Patron of the Arts: Traditional Crafts of Kyoto & Kumano
This itinerary explores traditional crafts and artistic lineages in Kyoto and Kumano through deeply immersive local experiences.
This journey offers a unique opportunity to explore both the craft traditions of urban, cultural Kyoto and rural, spiritual Kumano. The tour is offered in special collaboration with Miho Armacost, author of the Japanese culture blog Pickled Plum Is My Candy, whose work centers on traditional foodways, craftsmanship, and everyday life in Japan.
Miho personally designed the Kyoto portion of the itinerary, while Kumano Adventures designed the Kumano portion. Miho will accompany the group as tour guide for the full 12-day journey, offering continuity, deep cultural context, and a thoughtful bridge between Japan's refined craft traditions and the spiritual landscapes.
The design of this tour was recognized with the Regenerative Experience of the Year award at the 2024 Regenerative Travel Impact Awards, reflecting a long-term commitment to addressing overtourism while ensuring that travel directly benefits local communities in places that need it most.
While Kyoto welcomes millions of visitors each year, this journey focuses on the quieter, lived-in side of the city, the backstreets, workshops, and neighborhoods that rarely receive sustained attention. In contrast, Kumano faces the challenges of depopulation, where ancient traditions and cultural heritage risk being lost unless new generations are given meaningful reasons and support to carry them forward.
By bringing travelers into close contact with makers in both urban and rural settings, and by directing attention away from heavily trafficked destinations, this journey demonstrates how travel can meaningfully support the people and traditions that sustain Japan’s cultural heritage.
Kyoto - 5 Days
Join us on this journey to explore Kyoto, once the capital of Japan, as you step away from the crowds. Walk down the narrow alleyways and enter into the world of craftspeople in their own workspaces. Glimpse the spirit of the crafts, handed down for generations. Whether you have visited Kyoto before or not, this tour will grant you exclusive access to experiences you simply did not know existed.
Craftspeople are different from artists because the utility must outweigh the beauty of their crafts. They must constantly adapt to the changes of time, and innovate. As a “patron of the arts”, you will listen to the plight of the artisans – and perhaps learn ways to help keep their crafts alive.
The Kyoto You Touch & Feel (Not Just See)
Kyoto is not just a place to see the temples and shrines. It’s been a cosmopolitan hub that attracted and cultivated artisans and craftspeople from all over Asia for well over millenia. Witness their craft and the history behind it, which their families have faithfully passed down for generations. Paint with gold. Play with your food. Weave.
As you build appreciation for some of the traditional crafts originated in Kyoto, we timed this tour specifically to include a visit to one of the oldest craft & antique markets that has been going on every month for over 800 years! You WILL find treasures – with stories to boot. Guaranteed. A bilingual, “self-appointed” cultural ambassador, Miho, will guide and share with you her passion for all things Kyoto and traditional crafts throughout this tour (and help you bargain at the market!).
Kyoto is a walkable city located on a flat part of a valley along Kamo River. Modeled after Chang'an (Xi'an) of ancient China, the streets are in grid-like layout and are very easy to navigate. Bring your comfy, walking shoes – you’ll be getting your steps in every day!
Japan's Countryside (Kumano & Ise) - 7 days
Step into the spiritual heart of Japan as we journey deep into Kumano, a rural region of forested mountains, rugged coastline, and living tradition. Long before Kyoto became the imperial capital, Kumano was revered as a sacred destination, drawing pilgrims from across Japan who believed these mountains to be a threshold between the human and divine.
Japan's Spiritual Heartland
We will visit the Grand Shrines of Kumano and Ise, extraordinary not only for their striking architecture in Japan's most revered natural settings, but for what they represent: a rare and enduring blend of Shinto and Buddhist belief, shaped by centuries of pilgrimage, nature worship, and ritual. Here, spirituality is inseparable from the landscape itself.
Beyond the shrines, we travel far off the beaten path to meet craftspeople who have chosen to remain in Kumano’s countryside. Enter the mountain workshop of a sword maker preserving techniques passed down through generations, and visit the birthplace of Japanese soy sauce to see how this essential ingredient is still made using time-honored methods.
