Skip to content
SHINOGIJapan DMC · Since 2005

4 days · Nagoya · Kyoto

4-Day Nagoya and Kyoto Incentive Trip

This 4-day incentive starts with two nights in Nagoya, the former seat of the Owari Tokugawa, then reaches Kyoto in 35 minutes by Shinkansen for a night focused on culture. For 30 to 120 participants, it brings together the Hommaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine, a dinner at Ryōtei Kawabun, the city's oldest restaurant, a gala at THE CONDER HOUSE, then Fushimi sake, an evening with maiko and a tea ceremony in Kyoto.

Tailor this programme
Nagoya Castle keep and its golden shachihoko rising above the trees© Heather Mallon / Pexels · Pexels License
Days
4
Participants
30 to 120 participants
Cities
Nagoya · Kyoto

Objectives

  • Offer a cultural incentive beyond the busiest Tokyo-Kyoto circuit
  • Introduce Nagoya, a city of samurai and industry, before temple Kyoto
  • Create standout moments: a historic ryotei, a gala in a former bank, maiko
  • Keep transfers short thanks to the 35-minute Shinkansen between the two cities

Participant profile

Sales challenge winners, key partners and clients, or guests who already know Tokyo and want another Japan. Particularly suits companies linked to the automotive or aerospace industries, both strongly present around Nagoya.

Day by day

  1. 1

    Day 1

    Day 1 — Arrival in Nagoya, the castle and dinner at Ryōtei Kawabun

    • Arrival via Chubu Centrair Airport (about 30 min by μSKY train or 45 min by coach to the center) or by Shinkansen from Tokyo (about 1 h 35)
    • Check-in at Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, above Nagoya Station (or Conrad Nagoya in Sakae for a smaller group)
    • 3:00 pm — Guided visit of Nagoya Castle: the faithfully rebuilt Hommaru Palace and its Kano school paintings; the main keep is closed for its wooden reconstruction
    • 7:00 pm — Kaiseki dinner at Ryōtei Kawabun in Marunouchi, Nagoya's oldest restaurant, in the Mizukagami no Ma hall facing the water garden (up to 90 guests); beyond that, the group is split with THE KAWABUN NAGOYA on the same grounds
    Nagoya Castle's keep, with green roofs and golden shachihoko, under a blue sky.
    Nagoya Castle
  2. 2

    Day 2

    Day 2 — Atsuta Shrine, craft and gala at THE CONDER HOUSE

    • 9:00 am — 2-hour meeting in a hotel function room (option)
    • 11:00 am — Atsuta Shrine, one of Japan's most important, home to the sacred Kusanagi sword: formal prayer booked for the group and a walk in the camphor forest
    • 12:30 pm — Lunch of hitsumabushi, grilled eel served three ways, a Nagoya specialty
    • 2:30 pm — Choice of: shibori tie-dye workshop in Arimatsu, an old Tokaido road village (about 30 min), or a visit to the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology and its loom demonstrations
    • 6:30 pm — Cocktail in The Stairs Hall at THE CONDER HOUSE, the former Nagoya Bank head office (1926), then gala dinner in The Conder Hall under the original chandeliers, with awards
    A Shinto shrine courtyard shaded by old camphor trees bound with sacred ropes.
    Shinto shrine
  3. 3

    Day 3

    Day 3 — Shinkansen to Kyoto, Fushimi and maiko evening

    • Luggage sent by truck straight to the Kyoto hotel
    • 9:00 am — Nozomi Shinkansen from Nagoya to Kyoto, about 35 minutes, in reserved cars
    • 10:00 am — Fushimi Inari Taisha and its vermilion torii, a one-hour walk on the lower part of the mountain
    • 11:30 am — Visit to a historic Fushimi sake brewery and guided tasting, in rotations of 25
    • 1:00 pm — Lunch in the brewery district, then a guided walk in small groups through Higashiyama, from Kiyomizu-dera to the lanes of Ninenzaka
    • 5:00 pm — Check-in at The Westin Miyako Kyoto, at the foot of the Higashiyama hills
    • 7:00 pm — Dinner at THE SODOH HIGASHIYAMA KYOTO, the former residence of painter Takeuchi Seiho facing the Yasaka pagoda, with dance, conversation and ozashiki games hosted by several maiko and geiko
    Rows of vermilion torii gates under the trees at Fushimi Inari Taisha.
    三日目 · Fushimi Inari
  4. 4

