Every journey is privately arranged and tailored to your interests, preferred travel dates, and the season. Rather than following a fixed schedule, each itinerary is carefully planned around the daily lives of the local people you will meet. This allows every journey to feel natural, personal, and connected to the rhythm of everyday life. Tours are available for groups of two or more guests. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your ideal journey.

More Than Beautiful Scenery, It’s the People You’ll Remember

Leave your larger luggage in the city. Bring only what you need for one night, and step into a quieter side of Japan.

Around 75–90 minutes from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen, Sakuho feels like a world away. Here, the pure waters flowing from the Yatsugatake Mountains have shaped the sake, food, nature, and everyday lives of the people who call this town home.

Meet sixth-generation sake brewer Takao Kurosawa, explore the brewery and its quiet neighborhood, and spend the night in a beautifully restored traditional house. Share seasonal food, sake, and conversation around the table, then spend your second day with a local host chosen according to the season and your interests.

Two days may be short. But the people you meet may stay with you long after you return to the city—and perhaps give you a reason to come back.

Where This Journey Fits into Your Japan Itinerary

Many travelers are curious about rural Japan but hesitate to rearrange their entire itinerary, change hotels, or travel with large suitcases.

Sakuho offers an easy way to experience a quieter, more personal side of Japan without committing to a long stay. From Tokyo, JR Sakudaira Station is approximately 75–90 minutes by Hokuriku Shinkansen.

You can leave your larger luggage at your city hotel, travel with only what you need for one night, and return to Tokyo the following day. Sakuho can also be included as a meaningful overnight stop on your way to Kanazawa or elsewhere in Central Japan.

In just two days, you can meet the people behind Sakuho’s sake, food, and local life, stay in a beautifully restored traditional house, and share an evening around the table with local residents.

Option 1: A One-Night Escape from Tokyo

Tokyo

↓

Hokuriku Shinkansen

↓

Sakudaira (Sakuho)

(1 Night with Kanpai Meets Japan)

↓

Hokuriku Shinkansen

↓

Tokyo

Option 2: Continue Your Journey Through Central Japan

Tokyo

↓

Hokuriku Shinkansen

↓

Sakudaira (Sakuho)

(1 Night with Kanpai Meets Japan)

↓

Hokuriku Shinkansen

↓

Kanazawa

These are just two examples. This private journey can be arranged to fit naturally into your wider travel plans.

Perfect for Travelers Who…

• Are staying in Tokyo and would like to experience rural Japan
• Want to travel light and spend just one night outside the city
• Have limited time but still want to discover a different side of Japan
• Enjoy meeting local people through food, sake, and meaningful conversations
• Prefer personal encounters to conventional sightseeing
• Are traveling onward through Central Japan, including Kanazawa or other destinations

Why You’ll Love This Journey

Stay overnight in a beautifully restored traditional house and experience the peaceful rhythm of rural Japan

Discover Sakuho through sixth-generation sake brewer Takao Kurosawa, whose family has been making sake here for more than 160 years

Share seasonal food, sake, and conversation around the table with local people

Experience another side of Sakuho through an orchard, a fish farm, or the moss forests of Northern Yatsugatake, depending on the season and your interests

Meet the People Who Call Sakuho Home

Welcoming You to Sakuho Through Sake and History

Takao Kurosawa
Sixth-Generation Brewer, Kurosawa Sake Brewery

Founded in 1858, Kurosawa Sake Brewery has been crafting sake in Sakuho for more than 160 years. As the sixth-generation brewer, Takao Kurosawa is deeply connected not only to the brewery, but also to the people and history of the town itself.

On your first day in Sakuho, Mr. Kurosawa introduces you to both the brewery and the streets that have shaped generations of his family. As you walk through the quiet neighborhood surrounding the brewery, you’ll discover how sake, local history, and everyday life have long been intertwined in Sakuho.

