Okayama, the stage for the exclusive Premium Tour to Experience the Spirit of the Samurai Culture, is known as the heartland of Japanese swords. The prefecture is home to Setouchi City’s Bizen Osafune Sword Museum, the only official sword museum in Japan, as well as Bizen City, the production region for the traditional Bizen Ware, the oldest of Japan’s six ancient pottery traditions. It also features the Okayama Korakuen Garden, one of the top three traditional Japanese gardens, and Okayama Castle in Okayama City, visited by numerous tourists from throughout the world and the symbol of the Okayama’s historical samurai society. There are also many other famous places and regions here that bring the multifaceted samurai culture of the Sengoku period into modern times. On the first day of the tour, Paul Martin, former curator of the British Museum and current Japanese sword specialist and research at the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture, will serve as your guide to navigate the magnificence of Japanese swords.
First, you will visit Jigen-in Temple, a Bodai-ji temple in Bizen that honors the spirits of former Bizen Osafune sword masters, where you will watch a demonstration of Iaijutsu quick-draw sword techniques and try your own hand at testing the sword’s sharpness, known as Shinken Tameshigiri in Japanese.
Then you will move on to the Bizen Osafune Sword Museum where you will be greeted by a magnificent ceremony performed by the Meito Daiko Japanese drum team.
After a demonstration of ancient sword-forging techniques, you will join a private nighttime sword-viewing session accompanied by an interpreter as part of the Sword Night Museum program, during hours when the museum is normally closed.
At the Nakazaki Residence, an over-100-year-old historical building, you will be served the Setouchi Premium Dinner, a Japanese feast that has been jointly prepared by Michelin-rated Japanese restaurant Shoun and the famous local udon noodle restaurant Ichimonji Udon exclusively for this tour. You will visit a pottery workshop specializing in the traditional Bizen Ware craft on the second day, where the potters themselves, accompanied by interpreters, will describe the history and appeal of the craft, after which you will have the opportunity to join a Bizen Ware workshop.
Following this, you will take a walk around Shiomachi Karakoto Street and immerse yourself in the mood of the Edo period (1603–1868), a time when this area prospered as a port.
Lunch will feature local cuisine at Ushimado Teremok, a cultural exchange facility located in the Ushimado district of Setouchi City. After lunch, you will travel to Okayama City via the La Malle de Bois sightseeing train, where you will participate in a special event and the highlight of the tour. Here you will experience the essence of samurai culture at Okayama Castle, combining sword culture and the castle’s history.
Entering the Okayama Castle district, accompanied by the Okayama Omotenashi Bushotai hospitality team and the Okayama Ninja Team Hagakure, you will be treated to a magnificent demonstration of military arts by the Bishu Okayama-jo Teppo-tai (Bishu Okayama Castle Musket Brigade) that was undefeated during the Sengoku period. You will also get a chance to try handling Japanese swords yourself and enjoy a breathtaking performance by the ninja team.
For dinner, the entire Okayama Castle will serve as the stage for a private feast featuring a combination of traditional and modern Japanese dishes, in a course entitled Katidoki Meshi. In this ultimate gastronomic experience, featuring the best ingredients from the seas, mountains, and rivers of Okayama, you can feast like a samurai warrior for the night in the main hall of the castle, while enjoying local Japanese sake.