Excursion Tour from Marunouchi
A Day Trip to Explore the Beauty of Sawara【Itinerary】

8:38

Departure from Tokyo Station（by highway express bus）

10:20

Arrival at Sawara

10:40

Visit Katori Jingu

11:40

Lunch at LE UN

13:20

River cruise at Ono River

13:50

Visit Tadataka Ino’s registered museum

14:20

Taste shaved ice at Inae

15:00

Experience Kirie（paper cutout）

16:20

Coffee break at Chaya Hanakanmuri Honten

17:00

Shopping at Abumo Seiyu

17:40

Return to Tokyo station（by highway express bus）

●The superb excursion menu for business groups holding MICE events inMarunouchi
Sawara developed along with Katori Jingu, the most prestigious shrine in the northern partof Chiba Prefecture with a history stretching back more than 2600 years. Along the Ono
River are wooden houses, storehouses, and Western-style dwellings built a few hundredyears ago that have retained the atmosphere of their time, creating an emotional landscape.
This district was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional
Buildings for the first time in the Greater Tokyo Area. Moreover, walking through the town,
you can experience firsthand the history and culture passed down from generation togeneration.
DMO TOKYO Marunouchi *selected Sawara as one of the excursion destinations forbusiness groups holding MICE in the Marunouchi area. MICE stands for Meeting, Incentive
Travel, Convention, Exhibition/Event and is used as a catch-all term for major businessevents. (Note: Marunouchi refers to Otemachi, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho)*DMO TOKYO Marunouchi is a Destination Marketing Organization whose aim is to revitalize local communities andhelp increase the added value of MICE events by helping attract and host urban experiences that take advantage of themany business event facilities and unique venues in the Marunouchi area.

●A visit to the sublime shrine, Katori Jingu

The bright vermilion-lacquered tower gate of Katori Jingu was built more than 300 years ago.

Katori Jingu, said to have been founded during the reign of Japan's first emperor Jinmu,
enshrines the god of martial arts known to possess blessings of swordsmanship for victoryand opening the way to success. The shrine pavilion, located at the back of the shrine'sprecincts paved with beautiful cobbles, has a dignified black tone that accentuates the richly
colored carvings. At the hall of worship, you can receive an authentic prayer service from a
Shinto priest.

● Enjoying fermented French cuisine with all five senses: LE UN, therestaurant renovated from a 150-year-old storehouse

LE UN is a unique space that embodies a beautiful marriage of Japanese and Western influences.

Sawara Merchant Town Hotel NIPPONIA, is a unique accommodation facility whose idea isto treat the entire town of Sawara as one hotel. Interestingly enough, some of thesebuildings are precious wooden structures over 100 years old, creating a magical feeling thatblends you into the traditional Japanese townscape.
The restaurant LE UN opened in March 2021 as the new face of NIPPONIA after renovatinga mirin (sweet cooking rice wine) storehouse in the late 18th century. This building wasoriginally the south storehouse of Baba Honten Sake Brewery, which has engaged inbrewing Japanese sake and mirin using traditional methods for over 300 years. According
to NIPPONIA manager Yoshihiko Koda, some parts of the building, such as the pillars andwindow frames, were left untouched to preserve the original atmosphere.

At LE UN, you can taste fermented French cuisine based on the concept of “terroir etnature," which uses fresh, local ingredients to bring out the best of their flavors. Lunch
starts with a non-alcoholic mirin tonic using "Supreme White Mirin" from Baba Honten
Sake Brewery. Following the appetizer and soup, there are two main dishes to choose from:fish and meat dishes or one with dessert and an after-meal drink. Here are some of thedishes you can enjoy with all your senses.

（Clockwise from upper left）Appetizers: Katori corn bavarois with rosemary, marinated smoked scallops;
Oriental-style potage of Chiba pumpkin; (Meat dish) Roasted Chiba SPF pork with warm petit salé salad
Watermelon and green pepper with ravigote sauce; a bar at LE UN with a sophisticated atmosphere●The river cruise with panoramic views of Sawara

The scenery may evoke a sense of nostalgia as if you were time-traveling back to good old Japan hundredsof years ago

With a river cruise at Ono River, you can thoroughly enjoy the beautiful scenery of Sawara
in a Japanese-style boat guided by a seasoned boatman. If you are lucky, you can see thetrain running above you as the boat passes under the railroad tracks. The river is said to behome to about 100 spot-billed ducks. Swans are also said to appear when the weather gets alittle cooler. One of the best parts of this river cruise is that you can enjoy the scenery withseasonal flowers, such as Japanese irises in early summer and cosmos in autumn. Just astone's throw away from the boarding point is the memorial museum of Tadataka Ino, alegendary surveyor who created Japan's first map. Photography is not allowed in thebuilding except in some exhibition rooms, but this is a must-see spot when visiting Sawara.
This memorial museum exhibits many valuable possessions related to his life.

●The unique charms of Sawara: Shaved ice, paper cutouts, and a cafe with afabulous interior

Shaved ice 'Wasanbon sudachi' at a Japanese-style sweet parlor, Inae

Sawara has also gained popularity for Japanese shaved ice in recent years. At the lovely
Japanese-style sweet parlor "Inae," a renovated townhouse from around the 19th century,
you can enjoy "Wasanbon Sudachi," shaved ice topped with syrup made from Japaneserefined sugar.

For those new to paper cutting, a personalized design can be completed in an hour.

You can also enjoy a paper-cutting experience under the guidance of Masahiro Noguchi, thetown's leading paper-cutting artist. Among various designs such as Japanese irises,boatmen, and earthen storehouses, you can choose the one you like. The completed Kirie
would be a fabulous souvenir of Sawara.

At Chaya Hanakanmuri Honten, everyone can enjoy tea and pudding in a relaxing space where time passes
slowly.

Chaya Hanakanmuri Honten is a cafe where Japanese and Western styles are uniquely
blended. Inside the two-story wooden structure is a stunning interior with lantern-shaped
lights created by sculptor Isamu Noguchi, antique sofas with elegant floral patterns, and awooden partition carved with bamboo motifs. The cafe is known not only for its museumlike space but also for its pudding specialty. The rich pudding, which does not rely onvanilla beans and takes full advantage of the local egg flavor, is so exquisite that it waschosen as the champion hopeful for the Pudding Olympics. You can also enjoy shopping atAbumo Seiyu, a specialty store of chili and sesame oil.
We are looking to refine the contents of this tour as an original menu for business groups
holding MICE events in Marunouchi and introduce them on our website. DMO TOKYO
Marunouchi will continue to promote MICE events in Marunouchi by strengthening
cooperation with the local community while creating exceptional offerings that allow
everyone to experience the wonders of similar regions firsthand.