Depending on the season, Mr. Kurosawa may also take you beyond the brewery to see where the sake-making story begins. Kurosawa Sake Brewery raises its own sake-rice seedlings and grows rice in its own fields, with the brewery team caring for the crop throughout the season. From young seedlings in spring to ripening rice toward autumn, you’ll hear directly from Mr. Kurosawa how the journey from field to bottle unfolds.

That evening, you’ll gather around the table at Kurosawa-tei Hanare to enjoy seasonal cuisine prepared by Jizaido, thoughtfully paired with sake from Kurosawa Sake Brewery. Mr. Kurosawa will join you at the table to share stories, laughter, and conversation in a relaxed atmosphere that reflects the warmth of life in Sakuho. Depending on their availability, other local residents may join you as well.

Rather than simply visiting a sake brewery, you’ll experience the town through the eyes of someone who has spent a lifetime calling it home.

See More Through Photos

Meet Takao Kurosawa →

More People You May Meet in Sakuho

Your second day is shaped around the season, local conditions, and your interests. Rather than rushing from one visit to the next, you’ll spend meaningful time with one of the local hosts introduced below.

The details of your Day 2 experience will be confirmed before your journey.

Raising Shinshu Salmon in Pure Mountain Waters

Nobuyuki Sasaki
President, Yachiho Fish Farm

Yachiho Fish Farm is one of Nagano’s leading producers of Shinshu Salmon, a premium trout developed in Nagano and raised in the crystal-clear waters flowing from the Yatsugatake Mountains. During your visit, President Nobuyuki Sasaki will personally guide you through the fish farm and share how these exceptional fish are carefully raised.

You’ll also have the opportunity to taste freshly prepared Shinshu Salmon while learning how the region’s pure mountain water shapes its clean flavor and delicate texture. More than simply a local specialty, Shinshu Salmon reflects the natural environment and craftsmanship that define life in Sakuho.

Mr. Sasaki will also introduce the company’s recently opened fish market, an ambitious new venture that goes beyond aquaculture. Alongside their own freshwater fish, the shop offers carefully selected seafood delivered directly from fishing ports, giving local residents access to exceptional ingredients despite living far from the coast.

“We want people in Sakuho to enjoy truly great seafood, even without the sea nearby.”

That simple idea has grown into a beloved local business. Through Mr. Sasaki’s story, you’ll discover not only the craft of raising exceptional fish, but also his passion for enriching the local food culture and creating new possibilities for his hometown.

See More Through Photos

Welcoming You into the Everyday Life of an Orchard

Kiyoshi and Tomoko Suda
Suda Orchard

At Suda Orchard, Kiyoshi and Tomoko Suda grow apples and prunes in one of Japan’s leading fruit-producing regions. They welcome visitors with the same warmth they would offer family and friends.

Depending on the season, you’ll harvest fruit, help with orchard work, or make homemade jam together. If your visit includes jam making, Tomoko shares simple techniques and recipes that you can easily recreate in your own kitchen.

Spend time with the Sudas, and it won’t take long to feel like you’re visiting old friends rather than joining a tour. While the fruit is delicious, it’s the couple’s warmth and genuine hospitality that leave the strongest impression. Many guests leave saying, “I’d love to come back and see them again.”

A visit to Suda Orchard is about more than growing fruit. It’s an opportunity to experience the kindness, generosity, and everyday hospitality that make life in Sakuho so memorable.

See More Through Photos

Seeing the Moss Forest Through Local Eyes

Yudai Yamaura
Third-Generation Owner, Seitaiso

Around Shirakoma Pond in the Northern Yatsugatake Mountains, one of Japan’s most beautiful moss forests spreads beneath ancient trees. More than 500 varieties of moss quietly thrive here, creating a landscape that feels like a soft green carpet.

Yudai Yamaura, the third-generation owner of Seitaiso, knows this forest in a way that only comes from spending years walking its trails and observing its changing seasons.

As you walk with him, the tiny world beneath your feet begins to look different. Moss that might normally go unnoticed reveals subtle colors, shapes, and textures, each with its own character and story.