Kumano is a land of deep rest and renewal. Between the sea and the mountains lie some of Japan’s most atmospheric hot springs, from secluded forest onsen to seaside baths overlooking the Pacific. After days of walking, learning, and connecting, we soak, slow down, and experience Kumano as pilgrims have for centuries.
Proudly in collaboration with
Winner of
TRIP DATES
-
November 6 to November 17, 2026 only
Day 1
Kyoto
Upon your arrival at the hotel, your guide, Miho, will meet you and help you settle into your room. After settling in, join us for a special welcome matcha tea with some sweet morsels.
For dinner on this first night, we will enjoy Kyoto’s local specialty, duck hot pot, on the bank of the Kamo River.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: Centrally located hotel with plenty of charm and convenience
Day 2
Kyoto
After the morning buffet at the hotel, you will walk the narrow streets toward the Kamo River and arrive at an elegant shop and studio whose mission is to help keep generations of traditional crafts alive in Japan. This is a rare opportunity to learn, in English, about the history and the art of Kintsugi (gold joinery).
Kintsugi is not a quick fix – it requires patience, as repairing one simple chip could take about one month to complete. It uses only 100% natural materials, including 24K gold (or other metal) powder, rendering the finished piece beautiful, yet food-safe and stronger than before. You will get a taste of this centuries-old, sustainable way to mend and restore broken or chipped pottery – as well as learn about the whole ecosystem of suppliers and craftspeople that kintsugi supports.
For lunch, we will walk to a casual restaurant on the temple grounds, not too far from the studio.
In the afternoon, enjoy some free time to explore the remarkable city of Kyoto on your own. Dinner is out-of-pocket, but we will all go together to enjoy authentic Kyoto ramen or something similar.
Exclusive Experiences: Introductory Kintsugi class (conducted in English)
Meals Included: Breakfast (at hotel) | Lunch
Accommodation: Centrally located hotel with plenty of charm and convenience
Day 3
Kyoto
Today, we will hit the oldest flea market in Japan, shopping for true treasures at Toji Temple! The origin story dates back to 1239 – it was a way to honor the passing of the great monk, Kobo Daishi Kukai, affectionately known as “Kobo-san”. Since then, what began as a monthly memorial service has turned into a market/fair, and continued every month for over 800 years. Look for hand-crafted souvenirs or Japanese antiques – tea bowls, pottery, lacquerware, kimonos, swords, dolls, and more, all at great bargain prices. Happy treasure-hunting!
Lunch is on your own, but we recommend you try the street food in the market!
In the afternoon, we will partake in sweet tea treat-making: Making tea-treats for over 160 years, this traditional confectionery house has been creating sweets since the time of the Edo period, and serving local temples and shrines for six generations. Learn how simple ingredients of rice, beans and sugar can be transformed into artful morsels.
After making tea treats, you may want to enjoy some free time to explore the Higashiyama area of Kyoto (Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto National Museum, Sanjyu-sangen-do, etc.) on your own, or return to the hotel to rest.
For dinner, we can provide recommendations and help you make reservations with enough advance notice.
Exclusive Experiences: Flea market on the first Sunday of the month, and sweet tea treat-making
Meals Included: Breakfast (in hotel)
Accommodation: Centrally located hotel with plenty of charm and convenience
Day 4
Kyoto
In the morning, we will take a scenic train ride on Eizan Line for a garden tour at Rurikoin for the spectacular fall colors. Originally built in the mid-1800s as a mountain villa, Rurikoin was later rebuilt in the style of “sukiya”, a tea ceremony arbor. It was eventually acquired by a Buddhist temple, and only in 2005 was it opened to the public for viewing. Enjoy a moment of tranquility and serenity over a bowl of matcha tea and a stroll through its spectacular gardens.
In the afternoon, we will grab a hearty lunch before visiting a small workshop of Sanada-braid (himo).
