Takayama, Shirakawago UNESCO Heritage and Cultural Immersive Tour

Arrive at Kanazawa Station before noon, your hotel will be within a short distance from the station. Check in at a hotel in Kanazawa. This afternoon, a half-day Kanazawa tour brings you to see the Nomura Residence, a former samurai family home showcasing traditional architecture and a beautiful garden. Stroll through Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan's top three gardens, marveling at its seasonal beauty and features like Kasumiga Pond and Kotoji Lantern. Then, explore Higashi Chaya-gai, a charming district preserving the Edo period atmosphere with wooden-latticed teahouses and traditional architecture. When the tour concludes, enjoy the opportunity to explore at your own pace and discover hidden gems along the way.

After having breakfast at the hotel, check out and take a bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawago with reserved seats. Upon arrival, your hotel is within walking distance. Check in at the hotel and take a rest. Enjoy a private tour with a tour guide to explore Shirakawa-go at your own pace. Shirakawa is a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is best known for being the site of Shirakawa-gō, a small, traditional village showcasing a building style known as gasshō-zukuri. Together with Gokayama in Nanto, Toyama, it is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Shirakawa-go（World Heritage） ・Gassho style, which looks like hands joined in prayer ・This fairy tale village is bound to inspire you as one of Japanese most picturesque site Visit the Historic Village of Shirakawa-go Gassho Style Houses, Wada House, Ogimachi Castle Old Site Observation, Kanda House, etc. Wada House The Wada House is the largest traditional gassho-style farmhouse in Shirakawa-go. Built late in the Edo period (1603–1867), the house reflects the wealth and status of the Wada family, which for centuries was the largest landowner in the village of Ogimachi and whose members held the hereditary position of village headman (nanushi). The family made its fortune in the production and trading of saltpeter (potassium nitrate, an essential ingredient in gunpowder) and, from the latter half of the 1800s, in silk production. From the late 1700s to the end of the Edo period, the Wada were tasked with overseeing a government checkpoint that regulated the flow of people and goods into and out of Shirakawa-go. Ogimachi Castle Site Scenic Lookout The Ogimachi Castle Site Scenic Lookout affords visitors unimpeded views over the village of Ogimachi, the central settlement in Shirakawa-go and part of the “Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama” World Heritage Site. The landscape that spreads out beneath the hilltop lookout is dotted with gassho-style houses characterized by their steeply slanted, triangular roofs, and makes for an impressive sight throughout the year. Looking out over the village, visitors will notice how most of the gassho-style houses are built in a north-south direction. This was done both to maximize the amount of sunlight received by their thatched roofs and to protect the tall, narrow structures from the strong wind that usually blows through the Sho river valley from either north or south. Any gassho-style houses not built in a north-south direction are likely to be ones relocated to Ogimachi from elsewhere. Also evident from the lookout is the relative lack of flat, arable land in the river valley, which is another distinguishing feature of Ogimachi. Unable to subsist on agriculture alone, the local people adopted sericulture, or silkworm raising, as their primary source of income during the mid-Edo period (1603–1867). Gassho-style houses became popular mainly due to their suitability for sericulture, for which their well-lit, multi-level attics were ideal spaces. Japanese dinner is served at the hotel.

Breakfast is at the hotel, check out and take the Nohi Bus from Shirakawago to Takayama (non-reserved seats). Upon arrival, Transfer from Takayama Station to TANIYA by hotel shuttle. Check in and Have the space of Important Cultural Property all to yourself. A special course prepared by a local chef in the private lounge ・Kaiseki-ryori ・Sushi ・Obanzai-ryori Drink with Music ・Jazz concert ・Beer hall event ・Arrangements of local musicians Night museum In our private lounge of the Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum at night, TANIYA offers an exclusive night tour showing around the museum and narrating the family story and artworks stored in there by our knowledgeable curator, Nobuko Kusakabe. The guests can get much closer and appreciate the works on the collection that usually they can see only through the glass. Experience an unmatched time people cannot do in typical sightseeing. Taniya—A Luxury Villa The Kusakabe Family Residence is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property located in the old town of Takayama City. The magnificent building, protected to this day, was built in 1879. The Kusakabe family prospered as wealthy merchants in this area since the end of the 17th century and played an essential role in the town’s development. Together with the adjacent Yoshijima Family Residence (also designated as an Important Cultural Property), the Kusakabe Family Residence has been highly regarded as a building showcasing the best local carpentry techniques passed down since the Asuka period (538-710). Today, the residence is open to the public and known to many as the Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum, which exhibits valuable folk art from the Hida Takayama area and other regions. TANIYA is a renovated 100-year-old annex adjacent to the Kusakabe Family Residence, available to one exclusive party per night. Through your stay at this architectural work of art, you can enjoy the charm of the Kusakabe Family Residence, carefully protected by each generation to this day. Experience the rich history and authentic culture of Hida Takayama, and be inspired by the lives of the people nurtured in this region with all of your senses. Machiya are traditional wooden townhouses that define one of the original landscapes of Japan. They are characterized by a long, narrow build and the heavy use of wood and other natural materials. The machiya architecture has been preserved in modern Hida craftsmanship, which can be seen throughout the building of TANIYA. Hida wood, acclaimed for its quality since ancient times, is used lavishly for decoration. The bath is made of hinoki cypress and faces a courtyard filled with natural light, and every corner of TANIYA is filled with the calming scent of wood. The guests of TANIYA are welcome to use the Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum, an Important Cultural Property, as a private lounge during their stay.

Breakfast is at Taniya. Enjoy a half-day private Takayama tour with your tour guide in the morning. Tour Highlights the visits to Miyagawa Morning Market, one of Japan’s most popular morning markets, Takayama's old town, Sake tasting at a local brewery and Jinya, the only remaining bureaucratic office building from the Shogun era in Japan. **Additional On-Site Fees: Admissions, Sake tasting. After the tour, take the JR Train to Gero. Upon arrival, take a free hotel shuttle to Suimeikan- Traditional Japanese Style Ryokan. SUIMEIKAN 水明館: With the opening of the JR Takayama line in 1930, our founder “TAGAO TAKI” predicted development of Gero city, decided to open the hotel.Succeeded in mining the hot spring the following year, a hot spring of 50 degrees Celsius gushed out in this town.Our name of SUIMEIKAN 水明館 comes from "water（水）" and "bright（明）" in Japanese, suitable for a hotel that was born in beautiful nature. Many paintings and craftworks by famous artists are displayed in the hall.There is also a Noh stage and a tea room, and you can feel a wonderful tradition of Japan in a space like an art museum.

Breakfast is at the hotel. Enjoy Onsen stay until check out time. Take a free hotel shuttle to Gero Station for your onward journey.