Yokote/Yuzawa in Guided tour

• Age 0～Age 99
• 2～3 hours
• 10:30 / 14:15

Take a tour with your guide through the quaint street lined with Japanese old houses! Masuda Town has prospered as a merchant town since the Edo period. Because this town has been the transportation hub, a variety of agricultural products gathered here. Merchants amassed wealth in their fields and created mansion towns. Inside these mansions, "Kura'' or a storehouse was built by wealthy merchants to store documents and household furniture. This storehouse is still inhabited and rare even in Japan. Feel the elegance in the detailed decorations such as white plaster, polished black plaster and lacquered interior. The townscape is home to many historic buildings of this area. Masuda town was designated as a National Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 2013. Find the storehouses of each mansion with its unique structure decoration. In this guided tour, you will be able to visit two to three mansions with storehouse while receiving an explanation. English speaking guide accompanies you.Due to the New Year's holiday period from December 31st to January 4th, we will only be visiting one mansion and Manga museum near the town.

• For Rainy Days
• For Family

• Age 1～Age 99
• 4～5 hours
• 14:00 / 18:00

Admire Nishimonai Bon dance, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, in both street seat and box seat with view from above.August 16th during the Bon Festival is the day to bid farewell to ancestral spirits. As the sun sets over the Dewa mountains, the music of the yose-daiko drum resounds in Nishimonai, Ugo Town. Soon after, well-dressed children perform the Ondo dance on Honmachi Street where bonfires are lit, and the three-day Bon Odori begins.Skillful dancers who cover their faces with braided hats and hikosa hoods join in, and indigo-dyed costumes with gorgeous embroidery stand out against the bonfires. The dance has a fascinating curved beauty of interwoven graceful hand gestures and foot movements. The participants dance wholeheartedly in unison with their ancestral spirits, wishing for an abundant harvest. 100,000 viewers are intoxicated by the dreamy world of the musicians, dancers, and bonfires.The tour starts 18:00. If you interested in Nishimonai bon dance more, we can offer optional tour for free. You can learn how to dance Nishimonai Bon dance, and history. The optional tour starts 14:00 at meeting place.

• Age 0～Age 99
• 4～5 hours
• 16:00

Enjoy boat-ramming of the Okuribon Festival. The boats off square in pairs and are rammed against each other at the nose. Participants smash together, shouting and waving as fireworks go off overhead.The Boat-Ramming (Butsuke-ai)Ceremony: Each of the yakatabune that take part in the ceremony is prepared by the residents and shopkeepers of a different neighborhood of Yokote. While the boat are reused from previous festivals, every year the residents must fashion frames new straw hulls and fittings, a process that takes up to a month. Each of the participating neighborhoods builds a yakatabune, which must be carried from its home neighborhood to the dry riverbed of the Yokote River. On August 15, the boats are lined up during the bon odori so that visitors can see them up close. On August 16, the boats are pulled down to the river for the sending-off ceremony. This is followed by the “boat-ramming” (butsuke-ai) ceremony, which has become the highlight of the Okuribon Festival. The boats are brought back to the bridge, where they square off in pairs and are rammed against each other at the nose. Representatives from each neighborhood remain aboard the boats as they smash together, shouting and waving as fireworks go off overhead.

• For Family

• Age 7～Age 99
• 4～5 hours
• 16:00

This tour is held on 7th Feb.You will visit 2 local festivals.First, ``Gather round, everyone! Winter Festival".Thousands of mini Kamakura or igloo are made in the venue.Each of mini igloos are lit up and make fantastic mood in winter night.Leave the venue and after 1 hour ride, we will visit "Giant Icicles Festival".The giant icicles that form in the Oyasu Gorge are lit up during the festival, attracting many photographers to take pictures.The venue is lit up, creating a fantastical space that is popular with couples, and the winter fireworks that are set off in time with the music at the finale are a must-see.

• Pickup Service

• Age 17～Age 99
• 1～2 hours
• 10:00 / 13:00

Thank you for visiting Yokote City, located in southern Akita Prefecture. You've come all this way, but you're not sure where to go for fun! The next train is over an hour away... Why not make the most of your time by exploring Yokote? A guide will guide you around the city, tailored to your schedule. Yokote City is the hometown of singer-songwriter Yu Takahashi. You can visit spots associated with Yu. Furthermore, Yokote City's center is home to many historical sites and buildings. History buffs, fans of Yu's music, and those who have never explored Yu's town or would like to explore it for themselves are encouraged to apply. After your stroll, you can relax and unwind at Cafeteria Hirajo. The cafe offers not only meals, but also caffeine-free herbal teas and sweet treats.

• For Rainy Days