Originating in the 15th century, Sanada himo was initially used for battle gear, and eventually as decorative ribbons for boxes used in tea ceremonies. A direct descendant of the father of tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu, our teacher will share the secret ways the cord was used to distinguish their foes apart from friends (think ninja), give us a tour of his loom, and demonstrate different applications Sanada himo has been used to this day.
For dinner, we will meet up for an authentic Kyoto kaiseki dinner in the Higashiyama/Gion district.
Exclusive Experiences: Garden tour at Rurikoin and Sanada-himo weaving demonstration and crafting workshop
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Accommodation: Centrally located hotel with plenty of charm and convenience
Day 5
Kyoto
Our last full day in Kyoto will begin with a visit to one of the textile studios in the Nishijin district (Nishi-jin meaning “Western Camp”, originating from the western army's encampment during the 15th-century Ōnin War). Nishijin-ori (weave) uses brightly dyed silk threads often interwoven with metallic gold and silver threads, creating a luxurious, traditional Japanese silk brocade with centuries of refined textile artistry. Renowned for its intricate patterns and rich textures, it was historically used for imperial robes, ceremonial kimono, and palace interiors. Now it is often seen in elaborate kimono obi (sashes), Noh costumes, and festival decorations. It was designated as one of the national traditional crafts of Japan in 1976.
We will tour a working studio that has been designing and weaving obi (kimono sash) for over 175 years on the same premises. We will get an inside look at the production process from the pattern making to the hand weaving on the loom, and will have the opportunity to view on display the rare and beautiful textiles from the Edo and Meiji periods.
For lunch, we will take a short taxi ride to the quaint Saga Toriimoto Traditional Buildings Preservation District, just north of Arashiyama.
After a leisurely lunch, you are welcome to visit Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple* (a 1200-year-old Buddhist temple featuring thousands of carved stone memorial statues), stroll downhill through the historical Saga Toriimoto district, and explore the greater Arashiyama on foot.
*Adashino Temple has a bamboo forest rivaling one in Arashiyama - minus the crowd!
The last dinner together in Kyoto will be a time for reflection; a time to share all the highlights and regroup before the next portion of the adventure: Kumano!
Exclusive Experiences: A visit to a Nishijin-ori Kimono/Obi weaver studio
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Accommodation: Centrally located hotel with plenty of charm and convenience
Day 6
Kyoto → Ise
Today we will depart Kyoto and travel south toward the sacred city of Ise (~2 hours), arriving in time for lunch.
Lunch will be out of pocket, but we will dine together at a beautifully old-fashioned local restaurant featuring a traditional in-floor hearth and exceptional house-made tofu prepared using time-honored methods.
Next, we will make a very special visit to a family-owned kimono shop with deep roots in Ise. This visit offers a rare opportunity to experience kimono as a living tradition. With expert guidance, guests will be dressed in kimono and learn about seasonal motifs, fabrics, and the quiet rules of elegance that shape how kimono are worn.
After we have dressed in kimono, we will visit Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred site in Shinto and the spiritual heart of Japan. Dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess and mythical ancestor of the Imperial family, the shrine has been a place of pilgrimage for over 2,000 years. Its buildings are ritually rebuilt every 20 years in a tradition known as Shikinen Sengū, preserving ancient craftsmanship and expressing the Shinto belief in renewal and continuity. Crossing the Uji Bridge, we symbolically leave the everyday world behind and walk the forested paths in quiet reverence.
In the late afternoon, we will check into Sennomori, a peaceful forest-set ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) known for its restorative hot spring baths and serene setting. Dinner there is exceptional; it will be included and enjoyed together.
Exclusive Experiences: Family-run kimono dressing in Ise and guided visit to Ise Grand Shrine
Meals Included: Breakfast | Dinner
Accommodation: Sennomori ryokan or similar
Day 7
Ise → Kumano City
After breakfast in our ryokan, we depart Ise and travel south along the coast to Kumano City (~2 hours).
