Hands-on lessons on centuries-old woodworking techniques. Sake tastings and gourmet rambles through old post towns. Guided walks through the region’s history, and shinrin-yoku—forest bathing—to refresh both mind and body.
Whatever your interest is, we can find something that you’re bound to love. And while it’s certainly possible to book an experience tour by itself, many of them can be combined with a nearby walking tour for a full, varied day.
Pricing:
– Full-day tours:
1-2 people: ¥46,000
3-6 people: ¥50,000
7+ people: ¥55,000
– Half-day tours:
1-2 people: ¥36,000
3-6 people: ¥40,000
7+ people: ¥45,000
*parents with children – please get in touch. We generally don’t count children towards tour pricing.
– Combining two half-day tours:
two nearby half-day tours can often be combined to make a single full-day tour (these options will be specified)
Accommodation
Luggage Transfer
& Cancellations:
– Please be aware that we cannot legally reserve accommodation for you. However, you can find our accommodation recommendations by area here.
– If you are planning to bring more than a backpack with you, we strongly recommend making use of one of the luggage transportation services listed here.
– Our full cancellation policy, as well as other information, can be found here.
Nagiso Traditional Woodworking Tour
(Full-day Course or Half-day Course)
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Area: Southern Kiso (Nagiso)
Hidden away in the mountains just a short distance from Tsumago post town, the Kijishi-no-Sato neighbourhood of Nagiso town is the perfect place to a visit if you’re interested in learning more about traditional crafts, or are looking to pick up a unique memento to take home with you. (also a perfect choice for when the weather’s taken a turn for the worse and you don’t particularly fancy a 4-hour hike in the pouring rain!)
This tour includes visits to some of the Kiso valley’s most impressive woodworking workshops, as well as a laid-back stroll through this charming, picturesque mountain community. Fashion your own plate on a woodworker’s lathe; weave strips of fragrant cypress wood into delicate works of art; visit artisan workshops and see the masters at work.
Washi Paper-Making Tour
(Full-day Course or Half-day Course)
Winter only
(December-March)
Area: Southern Kiso (Nagiso)
Paper-making was historically an important cottage industry in the Tadachi neighbourhood of Nagiso town. Traditionally, local farmers would engage in paper-making during the winter when their fields were fallow.
Paper-making has long since disappeared as a local industry, but luckily a group of dedicated volunteers help keep the tradition alive. They offer hands-on paper-making workshops to tourists, and we interpret to ensure smooth communication.
This tour includes a visit to the paper-making workshop, as well as the chance to make your own Japanese washi paper completely by hand. There are two options for what to make:
(1) 3-4 sheets of A3-sized paper
(2) 6-8 postcards
In either case, the finished products have to be dried overnight in the workshop. They can be posted to whatever hotel you will be staying in the next day (or any other future accommodation on your itinerary)
Extra fees:
+¥2,500 per person for the hands-on washi paper-making workshop
+¥200-500 per person for postage of the finished product
*please note that prices may increase slightly for smaller groups
The Kiso valley is home to a proud sake-making tradition, with a variety of local sake breweries producing some genuinely world-class drinks* . And while you’ll get the chance for a quick visit and sake tasting on some of our other tours (for example: our Kiso Town Tour and our Torii Pass Walking Tour), for a more in-depth (and laid-back) experience, this tour comes heartily recommended.
On this tour we’ll visit Yukawa Sake Brewery to learn about their unique approach to making sake – one that preserves history and tradition, yet remains forward-thinking; that works with their environment instead of against it, and that is deeply committed to producing sake in a sustainable, eco-friendly way that benefits the local community.
There we’ll enjoy a private talk discussing their history, their story, and their vision for the future. We’ll also be treated to a guided sake tasting session, where you can taste a number of their delicious sakes (including one that is sold 100% exclusively at their brewery bar and shop).
Yukawa Brewery is located in the north of the Kiso Valley, right in the heart of Yabuhara post town. As a result, this half-day tour can be enjoyed alongside one of our nearby half-day tours (for example: our Yabuhara Traditional Woodworking Tour, our Torii Pass walking tour, or our Kiso Town Tour) to make a single full-day tour at our regular full-day rate (for a saving of ¥22,000).
Extra fees:
・Sake tasting: +¥2,700 yen per person
・Sake Brewery Mini Tour & Talk: +¥10,000 per group (up to 6 people)
・Bento box lunch at Yukawa Brewery (made by a great little local place): +¥2,600 yen per person
*and that’s not just our opinion: in 2023 Yukawa Sake Brewery was awarded the IWC Champion Sake award (widely regarded as perhaps most prestigious international award for sake)
Akasawa Forest Relaxation Tour
(Full-day Course or Half-day Course)
Spring
(from late April)
Summer
Autumn
(until early Nov)
Difficulty: Easy
Area: Central Kiso
(Agematsu)
The birthplace of Shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing‘ – Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest is one of Kiso’s best-kept secrets (and in my personal opinion, one of Japan’s best-kept secrets). Bursting with new life in the spring and home to some of Kiso’s most beautiful autumn leaves, it’s also one of the absolute best places to escape the heat during the summer months.
