AKITA 2019

Sun Feb 17th – Fri Feb 22nd, 2019

Maximum 14 participants.

HIGHLIGHTS

Sake

Learn about sake from the world’s leading expert, John Gauntner, in an intimate class setting. Maximum group size is fourteen people.

Explore the snow country and visit four breweries that are not open to the general public. Each brewery introduces you to different aspects of their brewing traditions.

Food

Soba noodles are a staple food in this extremely cold region. Find out for yourself about the local style of soba by trying your hand at making noodles in a beautifully maintained historic kura, or storehouse, at the sake brewery.

Try traditional farm-style Akita cuisine and learn how to make kiritanpo rice cake from the “The Best Mom” in Akita at her farm.

Culture & Tradition

Enjoy a special minyo folk songs of Akita at welcome dinner.

Explore Kakunodate and get a glimpse of the life of a samurai general in the well-preserved Edo-era quarter. View special exhibition of Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) dolls from the same period displayed in historic residences as you walk the area.

Visit Masuda: this area once flourished as a center of commerce in the Tohoku region. Enjoy the finest kura, built in an architectural style unique to this area.

Onsen

Soak in hot springs to fully enjoy Akita. On the last night, a milky open air bath in deep snow at rustic Nyuto Onsen will take you back to a different era.

ITINERARY – 5 DAYS/5 NIGHTS

Pre-Tour (Sunday) Tokyo

Arrive in Tokyo and check-in at Keikyu Ex Inn Shinagawa Station. Enjoy exploring Tokyo on your own. There’s no group activity today. Optional dinner at a local izakaya is planned at night.

Hotel: Keikyu EX Inn Shinagawa Station
Meals: none

Day 1 (Monday) Yuri Honjo and Yokote, Akita

We will begin our sake journey with a sake lecture by John Gauntner in Tokyo. Fly from Tokyo Haneda Airport and arrive in Akita in the morning. A special interview with the legendary veteran Yuki no Bosha toji, or brew master, enlightens any sake fan. Relax at onsen hot springs before dinner. At dinner, a private performance of minyo folksongs is scheduled to finish the day with the sound of Akita.

Hotel: Yokote Plaza Annex with onsen, Yokote, Akita
Meals: Breakfast; lunch; banquet-style dinner with sake and minyo

Day 2 (Tuesday) Yokote, Akita

Visit Ama no To in the morning to discover their philosophy and individual approach to local sake brewing. In the afternoon, tour the Masuda area which flourished as center of commerce centuries ago. Storehouses decorated with glossy lacquer and built inside the house is a special feature of this area. Enjoy a special viewing of the finest examples of historic kura at a local merchant and at Hinomaru Jozo, which produce Mansaku no Hana and Manabito. Dinner features Akita delights paired with sake at one of the beautifully restored kura.

Hotel: Yokote Plaza Annex with onsen, Yokote, Akita
Meals: Breakfast; lunch; dinner with sake

Day 3 (Wednesday) Daisen, Akita

Visit Akita Seishu’s brewery, Kariho for a culinary experience. Learn about the local style soba through your own hard work, by actually kneading the dough and enjoying the fresh soba and sake tasting at Kariho’s historic kura. In the afternoon, explore Kakunodate’s Edo-period quarter at your own leisure. Enjoy the local craft galleries and visits to samurai residences such as Aoyagi Samurai Manor Museum or Ishiguro-ke.

Hotel: Bukeyashiki Hotel, Kakunodate
Meals: Breakfast; soba lunch

Day 4 (Thursday) Kakunodate and Nyuto Onsen, Akita

Be ready for a total immersion in Akita winter food. Moms of Akita will share their secret recipes for pickles and kiritanpo rice cake. Enjoy a relaxing lunch at the farm house. In the afternoon, trek further into deep snow country to Nyuto Onsen. Simply enjoy the tranquil rustic onsen and very simple inaka country-style food.

Tsurunoyu at Nyuto Onsen (Japanese style inn) – Subject to change
Meals: Breakfast; lunch; dinner with sake

Day 5 (Friday) Nyuto Onsen, Akita to Tokyo

In the morning, continue to relax at the ryokan or hop on a shuttle bus to try out different baths in the area. In the afternoon, travel to Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train in comfort or continue your exploration in the snow country at a leisurely pace.

Meal: Breakfast

DATES

Sunday Feb 17th – Friday Feb 22nd 2019.

COST

Twin 380,000 JPY

Single +10,000 JPY

PRICE INCLUDES

Sake lecture by renowned sake expert, John Gauntner.
Four special private tours and tastings at sake breweries. These companies are not open to the general public.
Activities and entertainments: soba making experience at a brewery, private cooking lesson, private minyo folk song performance.
5 nights accommodation. 1 night at Keikyu EX Inn in Tokyo, 2 nights at Yokote Plaza Annex with a private open-air bath (twin rooms only), 1 night at Bukeyashiki Hotel, and 1 night at ryokan Japanese style inn with hot springs.
5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners. Dinners include selected sake from the breweries we visit.
All transportation costs during the tour for February 26 through March 2, excluding the Shinkansen bullet train from Akita to Tokyo. The flight to Akita from Tokyo is included.
A qualified tour leader who is certified Advanced Sake Professional will provide translation and informative commentary throughout the trip.

DOMESTIC TRANSPORTATION AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL IN JAPAN

Your tour begins at Keikyu EX Inn Shinagawa Ekimae in Tokyo and it ends with a return by Shinkansen bullet train from Tazawako to Tokyo. Shinkansen bullet train from Tazawako to Tokyo is not included in the tour cost.

For your convenience, we will of course coordinate your domestic transportation for you.

For those planning to use JR Pass for more extended travel, please contact us for details regarding Shinkansen return travel from Tazawako.

ADDITIONAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

Additional domestic travel arrangements and consulting are available. Tazawako area is known as one of the best ski resorts in Akita. Please contact us at info@saketours.com for more information.