A truly once-in-a-lifetime craft created in the great outdoors

Ueno Village, a valley village in Gunma Prefecture, is covered with deciduous forests of 300-year-old ash trees, magnolias, and other deciduous trees. This rich natural environment is a source of inspiration for the artisans who live here. Woodworkers, bamboo craftsmen, and other artisans use both traditional and innovative techniques to create unique, high-quality, and beautiful works of art.

Date

Time

Schedule

Content

Day1

Forest therapy

  • Trecking with nature guide.

Imai Hikimono Kougei Sha

  • Wooden kitchenware

Shioji no Yu

  • Onsen

Check in　

  • Fujinoya

Dinner

  • Gibier cuisine at Fujinoya

Day2

Atelier AN

  • Workshop

Lunch

  • Specialty Inobuta hotpot

Yamato bijitsu kougei

Experience

Forest Therapy

●Overview: Meet at Uenomura Industrial Information Center→ warm up exercise→ Departure → Lunch → Return ●Duration: 4h In Ueno Village, where more than 90% of the forested area is rich in nature, visitors can take a walk along the Nakanosawa Headwaters Nature Walk, which has outstanding natural scenery. Along the 12.6-km route, you can feel the precious natural ecology that is being lost in the Kanto region, and enjoy the clear sound of streams and seasonal flowers.

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Imai Hikimono Kogeisha

●Overview: Explanation of the workshop , Observation of the manufacturing process ●Duration: 30mins Imai Hikimono Kogeisha produces potter’s craft of trays, bowls, pots, plates, saucers, etc., mainly using zelkova wood. The wood is covered with "fuki-urushi," a process of repeatedly applying transparent raw lacquer and wiping it off with a cloth, and is characterized by its beautiful wood grain. The entire process is carefully made by one person, and is designated as "Gunma Prefecture's Traditional Crafts.

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AN

●Overview: Making smartphone cases ●Duration: 2h An produces handmade Japanese accessories and lacquered papier-mache using old indigo-dyed kimonos, cotton materials, jeans fabrics, and Japanese patterned fabrics. Some of the old kimonos used for Japanese accessories are valuable items that are no longer made. With full attention to detail in the patterns of the lining in every single pocket, enjoy the works of An.

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Yamato Bijutsu Kogei

●Overview: Tour of the workshop, bookmark or shoehorn imprinting ●Duration: 1h Yamato Bijutsu Kogei produces wallets, bags, business card holders, geta (Japanese clogs), toothpick holders, and other items utilizing the patterns of tiger bamboo. The works made with techniques and methods that have been used for more than 50 years make the most of the robustness and beauty of the bamboo skin that only bamboo crafts can offer. The deep color and gloss of baboo increases in charm to the extent of use. Enjoy making your one and only original work of art.

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Stay

Fujinoya

Fujinoya is a place where you can enjoy a relaxing and peaceful time and feel the air of nature, as if you were at a relative's house in the countryside. Enjoy the delicious and healthy meals of food gathered from the mountains of Ueno Village.

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Restaurant

Inobuta dishes

The 400-year-old main building of Imaike Ryokan is known as the historical ryokan where the Chichibu Incident took place in the early Meiji period. At this ryokan, you can enjoy the beautiful seasonal babbling of the Kannagawa River while dining on dishes of "inobuta," a brand of meat for which Ueno-mura is famous for. Enjoy the taste made from this precious meat, which is hard to find outside the village, with its sweet and rich fatty meat and flavorful lean meat.

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  • ・
    Languages
    ：
     Mainly in Japanese, other languages based upon request.
  • ・
    Number of participants
    ：
     2 to 8 people
  • ・
    Meeting place
    ：
     negotiable
  • ・
    Reservation deadline
    ：
     14 days prior to departure
  • ・
    Payment method
    ：
     Bank transfer, credit card
  • ・
    Clothing
    ：
     None specified
  • ・
    Tour guide
    ：
     Local producer or interpreter (arrangements made based upon customer’s preference)
  • ・
    Cancellation fee
    ：
     29~15days prior to departure 5% 14~7days prior to departure 20% 6~4days prior to departure 50% 3~1days prior to departure 70% Departure day or no show 100%
  • ・
    Precautions
    ：
     -Tour will be held even in cases of rain, except in the event of a typhoon or heavy rain warning. -All photos shown are for illustrative purposes only. -The places to be visited are not tourist destinations, and due to circumstances, there may be different processes within the factory with the machines not being in operation. -Elementary school students and younger may participate in the tour with the accompaniment of a parent or guardian. However, we cannot be held responsible for any injuries or accidents happening during the tour, including in the parking lot and in the workshop. -Please make sure that parents/guardians do not touch the machines, especially during the tour inside the workshop. -We recommend that you purchase travel insurance for your participation in the tour. -The tour will be cancelled in the event that smooth operation of the tour becomes difficult due to the new coronavirus infection situation or other reasons. If the tour is cancelled, full amount of the tour fee will be refunded.
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