This, more so than any of our other tours, is a chance to relax and take a well-earned rest. Alongside a qualified forest guide or forest therapy instructor, we’ll take a laid-back stroll through this peaceful forest, and learn all about its history, culture, and deep connections to Japanese religion and spirituality.
We’ll also get the chance to explore the world of forest bathing—a therapeutic practice focusing on relaxation and sensory immersion in nature. So, if you’re feeling drained by the modern world (or by your action-packed trip across Japan), Akasawa might be just the place for you to take a break, rest, and recharge.
Kiso Lacquerware Tour
(Full-day Course or Half-day Course)
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Area: Northern Kiso (Kiso-Hirasawa)
Located a comfortable 20-30 minute walk from the ever-popular Narai post town, Kiso-Hirasawa has long been famous throughout Japan for its lacquerware. And despite the boom in international tourism in recent years, this sleepy town has very much stayed off the radar, remaining one of Kiso’s best hidden gems.
On this tour you’ll wander the streets of this artisan town, and learn all about the history and techniques of a craft more embedded in Japanese culture than perhaps any other. You’ll visit the workshops of family businesses who have passed on skills and knowledge down the generations, and you’ll also have the chance to shop for the perfect minutely painted souvenir keepsake (or massive fully lacquered dining table, if that’s more your thing).
And while a hands-on activity is by no means necessary to enjoy what Kiso-Hirasawa has to offer, those looking to really get a feel for this ancient craft can choose to try their hand at using traditional local tools to hand-paint their own unique lacquerware masterpiece.
Extra fees:
+ ¥6,000 per person for those opting for a hands-on lacquerware painting experience.
(Not including the cost of posting the finished product – a small glass bowl – to you. As lacquer takes around two weeks to fully dry, international postage will likely be necessary – the price is variable based on destination, but usually ranges ¥4,000-¥6,000)
Natural Indigo Dyeing Tour
(Full-day Course or Half-day Course)
Spring
(weekends
only)
Summer
(weekends
only)
Autumn
(weekends
only)
Area: Southern Kiso (Nagiso)
If you’ve taken a tour with us in the past, you may notice that we tend wear a lot of blue . That’s thanks to our good friends in Nagiso, who is an expert at natural indigo dyeing. The resulting colours are beautiful in all their various shades, and the process of dyeing things for yourself is also great fun.
On this tour you’ll learn all about indigo dyeing from a friendly, knowledgeable expert, before getting stuck in dyeing something of your own to take home with you (please see details below).
Note: The dyeing liquid is a fairly strong alkaline. Customers with sensitive skin can wear gloves during the dyeing process, though we’d recommend those with extreme sensitivity give this tour a miss.
Extra fees (based on items to be dyed – all items will be provided to you on the day):
+ ¥7,000 per person to dye a t-shirt (please let us know your size in advance)
+ ¥4,000 per person to dye a tenugui – a traditional Japanese hand towel
+ ¥3,500 per person to dye a handkerchief
(You will be able to take your dyed item home with you on the day, but please be aware they will likely still be damp from the dyeing process)
Yabuhara Traditional Woodworking Tour
(Full-day Course or Half-day Course)
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Area: Northern Kiso (Yabuhara/Kiso Village)
Nestled in a narrow valley between two imposing, richly forested mountain ranges, the Kiso area has long been home to many expert carpenters and woodworkers. Among them, the Oroku comb artisans of Yabuhara post town—making hand-sawn, almost unbelievably intricate wooden combs—are some of the most impressive.
This tour starts with a stroll around Yabuhara post town, where you’ll learn all about its history, culture, and its role as a vital stop along the Nakasendo trail. Then, you’ll visit an Oroku comb workshop and meet one of the skilled artisans who work there, before getting a chance to try your hand at this centuries-old craft.
A perfect way to learn about Japanese food culture, this half-day experience allows you to get stuck in with your hands making soba noodles the old-fashioned way, before getting stuck in once again with your chopsticks and enjoying the results of all your hard work.
With a local and knowledgeable instructor (and me as translator – sadly not local, though at this point moderately knowledgeable) guiding you, you’ll learn every step of the soba making process in a fun, approachable environment.
This tour is perfect for a morning activity before another half-day tour (for example, our Nagiso Traditional Woodworking Tour, or one of our half-day walking tours). It’s also perfect for families with kids.
Extra fees:
+¥1,500 per person (for 4 or more people) for the hands-on soba making experience (includes lunch)
+ ¥2,000 per person (for 2-3 people) for the hands-on soba making experience (includes lunch)
*individual travelers are very much encouraged, but may have to pay the equivalent of 2 people due to rules on minimum numbers
Uncharted Nakasendo 