Activities
Cultural experiences in Japan
SHINOGI DMC arranges cultural experiences in Japan for corporate groups: tea ceremony, calligraphy, samurai training, a sumo stable visit or a reflection session in a Kyoto Zen temple. Each experience is led by established practitioners, with an interpreter, in a format suited to your schedule and to the etiquette of the place. The aim is a genuine understanding of Japan, not a tourist show.
Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka · Fukuoka
Japanese calligraphy workshop
A master calligrapher introduces the group to shodo: holding the brush, stroke order, then writing a kanji chosen to express a team value.
60 to 90 minutes · 6–150 pax
Tokyo
Lake Ashi cruise and Owakudani ropeway
Hakone's great classic, arranged for a group: crossing Lake Ashi aboard one of Hakone's three "pirate ships", in the special-class cabin or on a private charter, then a ropeway ride above the steam vents of Owakudani, with Mount Fuji as a backdrop on a clear day.
2.5 to 3.5 hours (cruise, ropeway and stop at Owakudani) · 10–300 pax
From ¥15,000 per person
Kyoto
Incense workshop and introduction to kodo
An introduction to kodo, the Japanese art of 'listening' to incense, followed by a workshop where each participant blends their own fragrance from aromatic woods and spices and leaves with a scented sachet.
About 2 hours · 4–30 pax
From ¥31,500 per person
Kyoto
Group kimono experience in Kyoto
Professional kimono dressing for the whole group, men and women, followed by a walk and photo session in the historic lanes of Higashiyama, with a guide and an optional photographer.
About 2 hours · 4–60 pax
From ¥24,000 per person
Kyoto
Urushi lacquer kintsugi workshop in Kyoto
In a historic Kyoto house, a lacquer craftsman introduces the group to traditional kintsugi: mending a ceramic piece with urushi lacquer, then highlighting the crack with gold powder.
About 2 hours · 4–30 pax
From ¥39,000 per person
Kyoto
Forge your own Japanese knife in Kyoto
In a Kyoto blacksmith's workshop, each participant heats, hammers and shapes the blade of their own knife, then leaves with it, engraved with their name.
About 3 hours · 2–24 pax
From ¥45,500 per person
Kyoto
Maiko and geiko evening in Kyoto
A private kaiseki dinner in one of Kyoto's teahouse districts, with traditional dance, conversation and ozashiki games hosted by maiko and geiko, with an interpreter at your side.
About 2 hours · 6–80 pax
From ¥45,500 per person
Kyoto
Kyoto pottery workshop
A private ceramics workshop in the Kyo-yaki tradition: each participant shapes a bowl or cup on the wheel or by hand, which the studio then glazes, fires and ships to the address of their choice.
About 2 hours 30 minutes · 4–50 pax
From ¥42,500 per person
Kyoto
Sake brewery visit and tasting in Fushimi
A private visit to a historic sake brewery in Fushimi, south Kyoto, followed by a guided tasting of several sake styles paired with small bites.
1.5 to 2 hours · 6–80 pax
From ¥25,000 per person
Kyoto
Kyoto textile dyeing workshop
A private dyeing workshop in one of Kyoto's great textile traditions (stencil yuzen, indigo or shibori): each participant creates their own furoshiki or tenugui and takes it home.
About 2 hours · 4–40 pax
From ¥38,500 per person
Kyoto
Kyoto treasure hunt
A team treasure hunt through the lanes of Higashiyama and Gion, revealing Kyoto's history and customs through puzzles, artisan encounters and cultural challenges.
About 3 hours · 10–200 pax
Kyoto
Zazen meditation in a Kyoto temple
A zazen session guided by a monk in the meditation hall of a Kyoto Zen temple, reserved for your group, followed by tea and an interpreted conversation about the practice.
About 1 hour 45 minutes · 4–40 pax
From ¥20,500 per person
Okinawa
Dragon boat (hārī) racing in Okinawa
An introduction to hārī, the dragon boat racing of Okinawa's fishing communities, followed by timed heats between crews: a water-based team building activity where everything depends on synchronization.
2.5 to 3 hours · 20–200 pax
Osaka
Chopsticks making workshop
With a woodworking craftsman, each participant shapes their own pair of chopsticks with a hand plane, chooses a finish (natural oil or lacquer) and leaves with a gift box engraved with their name.
About 2 hours · 6–50 pax
From ¥49,500 per person
Osaka
Japanese cooking class in Osaka
A private cooking class built around dashi and Osaka's home-style dishes, led by a Japanese cook and followed by a shared lunch or dinner of what the group has prepared.
About 2 hours, meal included · 6–40 pax
From ¥34,500 per person
Osaka
Sakai knife workshop
A visit to a knife workshop in Sakai, a whetstone sharpening demonstration and personalised engraving of a Japanese kitchen knife that each participant takes home.
About 2 hours (excluding transfer) · 4–30 pax
From ¥75,000 per person
Tokyo · Kyoto
Samurai experience
An introduction to Japanese sword arts in a dojo, led by an experienced practitioner: etiquette, handling a training sword, kata and a reflection on bushido.
90 minutes to 2 hours · 6–80 pax
Tokyo
Sumo stable experience
Watch the morning practice (asa-geiko) of a Tokyo sumo stable, then share chanko nabe, the wrestlers' hot pot: a rare immersion arranged through our partners and subject to the tournament calendar.
About 3 hours, early morning, meal included · 4–30 pax
Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
Sushi and washoku workshop
In this sushi workshop in Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka, a Japanese chef introduces your group to sushi rice, fish cutting and the basics of washoku, followed by a shared meal of what each team has prepared.
