You will have a guided tour to the historical Japanese village of Shirakawa-go, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its architecture is typical for the snowy regions of the country. Its three and four-storey houses are built in the gassho-zukuri style (‘hands in prayer’), featuring thatched roofs with a steep angle of inclination so that snow does not accumulate.
At the museum dedicated to the Doburoku Matsuri festival, you will learn about Doburoku, an unfiltered local sake. There is a tasting room for those who would like to try it. You will then climb one of the hills, surrounding the village, and admire all its splendid mountain landscape from above.
The nearby village of Gokayama, also a UNESCO site, has been secretly producing gunpowder in the Middle Ages. Other nearby villages, Ainokura and Shimonashi, still produce Japanese washi paper, famous throughout the country. At the Murakami-ke Museum in Kaminashi village, you will learn about the region’s culture and lifestyle.
Enjoy a visit to Kyoto, one of Japan's oldest cities. It was founded in the 8th century and has been the residence of Japanese emperors for almost twelve centuries.
Just an hour from Tokyo’s neon rush, a mountain rises from the mist, wrapped in cedar forests and old legends. Locals say Tengu, the long-nosed, winged mountain demons, still roam its slopes — tricksters who guard the sacred realm of Mt. Takao. Their red faces glare from temple carvings and souvenir masks, reminders that this mountain is not just a hiking spot, but a place where myth still breathes.
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