Tea Ceremony and Zenkoji Experience Tour with ‘Shukubo’ Stay

Designed to provide guests with an intimate yet entertaining understanding of Nagano’s near-1,400-year-old Zenkoji temple, this group tour combines a guided temple experience and a unique fire ceremony as well as a traditional tea ceremony, sampling of local dumplings, ‘sake’ tasting, and a unique stay at a traditional ‘shukubo’ (temple lodging).

Highlights

• Enjoy an overnight stay at a historic ‘shukubo’ (temple lodging) inside Nagano’s near-1,400 year-old Zenkoji complex, including traditional vegetarian dinner and breakfast.

• Learn the mysterious yet captivating story about why Zenkoji Temple is one of my most important temples in Japan via a guided walking tour and even a ‘goma’ prayer fire ceremony.
• Immerse yourself in a tea ceremony while learning the art and performance of this authentic Japanese experience.

• Indulge in Nagano’s traditional food culture including its famous ‘oyaki’ dumplings and award-winning ‘sake.’

• All guided by a locally-based, English-speaking guide.

Want to join this tour from Tokyo? It’s easy to do! Scroll to the bottom for our FAQs including train services that you can use to join the tour!

Description

The tour begins at Nagano Station at 12:15, where your guide will greet you and begin your pilgrimage walk along the ‘Omotesando’ – the historic main road of Nagano – toward your ultimate goal of Zenkoji, first stopping at the small, but beautiful temple of Saiko-ji. Dedicated to Jurojin – one of Japan’s ‘shichifukujin’ or ‘7 Lucky Gods’ – Saiko-ji is the ideal place to begin your exploration of Nagano, a temple town known for its traditional food culture and the longevity it affords. Indeed, Jurojin is associated with long life and will point you toward your next stop and first tasty treat of the tour – ‘oyaki’.

‘Oyaki’ dumplings are made from fermented buckwheat dough and rice powder, filled with all manner of vegetables, fruit, or ‘anko’ bean paste. Simple, healthy, and tasty, they are baked on an iron pan over a raised fire, an experience you’ll enjoy for yourself as they are baked for you before enjoying them as a simple lunch. From there you head to nearby Imanishiki Sake Brewery, for a memorable ‘sake’ tasting experience. Find out why Nagano Prefecture is one of Japan’s leading sake brewing areas, while tasting of some of the region’s best ‘sake.’

Only a short walk away from the brewery, drop off your luggage at the ‘shukubo,’ and begin your guided tour of Zenkoji Temple. Your guide will reveal its storied history and secrets, while also explaining the role of Buddhism in Japan in an enjoyable and engaging way as you head toward the site of the ‘goma’ prayer fire ceremony. The burning of prayers in the sacred flame imbues the experience with a deep spirituality and is often found to rid participants of their immediate, worldly concerns. Whether you are a practicing Buddhist or seeking a memorable and meaningful experience while in Japan, ‘goma’ prayer will leave a deep and lasting impression on you.

After the fire ceremony, your tour guide will help you check-in at your ‘shukubo’, show you around the temple lodging, and explain all you need to know about your stay. Lastly, it is time for one of the most classic Japanese experiences: the tea ceremony. Known broadly as “sadō,” or a system of etiquette for the serving of tea by a host to a guest to promote wellbeing, mindfulness, and harmony. The tea ceremony is very important in Japanese culture because it used to be practiced only by the elite Buddhist monks and noble warlords for most of history. Only a short walk away from the temple, you will have the chance to immerse yourself in a tea ceremony while learning the art and performance of this authentic Japanese experience.

Your tour concludes, where your guide will say their goodbyes, leaving you to explore further around the temple or walk to your ‘shukubo’ accommodation to enjoy the rest of your evening.

What is a ‘shukubo’?

A ‘shukubo’ is basically a ‘ryokan’, a traditional guesthouse providing lodging to visitors to nearby or within temple and shrine complexes. In the past, they provided accommodation to people on pilgrimages, a function they still serve today. However, you don’t need to be a devotee of any particular faith or be on pilgrimage yourself to enjoy staying at one. Offering traditional comforts, tranquility, and a vegetarian menu, these ‘shukubo’ are conveniently located in the heart of the temple complex. They offer rooms featuring traditional aspects of Japanese culture: on-floor ‘futon’ bedding, ‘tatami’ floor matting, and low furniture. Rooms are simple, but comfortable and serene with shared toilets and bathing facilities.

