On July 10-11, 2022, we held a cultural tour for foreign residents in Japan.
Under the “Be a Ryokan Ambassador!” campaign, we received 38 applications from 12 prefectures in Japan for the tour. The applicants came from 19 different nationalities, making for a wide variety of tours. This time, we had 12 participants (6 groups) from 8 countries.
On the first day, we me at Kanazawa Station in the afternoon and visited the ruins of Naga-machi samurai resident (Nomura House), Kenrokuen Garden, and Higashi Chaya-gai (Shima).
We then split up and stayed overnight at five different inns in the city.
In Higashi Chaya-gai
An excellently preserved Old day entertainment area take me back to that era and that is what we expect from tours like this. I love those old houses and all those stories that were connect us to the history of that place.
From the post-tour questionnaire
In the ryokan
In the ryokan
It was my first time to stay in a ryokan and it did not fail my expectations! The place was really nice and the staff/owners were very accommodating and kind.
Most of the time when I travel, I would opt for business hotels, hotels and the like. But after this experience, I now look forward to try & stay at ryokans more in my future travels!
Thank you very much!
From the post-tour questionnaire
On the second day
We left Kanazawa and went to Fukui on a special charter bus “Hanayome Noren Chapter 2,” a trip to explore the attractions of Fukui one step earlier than the 2024 extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line to Tsuruga. We were accompanied by staff members of ryokan and hotels who often receive inquiries about Eiheiji Temple and Takefu Knife Village from customers.
After the tour
Thank you so much for allowing us to experience a very beautiful tour. I love Kanazawa because it is modern but it also gives importance to the old and traditional aspect. The place is clean and amazingly beautiful. We plan to visit Kanazawa again this year. I hope to see you again.
From the post-tour questionnaire
The trip was very fun! We enjoyed traveling around with the Hanayome Noren bus. I wish there was more time for the locations in Kanazawa on the first day (or more hands on experiences) but overall, it was a wonderful experience. The ryokan owners were also very friendly and hospitable, and made it feel like an especially special experience.
From the post-tour questionnaire
