<August 12th-15th only! Participate in an authentic Japanese festival> Immerse yourself in tradition and the circle of people at a once-in-a-lifetime festival. Experience the Kabuki Kuzushi dance, a secret tradition passed down in rural Japan, for 3 nights and 4 days (Ehime)

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Orange orchards stretch out over the steep mountain slopes, and as you descend the mountain slopes you'll find the sparkling blue sea. Nestled between the mountains and the sea is Karie, a tiny village with a population of about 700 people, which is the setting for this experience. Most of the residents here are orange farmers or fishermen. The residents are close both physically and psychologically, and the village is overflowing with smiles. This is true even when they are with outsiders. A culture of hospitality is deeply rooted in the residents, and they have developed life-sized interactions with them. Proof of this is that in the past five years, 12 young people have moved here from other towns, becoming new residents and livening up the area.

Here is a special stay plan that allows you to join the local residents in a festival that has been passed down secretly in this town.
The Watari Kabuki Kuzushi Bon Odori, held every August 14th, is a spectacular Bon Odori dance incorporating Kabuki plays, performed for the purpose of memorial services and the preservation of local culture. Based on famous Kabuki scenes, this folk art form is rare nationwide. It is said to have originated from the Isa Odori dance in the mid-Edo period. Dancers in gorgeous costumes and Kabuki-style makeup dance to the accompaniment of taiko drums and music, using a unique rhythm known as "kuchidoki." Performances include "Adachihara Senbonzakura," "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami," "Shiranami Gonin Otoko," and "Renjishi." Participants of all ages, from children to adults, participate, and the final dance is a unique one. While population decline and a lack of dancers have become issues in recent years, the tradition continues to be preserved thanks to the efforts of local people.

This plan begins with practicing with the local residents from the 12th in preparation for the main event on August 14th. After practicing every night, participants will don kabuki costumes and perform a performance together with the local residents, an experience that can only be had here.

Festival practice takes place at night, so we encourage you to immerse yourself in the life of this village during the day.
The village offers a variety of experience programs, including mountain and sea harvesting, downhill cycling, and local cuisine cooking. One of the most recommended experiences is the stone wall restoration experience, which can only be done in this village in Japan.
As mentioned above, the main industry in this village is mandarin orange farming. This farming style involves building stone walls on mountain slopes to create farmland. These stone walls, built hundreds of years ago, support the local mandarin orange farming. However, these stone walls are prone to collapse due to rain and wild boars. In the past, mandarin orange farmers would repair the walls themselves, but today, due to the aging of farmers and a decline in the number of people working in agriculture, repairing the stone walls is no longer possible. This has led to the creation of a new role: the "stone wall restorer," an expert who restores collapsed stone walls. During the experience, participants will actually participate in the restoration of stone walls while receiving lectures from these experts. You might think, "It's just stacking stones," but once you try it, you'll realize how fascinating this experience is. It requires ingenuity and physical strength, like a real-life Tetris game, to consider the relationship between the small stones that support the soil and the larger stones that are visible, and to align the stacking center with the natural shape of the stones to complete the work. Above all, the enjoyable process of assembling the product itself contributes to the local community by helping to support local industries, which is what makes it so meaningful to experience.

The special feature of this product is that you can "stay like a local" just like a local resident of this town.
Over a three-day, two-night stay, you can experience life in the village. You can rest assured that an "attendant guide" will support you throughout your stay in the village. They will guide you through the entire daily program, allowing you to smoothly interact with local people. Attendant guides are professionals who act as liaisons between the community, but they are not necessarily fluent in English (their English is at a conversational level). It may take some effort for you to communicate your thoughts to your attendant guide. However, please think of this as part of the fun of the trip. This is because the difficulties of communication between you and your attendant guide are what it means to live in this region. Rest assured, your attendant guide will always be eager to serve you and will make every effort to understand your thoughts. (If you would like an interpreter guide, this can be added as a separate option.)

If you continue to interact with the locals for four days, with the single goal of the festival in mind, you may find yourself finding a second home in Japan by the time you return home.
Experience a program that allows you to "interact with the locals and live as if you were a local" in Karie village, which is still little known to the world.