In line with Buddhist practices, these ‘shukubo’ serve a traditional vegetarian dinner (18:00) and breakfast menu (between 07:30 to 09:00) with alcohol available (at an additional cost). Following your dinner you can explore the temple complex at night – offering uniquely beautiful photography opportunities. As your ‘shukubo’ is one of the 39 sacred temples within Zenkoji’s grounds, it abides by temple practices and the entrance gates will close at 20:00. If you so choose, early the following morning the ‘shukubo’ staff can guide you to the daily ‘O-Asaji’ dawn service at the temple’s main hall to put a spiritual bookend on your temple lodging ‘shukubo’ experience!

MEETUP POINT

NAGANO STATION @ 12:15

NOTES

Included

• Accommodation at a ‘shukubo’ temple lodging: ‘Standard Japanese-style Room’ with on-floor ‘futon’ bedding, shared bathroom, along with a vegetarian dinner & breakfast.

• Private, English-speaking guide for 4-hours in Nagano City, including a guided tour of Zenkoji and ‘goma’ prayer fire ceremony.

• Simple lunch of two oyaki, ‘sake’ tasting, and tea ceremony experience

Excluded

• Transport fees inc. Shinkansen / ‘Bullet Train’ to/from Nagano City

• Additional food, snacks & drinks

• Entry to other paid attractions at Zenkoji (morning ceremony, Kaidan Meguri, Sanmon, etc.)

Other Information

• This is a group walking tour and there may be other guests joining the tour. It involves a reasonable amount of walking and is suitable for anyone of reasonable fitness. Should you be booking in the summer months of July to September, please be aware that the weather is likely to be hot – between 30°C/86°F to 40°C/104°F – with high humidity. Given the nature of the tour, much of your time will be spent walking so please come prepared for those conditions. Your guide will, of course, respond to the conditions and endeavor to keep things as cool as possible by extending your time indoors and in the shade. For guests booking in the winter months of December to March, the weather is likely to be cold – between 0°C/32°F to 10°C/50°F and as low as -10°C/14°F at night – with likelihood of snow, so please plan accordingly.

• This tour is not wheelchair accessible and may not be suitable for mobility-impaired travelers. Should you have any concerns about your ability to join the tour, please contact us to discuss prior to booking.

• As a walking tour, you will need to carry your luggage until we pass your accommodation, where we can drop it off around 2 hours into the tour. However, you should not have to carry it for more than 10 minutes at a time and it can be placed aside while at Saiko-ji Temple, Ogawa-no-Sho, and Inashoku. Should this be of concern, or you are unable to carry your luggage for that length of time, please let us know and we see if we can arrange for it to be transported directly to your accommodation. Unneeded luggage can also be stored inside lockers located nearby the meetup point in Nagano Station.

• Included in the tour price, you will be offered two ‘oyaki’ at Ogawa-no-Sho, ‘sake’ tasting, and a tea ceremony experience. There is no obligation or expectation that you make additional purchases at any of these venues, but should you wish to, you are welcome to.

• Any purchases made at recommended venues / venues not listed by name in the tour description are not included in the tour price and must be paid for by the guest.
• You will have the option and time at Zenkoji Temple to participate in the “Kaidan Meguri” on day 1 or even the morning ceremony on day 2 which takes place at sunrise. There is a small fee of JPY 600 which includes entry to both experiences for those who wish to participate, which is not included in the tour cost. Neither of these require a prior reservation and your tour guide will be happy to further explain the details of both experiences in person.

• This tour includes accommodation at a traditional ‘shukubo’ (temple lodging) within the Zenkoji temple complex. The tour price includes a ‘Standard Japanese-style Room’ featuring on-floor ‘futon’ bedding, ‘tatami’ matting and low furniture. Toilet and bathing facilities are shared, and the ‘shukubo’ kindly requests that guests use the bathing facility between 17:00-20:00. Earliest check-in is at 15:00 and check-out is by 10:00. Dinner is served at 18:00 while breakfast is served between 07:30 to 09:00. In-keeping with the practice of most ‘shukubo’, we kindly ask that guests return back to the accommodation for the evening by 20:00. Thank you for your understanding.

• The tour includes dinner and breakfast at your ‘shukubo’ temple lodging. It serves a traditional vegetarian menu for both meals. Alcohol is available but not included in the tour price. Should you wish to drink alcohol, please pay the accommodation directly.