Dream Experiences Beyond Himeji Castle: A Dreamlike Journey in the Northern Part of Himeji

• Table of Contents
• [Day 1/Day 2] Kobe Kitano Hotel
• [Day 2] Shoshazan Engyo-ji Temple
• [Day 2/Day 3] Yumesaki Town and Himeji City
• Comfortable transportation and language support
• Tour basic information and schedule
• About the application

[Day 1/Day 2] Kobe Kitano Hotel

Kobe Kitano Hotel exterior

Guest Room Presidential Twin Room

This journey begins in the exotic city of Kobe, known for its unique blend of cultures and beautiful waterfront.

KobeKitano Hotel is an auberge (restaurant with lodging) created with the concept of "enjoying fine cuisine and spending a fulfilling time." Designed in 1992 with the motif of a British manor house, the hotel features a stately lobby, a European-style courtyard, and 30 uniquely decorated guest rooms furnished with antique British furniture. Enjoy a relaxing time away from your daily routine and feel at home in this luxurious setting.

Chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi, General Manager and Executive Chef

General Manager and Executive Chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi is an internationally acclaimed authority on French cuisine. His numerous achievements include being a member of the Relais & Châteaux World Culinary Council and the Escoffier Association, as well as serving as a judge for the Academie Culinaire de France. He was awarded the Chevalier by the French Republic, and has also received Japan's "Contemporary Master Craftsman" and "Yellow Ribbon Medal" honors.

As the executive chef at Kobe Kitano Hotel, he provides sustainable cuisine utilizing Hyogo Prefecture's specialty products, thereby contributing to the development of food culture. His original French cuisine has been highly praised by members of the imperial family, celebrities, and the media. Chef Yamaguchi is interviewed by 250 media outlets a year and is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of chefs.

Chef Yamaguchi's cuisine, known around the world as "Universal Japonais," is a fusion of Japan's abundant ingredients and French techniques.

Dinner

Beautiful night view of Kobe from Kobe Kitano Terrace

Kobe Kitano Terrace was established as a new culinary destination, set in a location surrounded by lush green mountains and offering a view of the sea beyond the cityscape, allowing you to truly feel the dynamism of Kobe. It is located about three minutes by car from Kobe Kitano Hotel. As a "villa" in Kobe, we offer an experience that blends past food culture and art with new history.

Our cuisine primarily uses local ingredients and is prepared with advanced cooking theories developed over many years. We provide a unique dining experience that can only be enjoyed here. As part of our efforts to pass on Japan's unique food culture and ingredients to the next generation, we offer sustainable seafood menus that actively use underutilized fish, as well as vegan menus, catering to the diverse needs of our customers with delicious food.

Breakfast

">

The "world's best" breakfast

Day 2 begins with a taste of the "best in the world."

Recreating the spirit of the food culture encountered in France, Kobe Kitano Hotel's breakfast has been officially authorized by General Manager and Executive Chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi's mentor, Bernard Loiseau. Loiseau's breakfast has been dubbed "the best breakfast in the world" by the global non-profit Small Luxury Hotel Association, and Kobe Kitano Hotel is the only hotel in the world that serves this breakfast.

[Day 2] Shoshazan Engyo-ji Temple

The highlight of Mount Shosha, Sannodo Hall, is a nationally designated important cultural property

Shosha Ropeway and a beautiful view of Himeji city

Shoshazan Engyo-ji Temple was founded by Shonin Shoku in 966 and boasts a history of over 1,000 years. It holds a special position in the Tendai sect and is known as the 27th temple of the Thirty-Three Kannon Temples of the Western Provinces. Along with Mt. Hiei and Mt. Daisen, it is referred to as the "Hiei Mountain of the West" and has been a place of faith visited by many members of the imperial family and aristocrats.

This temple is also the historical setting for the 2024 NHK Taiga drama "To You, the Shining One," and is a historic site visited by renowned figures such as Murasaki Shikibu and Izumi Shikibu. The name "Engyo-ji" was bestowed by Emperor Kazan, who had a deep connection with Shonin Shoku

Special viewing of Engyo-ji Temple's Maniden Hall and Great Lecture Hall

Buddha statue

As faith spread, many monks gathered at Shoshazan Engyo-ji Temple for training, establishing it as the most important training site for monks in the western Kansai region. You can enjoy a quiet and mysterious atmosphere within the temple grounds, where majestic buildings are scattered among the deep forest. Experiencing Engyo-ji Temple's 1,000-year history while immersing yourself in nature will be an unforgettable memory of your trip.

A new challenge: achieving harmony between French cuisine and vegetarian cuisine.

Chef Yamaguchi of Kobe Kitano Hotel presents a new vegetarian cuisine

Chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi, general manager and executive chef, will use French cooking techniques to prepare Japanese ingredients in the category of "shojin ryori" (vegetarian cuisine). This approach allows for dishes to be created using scientific techniques without relying on local seasonings. In other words, this marks the birth of a new world of food, "Nouvelle Shojin Cuisine," that can be enjoyed by people all over the world.

The venue for this unique dining experience will be Juryoin Temple, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property. This is the highest building in Engyo-ji Temple, and it is said to be where Emperor Goshirakawa spent seven days in seclusion. Here, you can enjoy a special lunch in the most prestigious building on the mountain.

Japanese Zodiac Gold Leaf Paste Experience

Try your hand at gold leaf pasting

Under the guidance of "Hamaya," one of the largest Buddhist altar and goods stores in the Kansai region, you can experience gold leaf application, an essential technique for making Buddhist altars. Applying gold leaf to a figurine of the Japanese zodiac sign corresponding to your birth year is a unique and valuable experience. This activity will be held at Juryoin Temple, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.