The forest itself is beautiful, but it is Yudai’s knowledge and perspective that make the experience memorable. Rather than simply walking through the landscape, you’ll begin to see it through the eyes of someone who knows it deeply.

This experience is generally available from May to October, depending on weather and trail conditions.

See More Through Photos

Meet Yudai Yamaura →

A Small-Town Bookstore That Brings People Together

In Sakuho’s shopping street, Shinkoma Bookstore is a small bookshop set inside a renovated old house. Some visitors come looking for books, while others travel from across Japan simply because they want to meet its owner, Koji Chikatani.

Koji has spent more than 20 years as a translation and publishing producer, helping bring Japanese novels to readers overseas. He also has a unique background that includes working as an actor in Hollywood in his twenties.

If your Day 2 experience takes you to Shinkoma Bookstore, you’ll hear Koji’s stories, from the world of literary translation to his days in Hollywood. If the conversation really gets going, he may even start talking about his favorite subject: weight training.

And if the timing is right, he might show you a bit of ninja-style action, drawing on his experience from his theater days. You never quite know what stories will come up, and that is part of the fun. Meeting Koji is sure to become one of the most memorable moments of your time in Sakuho.

See More Through Photos

Your Night at Kurosawa-tei Hanare

After spending the day meeting the people of Sakuho, you’ll settle into a place that is itself part of the town’s story.

During your stay, you’ll spend an evening at Kurosawa-tei Hanare, a beautifully restored private house once connected to the Kurosawa family, founders of Kurosawa Sake Brewery. Built more than a century ago, the house preserves the character of old Sakuho while offering a comfortable place to experience the town’s history and way of life.

Dinner features a seasonal menu specially prepared by the chef of Jizaido, a popular local restaurant just a short distance away. Each course is thoughtfully paired with sake from Kurosawa Sake Brewery, highlighting the flavors of the region.

But the evening is about more than the food.

Gathering around the same table, you’ll share food, conversation, and laughter with Mr. Kurosawa. Depending on their availability, other local residents—and perhaps some of the people you meet during your journey—may join you as well.

This is more than dinner. It’s an opportunity to experience the warmth of rural Japan, where conversations unfold naturally, new friendships begin, and visitors are welcomed not as tourists, but as guests around the table.

See More Through Photos

The photos on this page show real moments from previous Sakuho journeys. While accommodations and dinner venues may vary, the heart of the experience remains the same—sharing time around the table with local people.

Sample 2-Day Journey

This two-day itinerary is just one example. Every journey is privately arranged around your interests, the season, and the availability of the local people you will meet.

Rather than trying to visit everyone introduced on this page, you’ll spend meaningful time with one local host on your second day.

Day 1 | Sake, History, and a Shared Table

Arrive at JR Sakudaira Station in the morning, where your driver and English-speaking interpreter will meet you.

Travel to Kurosawa Sake Brewery and meet sixth-generation brewer Takao Kurosawa. Explore the brewery and walk through the quiet streets surrounding it as Mr. Kurosawa shares how sake, local history, and everyday life have long been connected in Sakuho.

Depending on the season, you may also visit the brewery’s sake-rice nursery or fields and discover how the journey from rice to sake begins.

After lunch at a local restaurant, check in at Kurosawa-tei Hanare. Take time to settle into the traditional house, unwind in its peaceful surroundings, or visit a nearby hot spring.

In the evening, gather around the table for a seasonal dinner prepared by the chef of Jizaido and thoughtfully paired with sake from Kurosawa Sake Brewery. Mr. Kurosawa will join you at the table. Depending on their availability, other local residents may join you as well.

Day 2 | A Local Encounter Shaped Around You

Enjoy a relaxed morning at Kurosawa-tei Hanare before checking out.

