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Tour details - Chikugo Valley Village Stay

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Highlights:

  • Stay in private, local community-operated traditional accommodation, including an elegantly restored 19th century merchant town-house and a classic Kyushu mountain village house

  • Explore an atmospheric historic town renowned for a multitude of craft traditions including handmade paper, wood and bamboocraft, Buddhist altars and lanterns, and observe the artisans in action at their workshops

  • Learn the ins and outs of traditional Japanese indigo dyeing and Kasuri (Ikat) textile weaving at a family-run workshop that prides itself on using safe natural plant-based dyes, with an opportunity to try your own hand at indigo dyeing

  • Savour the celebrated Yame green tea—counted among the finest in Japan—at a delightful tea-house, and learn about environmentally sustainable tea growing at a pioneering organic farm

  • Take uplifting walks through the picturesque Kyushu countryside, through patchwork-like orchards, verdant tea plantations, stone-walled rice terraces and quaint villages

  • Immerse yourself in spirituality at an ancient Shinto shrine deep in the forests of a sacred mountain

  • Take a stroll through a charming pottery village to discover diverse ceramic styles on display at artisans’ workshops, and learn about the fascinating historic context of the northern Kyushu ceramics traditions

A ‘village-stay’ type itinerary providing you with a diverse mix of multi-night stays in private traditional Japanese accommodation, visits to artisan craft workshops (ceramics, textile and others), easy-grade country walks, and exploring historic townscapes.  You will also have the opportunity to experience the diverse northern Kyushu food culture, including ramen, udon and soba noodles, traditional country cooking, tea appreciation, artisan breads and patisserie, and fusion Japanese-Western cuisine. You will discover how the region’s traditions all relate to the unique and rich natural environment of northern Kyushu, and the region’s significance as cultural crossroads throughout Japanese history. Through your participation in this tour, you will be directly supporting community-based initiatives aimed at revitalising declining regional areas and preserving architectural heritage, and environmentally and health-conscious family-run businesses that uphold regional craft and food traditions.

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MAIN DESTINATIONS COVERED: Yame, Chikugo, rural districts of Kurume and surrounding areas, Hikosan (Mt Hiko)

 

TOUR LENGTH: 8 days (7 nights)

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MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PERSONS: 6

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SEASON: mid-May to early June, late October to mid-December, mid-January to late March

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BOOKINGS CLOSE: 120 days before agreed departure date

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START LOCATION: JR Hakata Station, Fukuoka

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END LOCATION: JR Kokura Station, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture

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FITNESS LEVEL: moderate

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CULTURAL TOLERANCE: moderate (must be able to sleep on traditional futon bedding on 5 nights)

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COST: from AUD $2800/person (6 persons) to $4700/person (2 persons), including ALL ground transport, accommodation, meals, tour guiding, fees and charges

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