Peaceful Nature, Minakami Minakami, GUMMA 4 Days 3 Nights
- Day 1
- Tokyo – Minakami
Take a shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Jomokogen, 1 hour and 15 minutes.
On arrival at Jomokogen station, transfer by local bus to Minakami station.
You will be met by staff from Senjuan and travel to the ryokan by shuttle bus.
*Please book in advance.
The little town of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, is a popular destination for Tokyoites looking for nature and outdoor activities such as hiking and white-water rafting. The area is renowned for the quality and variety of its onsen hot springs, and it’s also a popular ski destination, with a dozen or so ski hills in the area.
Check in at Senjuan
Staying at this ryokan, one of the finest in mountainous Gunma Prefecture, is a journey of discovery. Senjuan abounds in elegant touches that surprise and delight, reminding you that this is a very special place, with a unique approach to luxury.
You can take some time to relax in your traditional Japanese room and its private hot spring bath.
On arrival at Jomokogen station, transfer by local bus to Minakami station.
You will be met by staff from Senjuan and travel to the ryokan by shuttle bus.
*Please book in advance.
The little town of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, is a popular destination for Tokyoites looking for nature and outdoor activities such as hiking and white-water rafting. The area is renowned for the quality and variety of its onsen hot springs, and it’s also a popular ski destination, with a dozen or so ski hills in the area.
Check in at Senjuan
Staying at this ryokan, one of the finest in mountainous Gunma Prefecture, is a journey of discovery. Senjuan abounds in elegant touches that surprise and delight, reminding you that this is a very special place, with a unique approach to luxury.
You can take some time to relax in your traditional Japanese room and its private hot spring bath.
- Day 2
- Minakami
Today you can spend some time visiting local cultural spots.
Make an early start and visit Kitijyouji temple in the little town of Kawaba. This is a Zen temple with beautifully kept grounds, where you can enjoy flowers blooming throughout the year. At the Seitaian tea house in the temple precincts, you can have a short rest and enjoy Japanese tea ceremony with Japanese sweets.
Continue on to Nagaishuzo sake brewery and have a private visit with its owner, Yoshinori Nagai. The sake brewery is only 10 minutes from the temple.
Enjoy Nagai-san's warm hospitality as he explains the procedure of turning rice and water into some of Japan’s finest ginjo, or premium sake, in his famous cellar. The equipment, of course, is all modern, but the heady aroma of yeast and enzymes doing their thing is the same as it has been for many millennia.
After spending a fascinating hour or so in the brewery, Nagai-san will take you to one of his favorite local restaurants, where you can enjoy cuisine made with local ingredients.
In the afternoon, you will have a chance to taste a variety of local sake.
All over Japan, you can find Michi no eki (literally: “roadside station”) when you visit the countryside. There are some 1,000 of them scattered around the country, offering tourist information and selling local delicacies and crafts. Some of them have become tourist destinations in their own right.
If time permits, you may visit one of the most popular of these, Den-en Plaza Kawaba, which has been selected as the best roadside station in the Kanto Region for five years in a row. It features local foods such as delicious soba noodles made from locally grown buckwheat, and also has a beer brewery, a bakery, and a shop that makes its own ham and sausage.
Return to Senjuan.
Make an early start and visit Kitijyouji temple in the little town of Kawaba. This is a Zen temple with beautifully kept grounds, where you can enjoy flowers blooming throughout the year. At the Seitaian tea house in the temple precincts, you can have a short rest and enjoy Japanese tea ceremony with Japanese sweets.
Continue on to Nagaishuzo sake brewery and have a private visit with its owner, Yoshinori Nagai. The sake brewery is only 10 minutes from the temple.
Enjoy Nagai-san's warm hospitality as he explains the procedure of turning rice and water into some of Japan’s finest ginjo, or premium sake, in his famous cellar. The equipment, of course, is all modern, but the heady aroma of yeast and enzymes doing their thing is the same as it has been for many millennia.
After spending a fascinating hour or so in the brewery, Nagai-san will take you to one of his favorite local restaurants, where you can enjoy cuisine made with local ingredients.
In the afternoon, you will have a chance to taste a variety of local sake.
All over Japan, you can find Michi no eki (literally: “roadside station”) when you visit the countryside. There are some 1,000 of them scattered around the country, offering tourist information and selling local delicacies and crafts. Some of them have become tourist destinations in their own right.
If time permits, you may visit one of the most popular of these, Den-en Plaza Kawaba, which has been selected as the best roadside station in the Kanto Region for five years in a row. It features local foods such as delicious soba noodles made from locally grown buckwheat, and also has a beer brewery, a bakery, and a shop that makes its own ham and sausage.
Return to Senjuan.
- Day 3
- Minakami
Today you can visit the village of Takumi no Sato, which is home to a number of small studios where local craftspeople ply their trades. You might try making traditional local crafts, which make excellent souvenirs. Feel free to stroll about the village and find your favorite artisan studio.
In the afternoon visit the Tennichi Museum, which was designed by the renowned Japanese architect Junzo Yoshimura, who merged Japanese tradition and modern architecture. He was a leading architect in the postwar period and his works can be seen all over Japan. He designed the base structure of the Imperial Palace, on the site of the former Edo castle in Tokyo. The Tennichi Museum is one of his works, and you can enjoy beautiful scenery of the Tanigawa mountains as well as the museum’s collection of modern art, ukiyo-e woodcut prints and fine pottery. It is a great spot for a tranquil respite.
In late afternoon you can relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility at Senjuan.
You might some spa treatments as well. The Sora aesthetic salon provides professional spa treatments for Senjuan guests, including facials, full-body and foot massages, and steam treatments, for both women and men. On Sora’s veranda, overlooking the river gorge is a delightful footbath, open for guests to enjoy (it’s closed in winter).
- Day 4
- Return to Tokyo
Check-out from Senjuan.
Travel back to Tokyo by train from Minakami station.
Travel back to Tokyo by train from Minakami station.
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