Immerse yourself in the culture, history and flavors of Tochigi Prefecture during a day trip north of Tokyo.
The owners of two storied sake breweries in Imaichi, Yasuhiro Watanabe and Tomoyuki Katayama, will guide Members on behind-the-scenes tours of their respective family businesses, Watanabe Sahei Shoten and Katayama Shuzo.
Watanabe says that demand for local, premium sake has been on the rise in recent years and he sees growing interest from younger Japanese and drinkers overseas.
Members will have the chance to try the wares of the two breweries at a sake-pairing lunch hosted by Watanabe and Katayama at the charming Nikko Kanaya Hotel.
Naturally, no visit to Nikko would be complete without taking in some of the area’s spectacular historic spots.
And with Nikko’s World Heritage sites empty of their usual tourist crowds, Members will be able to wander in the delightful wooded grounds of Futarasan Shrine.
Founded in 782 by Shodo Shonin, the monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko, Futarasan is dedicated to the deities of Nikko’s three most sacred mountains.
Sign up now for this early spring sojourn.
May 18