    Day 4

    Day 4 — Tea ceremony and departure

    • 9:00 am — Tea ceremony with a tea master, in rotations of 15 in the tea rooms of a temple or the hotel; each guest prepares their own bowl of matcha
    • Option for the other groups: zazen meditation in a Zen temple or free time in Gion
    • 12:00 pm — Closing lunch and check-out
    • Departures: Haruka to Kansai Airport (about 1 h 15 from Kyoto Station), Shinkansen to Tokyo (about 2 h 15) or back to Nagoya and Centrair (about 1 h 15 in total)
    A man in kimono bows on the tatami during a tea ceremony.
    Tea ceremony

Budget

From €2,900 per person, excluding flights

Indicative rate based on 60 participants in double rooms, 2 nights at Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel in Nagoya and 1 night in a 5-star hotel in Kyoto. Included: transfers, reserved ordinary-class Nagoya-Kyoto Shinkansen, luggage shipping, dinner at Ryōtei Kawabun, gala at THE CONDER HOUSE, maiko evening, visits, activities, guides and bilingual staff. Not included: flights, drinks beyond packages, optional meeting. Nagoya remains more affordable than Tokyo; Kyoto in April and November requires booking 12 months ahead, and both THE CONDER HOUSE and THE SODOH are easier to book on weekdays, as weddings take the weekends.

Quick estimate

30120

€232,000

i.e. €2,900 per person, excluding flights

Indicative estimate based on the per-person rate shown for this programme. The exact quote follows your brief.

Frequently asked questions

Why start in Nagoya rather than Tokyo?

Nagoya is 35 minutes from Kyoto, versus 2 h 15 from Tokyo, which frees up time on the ground. The city offers samurai and industrial heritage little known to foreign visitors, characterful venues for exclusive hire and lower hotel rates. Centrair Airport, 30 minutes away, has direct international flights.

Can Ryōtei Kawabun host 120 people?

The Mizukagami no Ma hall seats up to 90. For a larger group, we split guests between the ryotei and THE KAWABUN NAGOYA, an Italian restaurant on the same grounds (up to 128 seated), with shared drinks in the garden.

Can we visit the main keep of Nagoya Castle?

No, the keep has been closed since 2018 ahead of its wooden reconstruction, with no confirmed reopening date. The Hommaru Palace, rebuilt to the original plans and open since 2018, is the highlight of the visit, and the keep remains visible from the grounds.

Does the maiko evening suit a large group?

Yes, in a suitable format: beyond 20 people, the evening takes place in a banquet room, here at THE SODOH, with several maiko and geiko moving from table to table. It should be booked 4 to 8 weeks ahead, longer in spring and autumn.

Recommended hotels

The hotel terraced into the Higashiyama hillside under a blue sky
ConferenceMICELuxury

The Westin Miyako Kyoto

Kyoto · Higashiyama

A historic grand hotel (1890) set against the Higashiyama hills, home to the largest banquet hall in Kyoto Prefecture: Mizuho, 1,650 m² and up to 2,000 theater-style. The place where Kyoto hosts state dinners and major conventions.

Rooms
266
Meeting rooms
19
Max. capacity
2,000

Indicative budget · €€€

The hotel's façade with planted terraces, lit up in the evening
LuxuryConference

The Thousand Kyoto

Kyoto · Kyoto Station

A 222-room hotel opened in 2019, 2 minutes from Kyoto Station, with refined Japanese design. Nine banquet spaces including Kacho (387 m², about 480 guests): the ideal balance of Shinkansen access and Kyoto aesthetics.

Rooms
222
Meeting rooms
9
Max. capacity
—

Indicative budget · €€€

Hotel lobby on the 15th floor
MICEConferenceLuxury

Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel

Nagoya · Meieki (Nagoya Station)

Nagoya's largest hotel by room count (748 rooms), sitting directly above JR Nagoya Station. The 1,200 m² Towers Ballroom, with an 8 m ceiling, holds up to 1,200 theatre-style or 630 for a seated dinner, with 16 more rooms on the 16th, 17th and 51st floors.

Rooms
748
Meeting rooms
17
Max. capacity
1,200

Indicative budget · €€€

The Landmark Nagoya Sakae tower at dusk
LuxuryConference

Conrad Nagoya

Nagoya · Sakae

Nagoya's first international luxury hotel, opened on 31 July 2026 atop The Landmark Nagoya Sakae. 170 rooms including 29 suites, six restaurants and bars between the 31st and 40th floors, and an events level with a 342 m² Grand Ballroom under an 8 m ceiling.

