‘Hatsumōde’
experience

You will take part in the ‘Hatsumōde’ at Nishinomiya Shrine in Hyogo Prefecture and experience actual prayers. Hatsumōde is an event where people visit shrines and temples for the first time at the beginning of the year. The purpose is to express gratitude to the gods and to make a wish for another safe year. Prayers are held in the main shrine where the gods are believed to reside, and the wishes to be fulfilled are conveyed to the gods.
It may sound like a religious ceremony, however both Hatsumōde and prayers are customs practised by many Japanese, including those who advocate no specific religion. You can experience a solemn and spiritual atmosphere.

Observe a traditional archery ritual

You will observe the ‘Housya-koto-hajime’, which takes place on the grounds of Nishinomiya Shrine. The ‘Housya-koto-hajime’ is a Shinto ritual in which arrows are shot in the hope of good luck and business prosperity. In this event, arrows called ‘Kabura-ya’ are first shot at a target about 30 metres away to exorcise evil spirits, and then members of the local archery association, dressed in colourful costumes, demonstrate their archery skills. This will be a rare opportunity to see the traditional Japanese hakama costume and the power of archery up close.

Visit the place where sake was born

You will visit the Osawa-Honke Sake Brewery, founded in 1770. Their brewery is actually the only wooden brewery in the Nada-gogou area. It has miraculously survived collapse from past earthquakes, and continues to actively brew today. Osawa-Honke’s flagship product, ‘Takaramusume’ is made using traditional methods in the bitter cold winter and is highly popular for its high-quality taste. This historic wooden brewery allows you to see areas that are normally closed to the public.

Celebrate the completion of new Sake

You will experience a simplified version of the ‘Kura-biraki’ event at the Tokuwaka Sake Brewery. Kura-biraki is an event held by sake breweries to celebrate the completion of their new sake. Participants can experience tastings and sales of limited-edition sake whilst interacting with the brewery staff.
The name of the Tokuwaka Sake Brewery is based on the wish for ‘everlasting youthfulness and long-lasting prosperity’. Their sake is bottled as soon as it is pressed to preserve the flavour and aroma. It is made with no or minimal filtration and no added water, making it a must for sake connoisseurs.

From ritual dances to fresh sake brews and Wagyu-beef

Part 1: Learn about the history of sake and sip a freshly squeezed brew

You will visit cultural facilities of the historic sake brand ‘Hakushika’. Inside the recreated pre-war sake brewer’s residence, there is a special exhibition room with actual household items that were once used by four generations of Hakushika brewers (from the late 19th to mid-20th century). The exhibits reproduce daily life and seasonal events, giving you a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Japanese people of the past. In another exhibition room where old sake brewing tools and vessels are displayed, visitors can learn about the sake brewing process and how Japanese people used to enjoy sake.
You will be guided through these two exhibitions by the brewery owner, and then enjoy a limited edition sake which can only be consumed here. You can enjoy the food from the long-established Japanese restaurant ‘Tokyo Chiku-Yotei’ at the sake bar in the premises, the KURA Bar. You will also be served heated sake, which has been warmed up in a unique way.

Full sake experience in an atmospheric Japanese-style building

You will experience a Sake seminar at the former headquarters of the Tatsu-uma-honke Sake Brewery. You will see a demonstration of the process of wrapping straw mats around a barrel, a container unique to sake, and observe the process of making Hakushika, the flagship sake representative of this brewery. In the seminar, you will experience the differences in flavour depending on temperature, and how to enjoy sake depending on the vessel through a lecture on sake brewing and tastings. To give you a real feel for the high quality glutinous rice used as an ingredient, a rice cake pounding activity and rice cake tastings are also available to experience. The venue, a quaint Japanese-style building built in 1917, adds to the attraction.

Experience the world of ‘Noh’ in Nishinomiya Noh Theatre

After hands-on experience of Noh’s way of walk, posture and wearing Noh mask on Noh stage, you’ll watch a performance of Noh “HAGOROMO”. Noh, established in the 14th century, is a representative classical performing art of Japan that has refined its unique style more than 600 years. It is also the world’s oldest theatre that has been living to the present day. There are many words and idioms derived from “Noh” and they are still used in our daily life.
Through the beautiful costumes, the simplified stage and Noh masks that show us variety of emotions despite their simple design, you can enjoy the mysterious and profound world view of “U-gen”.

Enjoy the decoration of Japanese barrels and a Kaiseki meal

You will visit the famous sake brewer ‘Nihon-sakari’ to observe ‘Komo-maki’, the straw-wrapping of sake barrels, followed by a ‘Kaiseki’ meal. Komo-maki refers to the process of wrapping a straw mat around a sake barrel. It is said to have originated in the Edo period (17c-19c) when sake barrels were wrapped with straw mats to protect them during transportation, however, it is now used more for decorative purposes. This unique process is usually hidden from the public eye. Then, enjoy a Kaiseki meal - a Japanese banquet dish, characterised by its elaborate, flamboyant appearance and large number of items. You can taste fresh Sashimi and grilled dishes with sake.

Feel the hustle and bustle of a festival and the Japanese ‘Sit-down’ comedy

Part 1: Experience ’10-day Ebisu’ for good fortune

You will take part in one of the largest festivals in west Japan, ’10-Day Ebisu’. 10-Day Ebisu is a three-day festival held annually from 9th to 11th January and is dedicated to ‘Ebisu’, one of the ‘Seven Gods of Good Fortune’, who is famous as a god of fishing, prosperity and a good harvest. Ebisu is popular as an ornament in some countries outside Japan, so you may recognise him. This event offers a uniquely Japanese festival atmosphere with colourful stalls.

OPTIONALCould you be this year’s lucky person before sunrise?

If you wish, you can take part in the ‘Fuku-otoko selection’ held at Nishinomiya Shrine. The Fuku-otoko selection is a unique New Year’s event that has been held spontaneously since around the Edo period. When the shrine’s red gate is opened at 6am, all participants run to the main shrine building, 230 metres away, and the first three participants to arrive at the main shrine building first are declared the ‘Fuku-otoko’ (lucky person) of the year. Around 5,000 people usually participate, and although the name of the event means ‘lucky man’, women can of course take part. If you are confident enough in your agility and physical strength, why not take part in this lucky event as a memory of your trip?