Step away from central Tokyo and enter a place where history is still part of everyday life.

Hidden in Edogawa, a 170-year-old traditional Japanese home welcomes you not as a museum visitor, but as a guest in a living residence.

This "Kominka," or old house, has been cared for by the same family for over 500 years, shaped by generations who once played a central role in the local community.

Your host, Takayuki Yano, is the 17th-generation head of this family. After working in the corporate world, he returned home at age 30 to continue his family’s legacy and care for the land his ancestors had cultivated for centuries.

Inside the home, staff will introduce "Asobi-no-Sho," a relaxed approach to Japanese calligraphy focusing on expression over perfection.

Instead of formal practice, you explore Kanji linked to your name and its meaning.

With guidance from the host, you brush your chosen characters onto paper using traditional tools. The ink flows gently across washi paper, and the quiet of the house slows everything down, far from the city outside.

The experience then continues outdoors in one of Tokyo’s largest blueberry orchards within the 23 wards. Rows of bushes stretch across open land, carrying a light sweetness in the summer air as sunlight filters through the leaves.

Takayuki has independently cultivated around 35 varieties of blueberries, the highest number in Tokyo’s 23 wards, creating an orchard where guests can enjoy seasonal harvesting regardless of experience. He shares how to identify fruit at peak ripeness before you pick your own selection to enjoy and take home.

What makes this experience stand out is how it connects living family heritage, urban agriculture, and hands-on creativity in a single visit.

It offers a rare chance to experience a quieter side of Tokyo, shaped by over 500 years of history that is still actively lived today.