Rooms
170
Meeting rooms
—
Max. capacity
—

Indicative budget · €€€€

Activities

Row of 1.8-litre sake bottles lined up on a wooden shelf

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

Portrait of a Kyoto geiko in a pale green kimono with traditional hairstyle and white makeup

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

Preparing matcha during a tea ceremony

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

Restaurants

Restaurants · Nagoya →
Lantern-lit entrance of Ryōtei Kawabun at dusk
6 photos
Kaiseki & ryoteiPrivate hire

Ryōtei Kawabun

Nagoya · Marunouchi · 料亭 河文

Main building listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property

Nagoya's oldest restaurant, founded early in the Edo period by a fishmonger who became purveyor to the Owari Tokugawa, and the only one in the city operating continuously since then, some four centuries. The sukiya-style main building is a registered cultural property; the Mizukagami no Ma hall and its water courtyard were designed in 1971 by architect Yoshiro Taniguchi. Japanese and foreign statesmen have dined here, and the G20 foreign ministers' dinner was held here in 2019. Seasonal kaiseki is served in private rooms for 2 to 20, most with chair seating.

Groups up to 90 paxLunch: kaiseki at ¥13,200

Restaurant dining room opening onto the bamboo garden
5 photos
Modern & rooftopPrivate hire

THE KAWABUN NAGOYA

Nagoya · Marunouchi · ザ・カワブン・ナゴヤ

Plan・Do・See's Italian restaurant on the grounds of Ryōtei Kawabun, built where the ryotei's former great hall, Nagono no Ma, once stood. Original transoms, roof tiles and stone basins were reused in a modern Japanese building that opens onto the garden and its old chinquapin tree, planted when Nagoya Castle was built. Seasonal Italian cooking from an open kitchen, a café-bar lounge and Bar Octagon overlooking the garden. In 2023 it hosted a dinner for the Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting of China, Japan and Korea (TEMM24).

Groups up to 128 paxLunch: courses from ¥3,500 per person

The Sodoh garden with the Yasaka pagoda in the background
6 photos
Modern & rooftopPrivate hire

THE SODOH HIGASHIYAMA KYOTO

Kyoto · Higashiyama · ザ ソウドウ 東山 京都

The former residence of painter Takeuchi Seiho, built in 1929 at the foot of the Yasaka pagoda and converted in 2003 into a restaurant and event venue, on an estate of about 6,600 m². It now houses KURO KYOTO, seasonal Japanese cuisine created with Tokyo's Kurogi, the Sushi Azabu Higashiyama counter, and a bar with a terrace facing the pagoda.

Groups up to 144 paxBanquets: ¥10,000 to ¥30,000 per person, free-flow drinks included

Related

Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto's Golden Pavilion, reflected in its pond

7 days · Tokyo · Kyoto

7-Day Japan Program for Executive Committees

This 7-day executive committee trip combines three nights in Tokyo and three nights in Kyoto: business meetings and company visits subject to availability in Tokyo, then strategy sessions and private cultural experiences in Kyoto. Designed for 8 to 25 executives, it includes private transfers, Green Car Shinkansen, interpreters and a dedicated coordinator available at all times. Arrival at Haneda or Narita, departure from Kansai International Airport.

From €8,900 per person, excluding flights

Counter of a small neighborhood restaurant in Fukuoka in the evening

4 days · Fukuoka

4-Day Fukuoka Incentive Trip

This 4-day Fukuoka incentive trip takes 30 to 120 participants from the city center to the Umi-no-Nakamichi peninsula. It combines a yatai challenge along the Naka River, a morning at Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine, a crossing of Hakata Bay to THE LUIGANS Spa & Resort and a gala dinner facing the sea. Fukuoka Airport is 5 minutes by subway from Hakata Station, which keeps arrival and departure transfers short.

From €2,900 per person, excluding flights

Red gondola in front of a snow-covered peak in the Japanese Alps under a blue sky

4 days · Hakuba

4-Day Hakuba Ski Incentive

This Hakuba ski incentive brings 20 to 120 participants to the Japanese Northern Alps for 4 days, about 3 hours from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen and coach. The group stays at the foot of the Hakuba Norikura slopes, takes ski or snowshoe lessons by level, unwinds in the onsen and spends one day watching the snow monkeys of Jigokudani. Offered from January to March, starting with the 2027 season.

From €2,900 per person, excluding flights

Event brief

Japan MICE, precisely orchestrated since 2005.

A few details are enough for a first proposal. A dedicated project manager replies within 48 business hours.

Event brief

Japan MICE, precisely orchestrated since 2005.

A few details are enough for a first proposal. A dedicated project manager replies within 48 business hours.