Enjoy Nara Sake to the Fullest on a Special Tour into Places Not Open to the General Public! | KANSAI NARA Treasure Travel (Nara/Kyoto/Osaka Japan)

PLAN:3DAYS

PRICE FROM 125,000 JPY

per person (for a group of 6 people)

MONTH:JAN/FEB/MAR/APR/MAY/JUN/JUL/AUG/SEP/OCT/NOV/DEC

TAG:CULTURE/JAPANESE SAKE/NARA/PRIVATE TOUR/SHRINES AND TEMPLES

OVERVIEW

This is a carefully crafted tour designed to give you insight into the history and traditions of Japanese sake.
Traditionally, brewing sake was not just about making alcohol, instead it has been strongly connected with shrines and temples since ancient times. The sake brewing process used to take place in local shrines and temples in Nara with sake dedicated as a special offering to the gods.
On this trip, you’ll get to visit one of Nara’s World Heritage Sites known as the Kasuga-taisha Shrine, a breathtaking structure with a long-established history of brewing sake in their district. We’ve designed a special private tour of the shrine guided by a priest who will show you how to pray for good fortune.
You’ll also get to visit Shoryaku-ji Temple, the birthplace of refined Japanese sake! This temple is famous for establishing a famed 600 year-old sake brewing technique. The temple carries on the tradition of creating the original yeast starter called “Bodaimoto,” and distributes it once a year to the surrounding local sake brewers so that they can make their own sake at each location. Enjoy learning about this tradition from your own private priest tour guide while viewing a spectacular Japanese garden that has been maintained to perfection!
Visiting the smaller local sake breweries in the area is another definite must for experiencing sake in Nara.
We’ll take you on a tour inside a local brewery that’s normally not open to the public!
Here, you can have a look behind the scenes, followed by sake tasting! Some of the breweries are located in peaceful countryside landscapes, whereas others are established in traditional town areas.
Walk around and enjoy exploring the contrasting atmospheres of the surrounding areas as well!
During your trip, you’ll acquire knowledge and experience on the different tastes and aromas of each type of sake. You’ll even get to hear from experienced chefs on which foods complement each type of sake best. Enjoy your sake trip in Nara to the fullest!

DAY01

Today, you’ll be visiting the most popular shrine in Nara, the Kasuga Taisha Shrine!
Feel the peaceful and sacred atmosphere around the shrine. We have a special private tour arranged for you by a priest who will offer prayers to your health and to great journeys in life yet to come.
Once a year, inside the precinct, they have a tradition of observing the making of sake created specifically as an offering to the deities.
After your surreal visit to the shrine, we’ll take a stroll around a traditional neighborhood called Naramachi. This town is full of hidden gems with many traditional style buildings and residences that still remain from the Edo era.
In Naramachi, there is an old brewery that used to make Sake for the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Enjoy some sake tasting before heading out to a nearby very unique shop that specializes only in Nara Sake. Here you can also do sake tasting while having a fun conversation with the cheerful shop master. His level of expertise will surely leave you with a different perspective on sake. Don’t forget to try the famous “Bodaimoto” sake! This is also a great place to buy bottles of sake to take home as souvenirs!
Check in to your hotel around 6:00 pm and rest well for another fun adventure tomorrow!

Basic stay plan: "Setre Naramachi,” a standard hotel located in Naramachi. You’ll have the option of dinner at the hotel or out at a restaurant in Naramachi. We can definitely recommend some restaurants that serve great sake!

Luxury stay plan: “Nipponia Hotel Nara,” a stylish hotel renovated from a Toyosawa sake brewery! Here you can enjoy a traditional style stay, access to a variety of premium sake, and elaborate fusion-style cuisine.
DAY02

We’ll start the day having a look around a spectacular shop specializing in Nara’s traditional crafts; including pottery, lacquerware, and handcrafted glasses.
You may even find a favorite set of sake cups to take home!
After lunch, we’ll visit Shoryaku-ji Temple. This temple is known as the birthplace of refined Japanese sake, as it succeeded in establishing techniques to make refined sake that have transcended time as they are still in use today. Long ago, this sake was considered a specialty and was highly valued by the elite. Surprisingly, around 100 years ago they stopped making this type of sake for decades.However, a group of local sake breweries got together and succeeded in reviving this precious “Bodaimoto” sake about 20 years ago. These days, the original yeast starter is created on the grounds of Shoryaku-ji Temple and then distributed to local sake brewers to make their own “Bodaimoto” sake.
Enjoy a private tour of the temple grounds with a wise priest who will explain the intricacies of sake making to you as well as discuss the interesting history of the temple. Don’t forget to take a moment to appreciate the fresh air and serene energy of the forest scenery surrounding the temple.
Next, we’ll stop by one of the local sake breweries that receives their “Bodaimoto” from Shoryakuji Temple. Meet a young energetic brewer who took over his father’s business and enjoy a private tour of the brewery followed by sake tasting. The brewery is located in a beautiful village surrounded by a traditional Japanese landscape of picturesque farmland where he and his growers cultivate rice for sake.
Check in for a relaxing evening at your hotel.

Basic stay plan: “The Kashihara,” a standard hotel in Kashihara City.

Luxury stay plan: “Ubusuna no Sato Tomimoto,” a Japanese style villa renovated from the former residence of Kenkichi Tomimoto, a famous pottery artist who is also known as the first National Living Treasure in Japan. Sake marriage stay plan.
DAY03

In the morning, we’ll head out to visit the famous Omiwa-jinja Shrine, which is one of the oldest shrines in Japan and where the central deity of sake (and therefore sake breweries) is enshrined. In November, sake brewers from all around the country gather here to pray to the sake deity and receive a “sugidama,” which is a ball made out of fresh cedar. Depending on its color, the sugidama symbolizes what kind of sake is available at a brewery, from fresh spring sake (green) to fall sake (brown) that has been given time to mellow and thicken. You will notice the huge sugidama hung in front of the main shrine!
Next, we’ll take you to another unique sake brewery for a behind the scenes tour and sake tasting! Learn how each sake brewery within Nara has developed their own distinctive ways of brewing sake based on the local resources, climate and environment. Let’s head out to a nice restaurant for a relaxing lunch on the way to Kashihara City, a place with easy access to both Osaka and Wakayama.

We will say our goodbyes and wish you well on the rest of your journey here in Japan.

PRICE DETAILS

PRICE

125,000 JPY per person (for a group of 6 people)

PRICE INCLUDES

2 Nights’ Accommodation　
2 Breakfasts / 2 Lunches / 2 Dinners
3 days chartered car with Driver
Admission fees
Activity fees
English-speaking guide
Full support from your Travel
Concierge before, during and after your trip

CAR

1-2 travelers: Sedan
3-6 travelers: Jumbo taxi
Driver+English-Speaking Tour
Guide