投稿タイプ：activities

Nonohana Plant-Based Dyeing Experience: Dye a one-of-a-kind item with your own hands

At the Nonohana Plant-Based Dyeing ("Kusakizome") Academy in Kyoto Prefecture's Ide-cho, you can try your hand at the "kusakizome" dyeing method. Kusakizome roughly translates to plant-based dyeing, in which, as the name suggests, you use pigments from plants to dye fabric. Seasonal plants are usually used for dyeing, but even the same plant grown in different a soil and climate can change the resulting colors. Kusakizome mostly uses the plants stems or braches to make dye, and flowers are rarely used. The beginners' course is about having fun learning and trying the kasakizome method, in which you cut and boil the plants to make the dye, and use the bokashi dyeing technique (dyeing in layers) to dye a silk shawl, which you can take home on the day of the activity. It's the perfect opportunity to create your very own one-of-a-kind piece.

投稿タイプ：events

Uji River Cormorant Fishing

Enter into the dramatic world of cormorants and fishermen unfolding on the surface of the summer night’s water. Known as a traditional summer event, this practice has a history that goes back to the Heian era (794-1185) and is mentioned in "Konjaku Monogatari" (A collection of tales written during the late Heian era) and "Kagero Nikki" (diary literature written during the Heian era).

Other: Chartered boat fees
10-passenger boat 27,500 yen
15-passenger boat 41,250 yen
20-passenger boat 55,000 yen

Shared boat fares
Adults 2,000 yen
Children 1,000 yen

投稿タイプ：events

TWINKLE JOYO Starlight Pageant

The natural winter scenes and objects illuminated in this event add poetic charm to the season in Joyo City. 600,000 illuminating lights and a 10m tall tree show off the city's wonder.

投稿タイプ：events

Kasagi Canoe School

With 70 canoes, Kasagi Canoe School is Japan's largest.
The school is mainly aimed at beginners, and uses the gentle flow of the center of the Kizugawa River as a slope with which to teach first-timers the basics, after which participants can head down 6km of the river themselves.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Mandoroyama Observatory

The Yamashiro Basin developed around the Kizugawa River as a flourishing agricultural community supporting and connecting the ancient former capitals of Kyoto and Nara. At the Mandoroyama Observatory, you can look out on that history. Visitors can enjoy a broad view, from Kyoto Tower to the Ikoma Hills.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Taisho Pond Green Park

Registered as a scenic asset by Kyoto Prefecture, Taisho Pond is surrounded by quiet greenery, and includes walking paths and a floating pavilion.
The attached Ide Town Outdoor Sports Center, Taisho Pond Green Park, has bungalows, camping and tent sites, and the administrative buildings includes a cafeteria, rooms for large groups, and shower facilities.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Birthplace of Nagatani Souen

This is the birthplace of Nagatani Souen (reconstructed in 1960), who built the foundations of Japanese tea leaf preparation through his development and popularization of the "Aosei Sencha Method" in 1738.

Inside the building, the remains of a special drier used for tea preparation have been preserved. Visitors can learn about Souen's legacy and tea preparation methods.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Zenjo-ji Temple

This temple was opened about 1,000 years ago by Heiso, a monk from Nara's famous Todai-ji Temple. Numerous cultural assets, such as a statue of the eleven-faced bodhisattva Kannon, and the Sun/Moon bodhisattvas are enshrined in Zenjo-ji Temple's Treasure Hall. A large mural, the "Zenjo-ji Heisei Era Great Reclining Buddha" is also drawn on the back of the main hall to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the temple's founding.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Kasagi-dera Temple

During the Nara period (710-794), the Emperor Tenmu was once hunting on Mt. Kasagi, and as he reached the dangerous climax of his chase after a deer, he prayed to the Buddha and escaped harm. The image of the bodhissatva Maitreya that he carved on the surface of a large stone there became the principle image of worship at what become Kasagi-dera Temple. The temple grew as a training ground for mountain ascetics (known as "shugensha") in the late Heian period (794-1185), but was burned down during the Genko War (1331-1333). The current main hall, the Shogatsu Hall, and Bishamondo Halls were built during the Muromachi period (1336-1573).

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Ishitera Tea Fields

These tea fields, known as the first scenic property designated by Kyoto Prefecture, are also registered as a Japanese heritage site. The tea fields spread out across the steep hillside, in a sight you might not expect to find looking up the side of a little mountain. This area, located in the west of the town of Wazuka, is known as Hayaba. The tea harvesting begins here in late April.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Dosenbo Tea Fields

Located on a mountain plateau at an elevation of 500m, Dosenbo was a community whose land was reclaimed during the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912), and the rustic scenery of its rice paddies and hillside tea fields can still be enjoyed here today. In the neighborhood of Imayama, which was created together with the Takayama Dam in 1969, you'll find unique, open air tea fields, in addition to the unusually diagonal ridges of the tea plants that have been preserved for some unique scenery.

投稿タイプ：sightseeing

Michi no Eki Ocha no Kyoto Minamiyamashiro Village

At this "michi-no-eki" rest stop, you'll find a compendium of the everyday in Minamiyamashiro Village. Visitors can experience the local lifestyle and wisdom of everyday life in the village with all five senses.
At its centerpiece, the Nomon Market, you can find local specialties, including tea and fresh vegetables for sale. There are plenty of food, sweets, and boxed lunches available for you to fully enjoy with Japanese tea.
The rich flavor of the green tea soft-serve ice cream here is made using only first-grade tea, yet it has a surprisingly fresh aftertaste! This quality soft-serve is just what you might expect from a tea shop, full of rich tea flavor, and topped with matcha syrup. 370 yen (tax excluded).