En route, we will stop for lunch at Tobeya, an intimate charcoal kappō restaurant housed in a 140-year-old former village headman’s residence. Kappō refers to a style of Japanese dining that sits between fine dining and home cooking, where the chef prepares dishes directly in front of guests, emphasizing seasonality, technique, and a close connection between cook and diner. Cooking is done over a sunken hearth using prized Kishu binchōtan, which burns at extremely high temperatures and without smoke, allowing fish to be grilled with crisp skin, moist flesh, and a clean, concentrated flavor, and vegetables to be lightly charred while retaining their natural sweetness.
Upon arrival in Kumano City, we will visit the workshop of a kakishibu craftsman. Kakishibu is a traditional Japanese dye made from fermented unripe persimmons, prized for its deep earthy tones as well as its natural strengthening, waterproofing, and antibacterial properties. Used historically on textiles, paper, wood, and fishing gear, kakishibu reflects a way of living closely attuned to nature. You will learn about the process and philosophy behind the craft and have the opportunity to purchase pieces directly from the maker.
In the afternoon, we check into Umi Hikari, a seaview ryokan in Kumano City. The rest of the day is free to relax, enjoy the coastal setting, or simply unwind after a full day of travel and discovery. Dinner will be included and enjoyed at the hotel.
Exclusive Experiences: Kakishibu craftsman workshop visit, destination dining at Tobeya
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Accommodation: Umi Hikari or similar
Day 8
Kumano City
Next, we travel deep into the mountains to visit a traditional swordsmith workshop. Here, you will learn about the history and discipline of Japanese sword making. Under the guidance of the smith, you will have the rare opportunity to try your own hand at forging a small blade.
We return to Kumano City for lunch at Shokudo Ao. This restaurant is incredible. They have redefined Japanese diner cuisine and elevated it to a new level. The owner catches the fish for sashimi himself. Usually, you can’t enjoy this kind of fish in the countryside, as it is worth so much, it is sold to expensive restaurants in major cities for a very high price. However, this chef believes the people of the countryside should be able to enjoy their local fish, so he makes a point of serving it at a reasonable price at his restaurant. It is extremely fresh, since it is from the local area.
In the afternoon, enjoy free time at the onsen resort to soak and rest, or choose to walk to the beach and the dramatic rock formations of Onigajo, about an hour on foot from the hotel (taxis can be arranged if preferred, at your own expense). Massage treatments are also available to book at the ryokan for those who wish to further unwind.
Dinner will be included and enjoyed together at the ryokan.
Exclusive Experiences: Swordsmith workshop visit with hands-on knife making and destination lunch at Shokudo Ao
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Accommodation: Umi Hikari or similar
Day 9
Kumano City → Hongu
We check out of our seaview ryokan and drive about one hour from Kumano City into the mountain town of Hongu, following the river valleys deeper into cedar-covered hills.
Today, we visit our first of the three Kumano Grand Shrines: Hongu Taisha. After ascending and descending the 158 stone steps to the shrine, we will walk through the town to Oyunohara, the original site of the shrine (moved up the hill due to a flood in the 1800s), now marked by the largest torii gate in the world. Standing alone in the valley, the gate marks a spiritual threshold to the world of sacred Shinto deities.
Lunch will be at a glassmaker’s café overlooking the torii gate. The specialties here are dry curry and coffee. Dry curry is a Japanese interpretation of curry inspired by Western dishes, typically minced meat and vegetables sautéed with curry spices and served with rice, lighter and less saucy than traditional Japanese curry. It is deeply comforting.
In the afternoon, you will take part in a hands-on paper making class, learning the fundamentals of traditional Japanese washi. Guided by a local craftsperson, you will work with natural fibers and water to form sheets by hand, gaining insight into a process that values patience, repetition, and feel as much as technique.
Next, we continue deeper into the mountains to the neighboring hot spring villages, where we will check into a traditional ryokan. We will spend the evening soaking in mineral-rich hot srings, enjoy a ryokan-served dinner, and appreciate a quiet mountain night.
