Wagasa will be delivered to your home after our craftsmen have completed the final touches.
Participants will build their own original wagasa umbrella using Echizen Washi, a traditional Japanese paper craft.
After two days of work, the completed Wagasa made of Echizen Washi paper will be delivered to your home after final finishing by our craftsmen.
For sightseeing in the area, a walk around Eiheiji Temple and a zazen experience are recommended.
Eiheiji Temple, a Zen training center founded by Zen Master Dogen in 1244, is one of the most popular tourist spots in Fukui Prefecture. The ceiling paintings in the "Sanshokaku" are particularly impressive. Visitors can also experience zazen (Zen meditation), which will surely help them feel closer to the world of Zen by confronting themselves with their own hearts and minds.
A special dinner, a perfect ending to a luxurious day, is prepared for you, offering a rich taste of Fukui's bounty. We promise you a blissful moment that will satisfy all your senses with a kaiseki course featuring fresh seafood sashimi caught in Wakasa Bay, fresh vegetables grown in the rich land of Echizen, and for the main course, superb shabu-shabu using luxurious A5-ranked Wakasa beef.
Visitors can take a special tour of the workshop of Saji Uchihamono, which has a special presence among Echizen Uchihamono knives with a 700-year history. Inside the workshop, which is not usually open to the public, traditional craftsmen Takeshi Saji and Kazuo Nomura, legends in the kitchen knife world, will demonstrate the actual knife-making process and techniques. In addition, guests can have mini knives and mini forks made in advance to be fitted into the maki-e patterns that they will create themselves as crafted items exclusively for this tour.
At the Lacquerware Village Hall, visitors can learn about the history and techniques of Echizen lacquerware, a traditional industry of Fukui Prefecture. Hundreds of beautiful lacquerware pieces are on display, allowing visitors to appreciate the beauty and depth of this traditional Japanese craft.
Echizen lacquerware, with a history of approximately 1,500 years, is famous as one of the four major lacquerware production centers in Japan. Maki-e, the art of drawing patterns on lacquerware and lacquer ware, is a traditional craft that retains valuable skills and values today. In this experience, you will learn the technique from a traditional maki-e craftsman and enjoy the precious experience of drawing your own favorite picture on a lacquered pattern.
Once the maki-e experience on the handle is complete, the craftsman will apply the finishing touches. Finally, the blade edge and handle prepared by "Saji Uchihamono" are joined together to complete the process.
Your own original mini knife and fork, made by combining both "Saji Uchihamono" and "Komamoto Maki-e", both of which are proud traditional craftsmen of Fukui Prefecture, will surely be a treasure you will treasure for a lifetime.
| Tour Name | Accommodation tour in Echizen with hands-on experience of making hammered blades and Japanese umbrella taught by a traditional craftsman |
|---|---|
| a number of days | 3 days and 2 nights |
| area | Fukui Prefecture (Ashihara City, Echizen City) |
| guide | Available (Japanese, Chinese, English) |
| Charge | From 460,000 yen/person |
The warmth of the hot spring and the gentleness of the people. Enjoy the hospitality of the 7,000 tsubo area, which conveys the flavor of travel, at your leisure.
| lodging | 3 days and 2 nights |
|---|---|
| dinner | Day 1: Japanese Kaiseki, Day 2: Wakasa Beef Shabu Shabu Kaiseki |
| check in | 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Check-out: ~11:00 p.m. |
| room | Villa Koto Fukiitei (suite with open-air bath) |