Mt. Tsukuba and Japanese Sake Brewery Course
Tsukuba International Congress Center 12:00 ＝ Mt. Tsukuba 13:00-14:30 ＝Japanese Sake Brewery 15:30-16:30 ＝ Tsukuba Sta. 17:20*Fee for Cable Car and Japanese Sake Brewery Tour and Sake Tasting are included.

Inaba Shuzo/Nishioka-Honten
Mt. Tsukuba
Located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Mt. Tsukuba is a twin-peaked
mountain rich in history and beauty. Although hiking is one
way to experience Mt. Tsukuba, an equally scenic way toenjoy its splendor is by taking a cable car ride up to its
majestic peaks. Legend has it that a female deity wasenshrined in the taller peak, and a male deity was enshrinedin the other. Between the two peaks you’ll find a number offood vendors and gift shops selling unique Japanesesouvenirs. The top of Mt. Tsukuba offers a spectacular view of
the Tokyo metropolis, including Tokyo Skytree and Mt. Fuji inthe distance in a sunny day.
It will take about 15 min. from the parking area to thecable car station. Wearing sneakers is recommend.

During this tour we will visit one of the following sake breweries, giveinformation about its facilities and history, and provide an opportunity
to taste test different sake varieties.
Inaba Shuzo has been known as the traditional sake brewery,founded at the foot of Mt. Tsukuba, and the present brewer is the
13th generation. In 1867, the 6th generation brewer developed themasterpiece sake, “Minanogawa”. The name is taken after the riverthat flows between peaks of Mt. Tsukuba. Since its inception, thesake has been served in the Tsukuba shrine as the sacred one.
Nishioka Honten has been also known as the traditional sakebrewery with a history of more than 230 years. The brewery features
the high-quality rice from the region and pure underwater that flows
through granite rocks. The brewer has kept the tradition and also
has challenged to improve the quality. Indeed, the sake, “Hananoi",
has been our favorite.

Craft Hills Kasama and Kasama Inari Shrine Course
Tsukuba International Congress Center 12:00 ＝ Craft Hills Kasama 13:00-14:30 ＝Kasama Inari Shrine 15:15-16:00 ＝ Tsukuba Sta. 17:20*Fee for Hand Twist Experience is included. Admission fee for Kasama Inari Shrine is free.

Craft Hills Kasama
Kasama-yaki is a traditional style of pottery originating fromthe Kasama area of Ibaraki Prefecture. Once commonly used
to make household ceramics, its tradition is now carried on by
a few hundred artisans settled in the area. On this tour we’ll
try our hand at using the Kasama-yaki technique to create aone-of-a-kind, individual pieces. Following the tour, yoursouvenir pieces will be mailed to you after they are ready; thisprocess generally takes a few months.
For participants residing overseas, international delivery isincluded in the tour price. Please note that it is advised towear clothes suitable for working with mud and clay, as there
is a possibility they may get stained.

Kasama Inari Shrine
Kasama Inari-jinja Shrine is one of the three major shrines in Japan
dedicated to the god Inari. This popular shrine, which is said to beover 1,300 years old, welcomes over 3.5 million visitors a year,
including many patrons who come to pay their respects to theUkanomitama deity enshrined here. Ukanomitama is worshipped as
the patron deity of good harvests, fortune and industry. The shrine
also holds a number of festivals and events throughout the year.

Kashimajingu Shrine and Sappa Boat Course
Tsukuba International Congress Center 12:00 ＝ Kashima Jingu Shrine 13:30-14:30 ＝Sappa Boat 15:00-16:00 ＝ Tsukuba Sta. 17:30*Fee for Sappa Boat Ride is included. Admission fee for Kashima Jingu Shrine is free.

Kashimajingu Shrine
Dating back to approximately 660 B.C., Kashima-jingu Shrine is not
only one of the most famous shrines in the Kanto region, but also theoldest. Dedicated to Takemikazuchi, a deity of war, the shrine has long
attracted samurai and other martial artists to its gates. You’ll even find
one of Japan’s National Treasures, a divine, long sword called Futsuno-mitama , housed and displayed on its grounds.

Sappa Boat
Sappa boats are small, traditional fishing boats. We’ll take a rivercruise through Itako’s Junikyo (12 bridges), built over a network ofcanals used for transporting goods during the Edo Period. The
canals are especially beautiful in June when colorful irises comeinto bloom along the banks. In this tour, a river cruise will be heldwith Sappa boats, traveling through the beautiful bridges in theold city.