Exclusive Experiences: Visit Hongu Grand Shrine and the world’s largest torii gate; Lunch at a glassmaker’s café overlooking the torii gate
Meals Included: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
Accommodation: Adumaya, Fujiya, or Midoriya ryokan
Day 10
Hongu → Shingu → Nachi → Nachi-Katsuura
After checking out of our mountain ryokan, we will drive about 45 minutes from Hongu to Shingu. Our morning begins with a hands-on waraji (traditional straw sandal) making experience, an essential item once worn by pilgrims walking the Kumano routes, and still worn in local festivals today. We then visit Kumano Hayatama Taisha, one of the three Grand Shrines of Kumano, dramatically set against the mountains at the mouth of the Kumano River.
Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant in Shingu.
In the afternoon, we drive approximately 30 minutes to Kumano Nachi Taisha and continue on to Nachi Falls, Japan’s tallest waterfall and an object of worship long before formal shrine buildings existed. The shrine, forest, and waterfall together form one of the most powerful sacred landscapes in the region.
From Nachi, we continue about 20 minutes to Nachi-Katsuura, where we check in to a seaside hot spring resort. Dinner will be included and enjoyed at the resort, featuring exceptionally fresh tuna sourced from the Katsuura tuna market, home to the largest tuna auction house in Japan. Simply put: tuna caught here, eaten here.
Exclusive Experiences: Waraji-making workshop, visits to Hayatama Grand Shrine and Nachi Grand Shrine, and Nachi Falls viewing
Meals Included: Breakfast | Dinner
Accommodation: Kamenoi or Taoya seaside hot spring resort
Day 11
Nachi-Katsuura → Yuasa
We say goodbye to the deep south today and travel about three hours to the charming historic town of Yuasa, widely regarded as the birthplace of Japanese soy sauce.
Yuasa’s compact old town preserves wooden merchant houses and kura storehouses where soy sauce has been brewed for centuries. We will stroll the streets, sample soy sauce (and soy sauce ice cream!), and visit local producers where you can purchase distinctive varieties rarely found outside the region, including smoky soy sauce, delicate white soy sauce, and other small-batch styles shaped by long fermentation and local climate.
Put your newly gained knowledge to work in the cooking classroom, where you'll prepare a koji-based condiment to take home with you (TBD).
In the evening, we check into a traditional ryokan and enjoy dinner featuring Yuasa’s signature flavors. The meal highlights local soy sauce and Kinzanji miso, a chunky, lightly fermented condiment made from soybeans, grains, and vegetables. Unlike smooth miso paste, Kinzanji miso is eaten as is, slightly sweet and savory, traditionally enjoyed with rice, vegetables, or alongside drinks.
Exclusive Experiences: Visit to Yuasa, birthplace of soy sauce, soy sauce tastings, and specialty shopping
Meals Included: Breakfast | Dinner
Accommodation: Yuasa ryokan featuring local cuisine
Day 12
Departure
After a final breakfast at the ryokan, our journey together comes to a close. Yuasa is approximately a one-hour drive or a 1.5–2 hour train ride to Kansai International Airport (KIX). We’re happy to help you think through the smoothest route to the airport, or offer guidance for wherever you may be heading next in Japan. The tour officially ends after breakfast, leaving you well fed, well rested, and ready for the next chapter of your travels.
Over the course of these days, you will have moved through workshops, kitchens, studios, forests, and ordinary rooms where work is simply being done. In Kyoto, people will have repaired, woven, cooked, and assembled things with the expectation that they be used. In Ise, cloth will have been chosen carefully, worn briefly, and folded away again. In Kumano, materials will have come straight from the landscape. Persimmons, straw, iron, water. What matters is whether it worked, whether it lasted, whether it made sense to keep doing it this way.
We hope you will have taken away more than treasured crafts as souvenirs, though you will certainly have many! But you will also have shared meals and conversations, moments of genuine exchange, and connections formed along the way. Many of the crafts you encountered will exist on uncertain ground, carried forward by a small number of people who continue the work because it still matters to them. If this journey leaves you with a deeper appreciation for these practices, and a desire to support them when you encounter them again, then it will have done what it set out to do.
Meals Included: Breakfast