[Day 2/Day 3] Yumesaki Town and Himeji City

Accommodation at Yumenoi Yuyake Koyake

Yumenoi/Yuyakekoyake Room

Our accommodation for the second night is Yumenoian Yuyakekoyake in Yumesaki Onsen, Himeji's inner sanctum. This cozy inn nestled in the mountains offers exquisite cuisine made with seasonal ingredients. Enjoy a relaxing time surrounded by the distinctive charm, rich green scenery, and serene silence of the Satoyama.

Tsubosaka Sake Brewery Tour and Tasting

Tsubosaka Sake Brewery

Tsubosaka Sake Brewery is a long-established brewery with a history of about 400 years since its founding. In this experience, you can tour the 219-year-old brewery and learn about the process of Japanese sake brewing. You will have the opportunity to observe the preparation of the sake mash up close and experience the fermentation process. After the tour, a tasting session will be held, where you can hear valuable stories from local farmers who grow sake rice.

Tour and experience at Yumesaki Strawberry House

Inside the strawberry house

At Yumesaki Yumekobo, you can enjoy all-you-can-eat strawberries from 16,000 plants of 10 different varieties in a greenhouse equipped with the latest technology (ICT environmental control). To prevent pests and diseases, natural predators and ultraviolet fluorescent lights are used, reducing the need for pesticides. Each strawberry variety has its own unique shape, color, scent, and sweetness, so you can find the one you like best. *Varieties available may vary depending on the season.

Kineya Japanese sweets making and matcha experience

Japanese sweets making experience

">

Experience at "Boukeitei", a registered tangible cultural property

Kineya , a long-established Japanese and Western confectionery store known for its "Kinuta" and "Sara" sweets used at the Himeji Castle Grand Tea Ceremony, and "Shosha Sennen Sugi" sweets used by Engyo-ji Temple, will be offering a Japanese confectionery making experience at the registered tangible cultural property " Boukeitei ." Enjoy this premium one-off experience of enjoying handmade Japanese confectionery with matcha green tea while experiencing traditional Japanese culture.

Comfortable transportation and language support

YUIPRIMA, provided by Shinki Bus, is a tour bus vehicle that offers the ultimate in comfort.

The luxury bus YUIPRIMA offered by Shinki Bus has a vivid dark blue exterior, and the scenery outside the large windows is colorful. The 18 specially made seats gently wrap around your body, allowing you to enjoy a private space. The interior of the bus is decorated with wooden textures, and the rear is equipped with a service counter and toilets.

This tour will support your journey with a multilingual audio guide in addition to a tour conductor and an interpreter. Once the Dream Experience tour begins and you visit a specific spot on the map, an explanatory audio will play via QR code, allowing you to discover the charm and learning of the experience. In addition, you can enjoy taking commemorative photos with the AR camera function.

Tour basic information and schedule

■ Tour basic information

[Travel duration] 2 nights, 3 days

[Travel date]

① December 9th (Monday), 10th (Tuesday), 11th (Wednesday)

② December 11th (Wed), 12th (Thurs), 13th (Fri)

③ January 13th (Monday), 14th (Tuesday), 15th (Wednesday)

[Destination]

Hyogo Prefecture (Kobe City, Himeji City, Yumesaki Town)

[Price]

250,000 yen to 305,800 yen

*Prices vary depending on the accommodation room, number of people using the room, and options.

■ Schedule

[Day 1] Meals: Breakfast x Lunch x Dinner 〇

Check in at Kobe Kitano Hotel, accommodation and dinner included

*Please check in by yourself by 5:00 p.m. on the day of your tour. There will be no tour conductor on the first day only.

*The dinner venue will vary depending on the date. On December 9th and January 13th, dinner will be at Kobe Kitano Terrace. On December 11th, dinner will be at Kobe Kitano Hotel.

Kobe Kitano Hotel 〒650-0003 Hyogo Prefecture Kobe City Chuo Ward Yamamotodori 3-3-3 No. 20

[Day 2] Meals: Breakfast 〇 Lunch 〇 Dinner 〇

Kobe Kitano Hotel → Shosha Station Shoshasanjo Station → → Lunch (vegetarian cuisine prepared by Chef Yamaguchi), special visit to Engyo-ji Temple, experience gilding zodiac animals → Yumenoi (check-in/depart the inn by minibus) → Tsubosaka Sake Brewery (tour) → Yumenoi (overnight stay)

*The breakfast venue will vary depending on the date. Breakfast will be served at Kobe Kitano Hotel on 12/10 and 1/14. Breakfast will be served at Kobe Kitano Hotel on 12/12.

[Day 3] Meals: Breakfast 〇 Lunch × Dinner ×

Yumenoi → Yumesaki Strawberry House (strawberry picking) → Himeji Literary Museum Boukeitei (Japanese sweets making, matcha experience) → Return to Himeji Station

[About optional tours]

After returning to Himeji Station, we will arrange a tour of Himeji Castle for those who wish. Please apply if you wish to do so.

Participation fee: 5,000 yen per person

Himeji Station South Exit (Disband around 13:00) → Free lunch → Himeji Station South Exit (Regroup around 14:00) → Himeji Castle (Sightseeing from 14:20 to 16:00) → Himeji Station (Disband around 16:30)

About the application

Click here to apply for Dream Experiences beyond Himeji Castle

Tour sales: Shinki Bus Co., Ltd.