[Hiroshima/Takehara City] [Plan with meals and taxi included] Aki's Little Kyoto "Chōzenji Temple and History" Enjoy a special time with a beautiful temple hall and delicious vegetarian cuisine!

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• This half-day sightseeing tour visits the historic Chozenji Temple in Takehara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, known as Aki's Little Kyoto. This tour includes a taxi and meets at Takehara Station. The tour operates every Tuesday and Wednesday. Upon arrival at the Chozenji Temple grounds, you'll be greeted with a welcome drink and a chanting of Buddhist prayers by the head priest. Then, you'll tour the Ishiyama Battle Memorial Hall on the temple grounds, accompanied by a commentary from the head priest. This museum displays the flag of the Ishiyama Battle and the list of those killed at Amagasaki Fort during the Battle of Ishiyama (1570-80), a battle between Oda Nobunaga and the followers of the Honganji Temple. At the request of the third head priest, Ensai, a group of followers, primarily from the Fujiwara clan, organized the Kihata-gumi, which dispatched a supply ship with the Mori army and supported Ishiyama. Afterward, you'll enjoy copying sutras in the kuri (temple hall) overlooking a Japanese garden with a "heart" motif. Then, you'll enjoy copying sutras in front of the beautiful Japanese garden. Copying sutras is a form of meditation. Meditation can help relieve everyday stress. Enjoy authentic Chozenji vegetarian cuisine amidst the beautiful garden and furnishings. Experience the special cuisine and atmosphere only available here. ~Schedule~ 10:00 Meet at JR Takehara Station. Travel to Chozenji Temple. Experience sutra copying and visit the Ishiyama Battle Memorial Museum with a guide. 11:30 Lunch: Enjoy vegetarian kaiseki cuisine while admiring the magnificent folding screen and Japanese garden. After this course, you'll have free time to explore the Takehara Old Town Preservation District. Japan Heritage Site "Takehara Old Town Preservation District" Takehara City (Hiroshima Prefecture), known as "Aki's Little Kyoto," has been designated one of the 100 Best Urban Landscapes and was recognized as a Japan Heritage Site in 2019. Takehara is said to have first been developed as a manor for Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto during the Heian period under the Law Concerning the Permanent Private Property of Reclaimed Land. During the Muromachi period, Takakage, the third son of Mori Motonari (who was adopted into the Kobayakawa family and became Kobayakawa Takakage), spent his childhood here. Takakage received the "Three Arrows" teachings from Motonari and was one of the supporters of the Mori clan's regime. Later, in the late Edo period, the area developed through salt fields and sake brewing, boasting an 80% share of Hiroshima Prefecture's salt market at the time. Takehara boasts three sake breweries: Taketsuru Brewery, Fujii Brewery, and Nakao Brewery. Taketsuru Masataka, founder of Nikka Whisky, known as the "Father of Japanese Whisky," was born in Takehara. Taketsuru Brewery, Masataka's birthplace, still operates within the Townscape Preservation District. During this period of salt and sake development, Rai Sanyo, a Confucian scholar and author of "Nihon Gaishi" (Japan History), who had a profound influence on the patriots of the late Edo period, was active. The former home of Sanyo's grandfather, Rai Korekiyo, is located within the Townscape Preservation District. (Excerpt from the Japan Historical Travel Association) The annual "Takehara Road of Longing" event is held in the townscape preservation district, where beautiful candlelight and bamboo lanterns light up the town beautifully. The atmosphere of the old houses shining through the lattice doors is also charming, giving you the illusion of having traveled back in time.
• Taxi included
• Please come to JR Takehara Station. A staff member will guide you.
• Lunch included
• We will be serving vegetarian cuisine made with seasonal local vegetables. You won't often come across such elegant, beautiful and refined cuisine from the Fujinkai. It is a healthy and gentle dish that is very popular with foreigners.
• After lunch, feel free to
• Takehara's old town preservation district, a popular tourist destination since ancient times, has been designated a Japan Heritage Site. Enjoy the townscape, which retains the atmosphere of the Edo period, at your own pace. If you require a guide, please let us know. This is available for an additional fee.