The islands of Minamichita have a history of flourishing as natural fishing harbors and are home to many fishermen. There are many guest houses run by fishermen on each island, where you will be treated to a variety of dishes made from fresh seafood. Why not enjoy a stay at a guest house in a harbor town where you can smell the salty sea breeze?
Himakajima Island, which is famous for the high quality octopus it produces, is known as the “octopus island” where dried octopus is actively produced, and visitors can experience the process of making dried octopus. Visitors can experience the process of removing the slime from the octopus, cutting it with a knife so that it can be easily dried, and then drying it in the sun.
The relationship between the Ise Grand Shrine and Shinojima has continued for a thousand years since Yamatohime-no-mikoto, who is said to have founded the Ise Grand Shrine, visited Shinojima and asked for tai long ago. Because of this relationship, Shinojima was in the territory of Ise Grand Shrine until the Keicho era, when it became a part of the Owari domain. Even today, the hunting continues, and every year a salted tai called “Onbedai” is dedicated to the shrine. Nakatejima, where the salting and processing happens, is still the domain of Ise Grand Shrine, and the promise and tradition between Shinojima and Ise Grand Shrine are upheld as always.
In the Yamashiro area, visitors can experience agriculture, forestry, and fishing in the guest rooms of farmers’ homes. In addition to experiencing agriculture, forestry, and fishing, each guest house has its own special features, such as enjoying delicious homemade tea, original guest house cuisine, pottery making, green tea art, and tea incense dressing. These hands-on accommodations allow visitors to learn about the lives of the people of this region amidst beautiful nature and scenery.
There are both public and private courses in and around Uji City where you can experience a variety of tea-related activities, from tea picking to tasting, grinding stone mills, and making matcha and sencha green tea. Whether you want to learn about tea production methods, tea making, or the spirit and culture of tea, enjoy a tea experience unique to Uji City, the city of tea.
Said to have begun when the British royal family used it in Meiji 14 (1881,) you can enjoy the Hozu River cruise and have fun learning about the history and culture of those who lived alongside the river, while listening to the boat’s captain’s funny stories.
Here at Wado Farm, you can enjoy picking various brands of strawberries like Amao and Kaorin. Using organic soil, their focus is their customers’ health and safety. Enjoy the literal fruits of labor by farming professionals who have been studying and researching organic soil for years. Also, they provide grape picking of Yama Ruby, which is Chichibu’s own brand of grapes. Please visit their website for more information.
Miyamotoke is a farmhouse of the Miyamoto family that’s been around since the Edo period. They renovated the house and turned it into a farmhouse-style hotel where you can have an immersive experience in farming. You can observe historic artifacts from the Sengoku and the Edo period in their gallery. Besides participating in an immersive farming experience, there is a Goemonburo, a traditional Japanese-style bath, so you can fully experience the lifestyle from the old days.
NIPPONIA – a Japanese-style old house/storage house renovated and turned into a hotel. With no TV or clocks in the rooms, it’s reminiscent of the old days and you can take a break from busy city life. From beams, interior decoration to furniture, they’ve been kept intact for over 150 years and they have a remarkable old feel to them. The hotel has a café and a French restaurant that uses locally produced ingredients.
The immersive amusement park is located in the Chichibu Valley. You can enjoy various thrilling activities – walking across Canyon Walk, which is a bridge built with wires and woods, or Canyon Bungee, where you can experience the 50-meter jump, etc. Also, they offer footage of your experience recorded by a drone.
