Japan Washoku 1-day Tours

A very personal and welcoming experience that felt more like visiting locals than joining a tour. Enjoying matcha and wagashi alongside live shamisen music was a highlight. The hosts shared stories about the area that made the meal feel meaningful. The atmosphere was calm, intimate, and authentic. A lovely choice for travelers seeking cultural connection rather than typical tourist activities.

This experience combined local Shizuoka dishes with cultural elements in a warm, relaxed setting. The hosts were friendly and communicated well in English, making it easy to follow along. The shamisen performance added a special cultural touch to the meal. The food felt homemade and rooted in the region. It works especially well when paired with other nearby sightseeing.

the first real day of our trip to Japan, we met our guide from Asageshiki at Hiroshima station. We had a lovely talk while we walked to the first stop on our morning tour and found out a bit about history, as well as the area. She has grown up in the area and so was knowledgeable. We started the day at a temple and were able to learn about many of the practices one should follow when visiting a shrine, as well as the meaning of many of the practices. This shrine did withstand, although renovated, the atomic blast, and was where many of the wounded were brought. Next we went up 433 steps to the top of a mountain in a first, an amazing forest smack dab in the city, a lot of it was original and had survived. We got more lessons on history, culture, as well as a workout. We also found out that a portion of our tour fee was used by Asageshiki group and many volunteers to care for and improve the path up the mountain, we got to see progress photos of their work, which was very impressive. Finally we reach the top for an absolutely amazing view of the city. After soaking that in we had the opportunity to have a very delicious bento box style breakfast and tea ceremony. It was honestly the best way to start our trip in hiroshima. As we walked back down the mountain we were able to get good advice about our plans for the day as well as advice on places to eat. I must recommend this tour for anyone coming to the area if you are fit enough for a slow, but lengthy climb.

We would even like to give more stars, Nana and teamaster Lily were wonderful in guiding us and telling Hiroshima stories. They are also very friendly with great personalities, making it a joy to spend time with them while climbing the mountain, using our 5 senses and experience a tea ceremony. As a group of two adults and two teens it can be a challenge to do something everyone enjous, but we unanimously say: best morning tour ever!!

Our group of 6 had a wonderful tour of Uji on April 7! With excellent English, Terumi S. led the tour which focused on a wide variety of Matcha and Green Tea experiences. We especially liked Terumi putting tea-making in Japan in context by pointing out the differences as we went along. Even though it was raining we were able to do all of the activities indoors. I especially liked the tea ceremony where the women were in full kimono dress with Terumi translating the ritual. She went the extra mile to get us to our next appointment by riding the train with us and showing us the connection! Arigato for an exceptional tour!