About our local experiences and workshops
Okumikawa has a range of experiences available, some exclusive to our guided tours, and others we can help you to book and organise. Understand Japan and Okumikawa at a deeper level by adding experiences to your package tour or guided tour!
Some experiences can be reached by public transport, but many require a hire car. We can work with you to organise a hire car, and on a package tour we can even book one for you from nearby cities. For more experiences in Okumikawa, this page also has some that we haven't included here.
Learn to cook our local speciality Japanese food
Grilled over charcoal, 'gohei mochi' is a delicious savoury and sweet miso flavoured treat that we love to make with guests at our beautiful property in the mountains.
Gohei mochi is a speciality of Central Japan, with a wide range of variations, and we love to teach our village's unique recipe!
Local tea farm tour with tasting session
Meet a friendly local tea farmer and taste a range of Japanese tea on this exclusive experience at a working tea farm (Toyoda Cha-en).
Available outside of peak season, this experience includes a tour around a tea field and the machinery for producing tea, followed by a tasting session so you can try the flavours possible from Japanese tea leaves. Become a bit of an expert on Japanese tea!
This experience also includes an opportunity to buy tea directly from the farmer.
Japanese green tea ceremony
Do you like Japanese green tea? Green tea ceremonies are elegant and precise, but unlike similar matcha ceremonies, it's easy for visitors to join.
Enjoy the range of flavours from this more rare part of tea culture!
Join us for some green tea at our beautiful home, or out in nature!
Custom tatami mat workshop
Discover the tradition of tatami mats while making your own mini tatami mat and coasters! This workshop will let you see the new and old ways of making tatami, and you'll leave knowing much more about this traditional flooring that you can only see in Japan. The funny and friendly family running these workshops love to share the tradition of tatami, from their family owned shop that was started in 1913.
In this workshop you can make roughly A5 sized tatami mats (a great souvenir size) and coasters made of tatami material. The small mat size is great for decorating your home, but other sizes are sometimes available on request.
Maru-kai natural dye workshops
Have a go at making your own unique patterns on a scarf, eco bag, tea towel, kitchen towel, etc. using local natural dyes. These workshops are run by a passionate fan of Okumikawa with a very famous cat!
The workshops use seasonal natural plants like chestnut, indigo, and fermented persimmon.
Simple+ sericite soap making workshops
Make your own unique sericite soap using local ingredients, in a beautiful valley of neighbouring Toei town! Sericite is a unique mineral used in high-end cosmetics, and the only mine in Japan is in Toei.
Sericite in soap helps to make the soap very smooth and effective for cleaning your face. It's also said to help make skin more smooth and feel more bright.
Naori sericite foundation making workshops
In Japanese, sericite's name means 'silk cloud mother' which is why it's used by high-end cosmetics producers. Sericite mines are uncommon, with the only Japanese mine being in nearby Toei town.
In these workshops, make your own natural and preservative-free mineral foundation, made to suit your skin tone! Other cosmetic workshops at Naori are sometimes available on request.
Inkstone master craftsman experience
At Mt. Horaiji, the Houmeido inkstone shop has been making inkstones for centuries, building on the 1,300 year old tradition of inkstone making at Mt. Horaiji.
The current owner has taken the family tradition in a more artistic direction, so the shop feels like an art gallery. His family even has inkstones kept in the Tokyo National Museum!
The owner will share the history of Mt. Horaiji and it's connection to inkstones, and you'll have the opportunity to use a high-quality inkstone with solid ink the traditional way.
Atera Village life walk
Want to know more about life in a small Japanese mountain village, or living in an old Japanese home (called a kominka)?
While strolling around our house and property, we can tell you all about the lifestyle and unique culture. This is particularly useful if you're considering moving to the Japanese countryside someday.
Our valley is famously beautiful, peaceful and dramatic, so our guests often love to spend time here.