More Than a Stay — Six Japanese Cultural Experiences
Experience the exceptional sharpness of Gifu knives, crafted in a tradition that traces its roots back to Japanese sword-making.
Take on a mystery-solving adventure in search of the Red Guardian, and share the excitement of the Wasabi Challenge together.
Immerse yourself in the four seasons of Hida Takayama through breathtaking images and sound, then raise a glass of sparkling sake from HidaTakayama.
And in the attic beneath the magnificent gassho-zukuri roof, slip into a yukata and experience the beauty of traditional Japan.
See it. Touch it. Taste it. Enjoy it.
Six Japanese cultural experiences, created from a fresh new concept, come together to offer a style of stay you can experience nowhere else.
Experience the Sharpness of Seki Knives — Heirs to the Art of Japanese Sword-Makin Japanese Knife Cutting
The history of swordsmithing in Seki, Gifu Prefecture, is said to date back to the 13th century, during Japan’s Kamakura period.
Famed for being “unbreakable, unbending, and exceptionally sharp,” swords made in Seki were prized by samurai warriors during the Sengoku period..
Today, more than 700 years of craftsmanship live on in Seki’s world-renowned blades and kitchen knives..
In this experience, compare the cutting performance of a Seki knife with an ordinary kitchen knife as you slice fresh vegetables. See just how thinly and beautifully you can cut—and feel the difference for yourself..
Afterward, enjoy the vegetables with Hida Hoba miso..
A cultural experience that lets you see, touch, and taste Japan’s remarkable tradition of blade craftsmanship.
Search for the Red Guardian — A Mystery Adventure Inside the Gassho House Cultural Mystery
It has long been said that a Red Guardian watches over the happiness of those who live within a gassho-zukuri house.
Through the long winters, people prayed for the safety of their families and for good fortune for those setting out on a journey.
Those wishes still live on in the traditions of Hida Takayama.
But the Guardian of this house seems to have disappeared.
All that remains are four clues.
Explore the historic gassho-zukuri house, solve each mystery, and see if you can uncover the hidden Red Guardian waiting at the end.
A mystery-solving adventure found only at The Gassho Villa HidaTakayama, with the historic house itself as your stage.
Take on the Wasabi Challenge Wasabi Challenge
Wasabi has been enjoyed in Japan for centuries and is one of the country’s most distinctive traditional ingredients.
During the Edo period, it is said to have been presented to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and was once considered a rare and precious delicacy.
The moment you taste it, its unmistakable heat rushes through your nose—followed by a delicate aroma and subtle sweetness.
Now it is your turn to experience wasabi in a completely different way.
Follow the images and sounds and take on the Wasabi Challenge, featuring different levels of wasabi heat.
Enjoy it with family, friends, or your partner—and discover expressions and reactions you may have never seen before.
Taste it. Laugh together. Have fun.
An original experience at The Gassho Villa HidaTakayama that turns Japanese food culture into play.
Be Immersed in the Four Seasons of Hida Takayama Hida Takayama Seasons
A special experience found only here.
Powerful imagery and immersive sound fill the space, and before you know it, you are surrounded by the changing seasons of Hida Takayama.
What happens next?
That is something to discover when you arrive.
More than something you simply watch, this is an experience to feel with your whole body—and one that may stay with you long after your journey ends.
Toast with Sparkling Sake from Hida Takayama Sparkling Sake
Hida Takayama has been renowned for sake brewing since the Edo period.
Pure mountain water and a cold climate ideal for brewing have nurtured a rich sake culture that has been passed down through generations.
Begin your stay with a toast of sparkling sake born in Hida Takayama.
Surrounded by the atmosphere of a historic gassho-zukuri house, raise your glass to Hida’s sake tradition—and to the beginning of a special stay.
Experience History and Japanese Culture Beneath the Gassho Roof Gassho style
The magnificent roof of a gassho-zukuri house is built at an exceptionally steep angle of around 60 degrees, designed to withstand the heavy snowfall of Japan’s mountain regions.
Its thick thatch provides natural insulation, helping keep the attic cooler during summer.
Even the curved beams tell a story: some were made from trees that grew naturally bent at their base under the weight of deep mountain snow, their unique shapes skillfully incorporated into the structure.
Every beam and timber reflects the ingenuity of generations who learned to live in harmony with a harsh natural environment.
Here, beneath this historic roof, slip into a yukata, one of Japan’s traditional garments, and capture a memorable photograph.
The yukata can simply be worn over your clothes, making it easy for anyone to enjoy.
After taking your photos, look up at the magnificent wooden framework and spend a quiet moment experiencing the history and wisdom preserved within the gassho-zukuri architecture.
An experience possible only beneath the authentic, nearly 150-year-old gassho roof of The Gassho Villa HidaTakayama.
Important Information About the Cultural Experiences
- ・All six cultural experiences are included in your accommodation fee.
- ・Instructions for each experience can be accessed via the QR codes located inside the villa.
- ・To enjoy all of the experiences at a relaxed pace, we recommend staying for two nights or more.
- ・The knife comparison experience involves the use of sharp blades. Please take extra care to avoid injury. For safety reasons, we ask that young children and guests whose judgment or coordination may be impaired by alcohol refrain from participating.
- ・The mystery-solving experience and the attic experience require climbing a high ladder. There is a risk of falling, so please use extra caution. For safety reasons, we ask that young children and guests who may have difficulty climbing safely due to alcohol consumption refrain from participating.