Your experience today will be selected according to the season, local conditions, and your interests. You may:

• Harvest fruit, help with orchard work, or make homemade jam with Kiyoshi and Tomoko Suda
• Visit Yachiho Fish Farm and learn from Nobuyuki Sasaki how Shinshu Salmon are raised in pure mountain water
• Walk through the moss forests of Northern Yatsugatake with Yudai Yamaura, generally from May to October
• Visit Shinkoma Bookstore and spend time with its owner, Koji Chikatani

Rather than rushing from one place to the next, you’ll spend meaningful time with one of these local hosts.

After lunch, your driver will take you back to JR Sakudaira Station. From there, return to Tokyo or continue your journey toward Kanazawa or another destination in Central Japan.

Notes

• This is a sample itinerary and may change depending on the season, weather, and the availability of local hosts.
• Your Day 2 experience will be confirmed before your journey.
• As a private and customized journey, the itinerary can be adjusted to suit your interests and travel schedule.
• Breakfast is not included. Before your stay, we’ll be happy to recommend nearby bakeries, cafés, and local shops.
• If you plan to leave your luggage at your city hotel during this overnight journey, please confirm storage arrangements directly with the hotel in advance.

Make This Journey Your Own

Practical Information

Price	Indicative price From ¥186,000 per person (based on 2 guests) The per-person price is lower for groups of three or more, as certain costs are shared among the group. Final pricing varies depending on the season, itinerary, accommodation, and experiences selected.
Journey Style	Private, fully customized journey Duration: 2 days / 1 night Available year-round 2–6 guests
Accommodation	Kurosawa-tei Hanare Private traditional house (exclusive use) More than simply a place to stay, Kurosawa-tei Hanare offers the chance to experience the slower rhythm of everyday life in Sakuho. While preserving the character of a traditional Japanese home, it also provides the modern comforts needed for a relaxing stay. Breakfast is intentionally left open so you can enjoy a relaxed morning at your own pace. You’re welcome to bring your own food, drinks, or prepared meals into the house, which includes a kitchen and refrigerator. Before your stay, we’ll also be happy to recommend nearby bakeries, cafés, and local shops.
What’s Included	– One night’s accommodation at Kurosawa-tei Hanare – Private transportation for all scheduled experiences included in your itinerary – English-speaking interpretation support during scheduled experiences – All scheduled experiences and entrance fees – Two lunches – A private seasonal dinner with Takao Kurosawa at Kurosawa-tei Hanare, including sake pairing – Exclusive access and experiences arranged through KMJ’s local relationships – Coordination with local hosts before and during your journey – WhatsApp support before and during your trip – Domestic travel accident insurance
Not Included	– Transportation to and from the meeting point – Breakfast – Personal expenses – Optional food and beverages not included in the itinerary
Meeting Point	JR Sakudaira Station Meet your driver and English-speaking interpreter at JR Sakudaira Station, where your journey begins.
Cancellation Policy	20–11 days before departure: 20% of the tour price 10–1 days before departure: 50% of the tour price Same-day cancellation or no-show: 100% of the tour price
Payment	Credit card (Visa and Mastercard) Detailed payment instructions will be provided after booking.
Additional Information	Each journey is individually designed. Your final itinerary will be confirmed after your consultation and booking request. Bookings must be made at least 20 days before your preferred departure date.
Language Support	Most experiences are hosted in Japanese. A professional English-speaking interpreter accompanies the journey to support communication while allowing conversations with local people to remain natural and authentic. Italian-language interpretation is also available upon request.
Getting Around	Private Transportation (Included) Private transportation is provided for all scheduled experiences included in your itinerary, allowing you to relax and enjoy the journey without worrying about driving or navigation. If you’d like to explore the area during your free time, we’ll be happy to recommend local transportation options or arrange a taxi upon request. Self-Drive Option (Available on Request) A self-drive version of this journey can also be arranged upon request.

Meet More of the People of Sakuho

Want to learn more about some of the people behind this journey?
Discover their stories and the passion behind each experience.

→ Discover their stories

・Takao Kurosawa

・Yudai Yamaura