2 to 2.5 hours, including the meal · 8–100 pax
Tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka · Fukuoka · Okinawa
Taiko team building
An introduction to taiko, the Japanese drum, led by professional players, building in under two hours to a collective performance by the whole group.
90 minutes to 2 hours · 10–300 pax
Kyoto · Tokyo
Corporate tea ceremony
A tea ceremony led by a chado teacher in a tea house or private room, with the gestures explained and each participant whisking their own bowl of matcha.
60 to 90 minutes · 6–60 pax
Tokyo
Make your own chopsticks from Japanese wood
In this chopsticks making workshop in Tokyo, each participant shapes a pair of chopsticks from Japanese wood with a woodworker, using a hand plane and sandpaper, then takes them home in a gift box.
About 1.5 hours · 6–40 pax
From ¥41,000 per person
Tokyo
Geisha evening in Tokyo
A Japanese dinner in a private room, with geisha from Tokyo's traditional districts performing dance to shamisen music, leading ozashiki party games with guests and joining the conversation, with an interpreter.
About 2 hours · 6–60 pax
From ¥36,500 per person
Tokyo
Ikebana workshop in Tokyo
A Japanese flower arrangement class led by an ikebana teacher: composition principles, a demonstration, then each participant creates their own arrangement with seasonal branches and flowers.
About 1.5 hours · 4–40 pax
From ¥43,000 per person
Tokyo
Kodo incense ceremony in Tokyo
An introduction to kodo, the Japanese art of “listening” to incense: aromatic woods explained, the censer passed around, a scent-matching game, then each participant blends their own incense to take home.
About 1.5 hours · 4–30 pax
From ¥38,500 per person
Tokyo
Kabuki and noh introduction with a live performance
A kabuki and noh experience in Tokyo: a specialist presents masks, costumes, make-up and codified gestures, then the group attends an act of kabuki or a noh play together.
About 2 hours (introduction and one act of a performance) · 6–40 pax
From ¥37,000 per person
Tokyo
Kintsugi workshop with an artisan
In this kintsugi workshop in Tokyo, a lacquer artisan explains the Japanese art of repairing ceramics with gold, then guides each participant through the repair of a small piece they keep as a souvenir.
1.5 to 2 hours · 6–40 pax
From ¥44,000 per person
Tokyo
Sake tasting with a sake sommelier
For this sake tasting in Tokyo, a certified sake sommelier (kikizake-shi) leads the group through six or seven sakes of different styles, explains how they are made and pairs them with small Japanese bites.
About 1.5 hours · 6–60 pax
From ¥15,000 per person
Tokyo
Sumi-e ink painting workshop in Tokyo
A Japanese ink painting workshop with an artist: brush handling and ink gradation, exercises on classical motifs, then a personal painting mounted on board to take home.
2 to 2.5 hours · 4–40 pax
From ¥34,500 per person
Tokyo
Toyosu market tour and sushi session with a chef
A morning that starts at dawn at Toyosu wholesale market, with the tuna auction and the wholesalers' aisles explained by a guide, followed by a private sushi session with an experienced chef.
About 4 hours, from 5:00 to 9:30 am · 6–40 pax
From ¥55,000 per person
Tokyo
Wagashi making class in Tokyo
A Japanese confectionery class with a professional confectioner: a demonstration, each participant shapes two or three seasonal wagashi, then tastes them with a bowl of matcha.
About 1.5 hours · 6–60 pax
From ¥21,500 per person
Kyoto
Zen garden leadership session, Kyoto
A short Zen retreat for executive teams in a Kyoto temple: seated meditation (zazen), reading a dry landscape garden and a conversation with a monk about attention, decision-making and leadership.
2 to 3 hours, half day with meal possible · 6–40 pax
Culture that explains how Japan does business
Tea ceremony, calligraphy or a sumo stable's morning practice are not mere demonstrations. They show, very concretely, the attention to detail, hierarchy, preparation and respect for form that also shape Japanese business relationships.
For a sales team or an executive committee working with Japanese partners, these experiences provide a useful frame of reference in just a few hours.
Our cultural experiences
- Tea ceremony in Kyoto or Tokyo, in a tea house or a private room.
- Calligraphy (shodo) with a master; each participant keeps their piece.
- Samurai experience: introduction to sword handling and dojo etiquette.
- Sumo stable: morning practice in Ryogoku followed by chanko nabe, depending on the tournament calendar.
- Zen garden leadership: zazen and a conversation with a monk in a Kyoto temple.
Respecting places and practitioners
Temples, sumo stables and tea houses have their own rules: punctuality, silence at certain moments, shoes off, and sometimes limited photography. We brief participants beforehand and adapt the format (sub-group size, timing) so that the visit remains possible and respectful.
Some venues only accept small groups. For 100 people or more, we run rotations or bring the practitioners to your hotel.
Frequently asked questions
Can a cultural experience work for a large group?
Yes, with the right format. Beyond 30 to 40 people, we run sub-group rotations or set up the workshop in a function room at your hotel, with several instructors and interpreters.
How long does a cultural experience last?
Most last 60 to 120 minutes, which makes them easy to fit between work sessions. A sumo stable visit starts early in the morning and takes about three hours including the meal.
Is there a dress code?
Smart casual clothing and clean socks are enough, as shoes come off in most venues. For tea ceremony, avoid short skirts and bulky jewelry; for the samurai experience, training wear is provided.
Are the experiences interpreted?
Yes. A professional interpreter works alongside each master or instructor, in English or French, and is briefed in advance on the vocabulary specific to the discipline.