Kyoto City Tourism Association (DMO Kyoto) works in association with Kyoto City to resolve various issues surrounding tourism. Our activities include promoting the Code of Conduct for Tourism in Kyoto (Kyoto City Guidelines), the visualization of congestion conditions, and supporting the development of travel products that encourage demand dispersion and sustainable tourism.
We also recognize the importance of developing a system that offers sustainable, high quality stay experiences to meet the needs of intellectually curious visitors interested in Kyoto’s history and culture.
To this end, in 2022 the Kyoto City Tourism Association launched “Inbound Innovation Kyoto” to support businesses endeavoring to develop new contents aimed at the inbound tourism market and to partner with them in the commercialization of their products.
To date, over 100 applications have been received from interested parties from which 18 businesses have been selected.
- Enjoying the authentic, deeper charms of Kyoto
- Encountering the lesser-known charms of Kyoto
- Impacting the lives of travelers
- Contributing to the region and its future
Based on these four principles, we have chosen 18 businesses and provided them with our support.
We work with each entity to promote the creation of high-quality contents with the assistance of a network that includes The Kyoto Shinkin Bank, Kyoto Certified Interpreter Guides (Kyoto City Visitors Hosts), the Kyoto Concierge Study Group (a group of concierges working at luxury hotels in Kyoto), and Kyoto City overseas information bases located in six major cities that strive to build relationships with influential overseas media, disseminate information, and facilitate foreign media coverage of Kyoto.
These efforts have resulted in collaborative projects with major OTAs (Online Travel Agents) on destination campaigns and the adoption of experimental content at luxury hotels in Kyoto City.
The following articles introduce not only the content created by the businesses, but also the philosophy behind them. We will continue to introduce more experiences through next articles in the future, so please await our further updates.
In this article
- SanZen Zen Temple Meditation Experience by Kyoto Meditation Center
- Motorbike Tours of Kyoto by Leo Tanimoto
- Japanese Armor Wearing Experience by Kouzu Shokai
- Dialogue Tourism with Kyotoites by Nishizawa Stay
- Experience traditional Japanese theater by Discover Noh in Kyoto
- Dry-raking experience by Sone Zoen
- Traditional Kyoto culture experiences at Chourakukan
- Actively exploring Kyoto with Yamashina Tourism Sweets Run
- Shared traditional residence for digital nomads by Colive Kyoto Taikoukyo (Achicochi LLC)
- Experience making traditional wagasa umbrellas at Tsujikura
- Authentic cultural experiences organized by Yomiuri Shimbun
- Japanese musical instruments performances by Rin Hitoe
SanZen Zen Temple Meditation Experience by Kyoto Meditation Center
Zazen, or seated meditation, is a form of Zen training that unifies the body and breathing. The awareness of the importance of mindfulness and wellbeing has increased around the world, making Zen meditation at temples a sought-after experience for foreign tourists and Japanese people alike. The Kyoto Meditation Center has thus began to offer a meditation experience program in English. The program is called “SanZen” and allows visitors from abroad to fully engage with this tradition without worrying about language barriers.
Motorbike Tours of Kyoto by Leo Tanimoto
Leo Tanimoto, a motorcycle dealer since 1925 offers entirely private ride tours through Kyoto. The specially curated tours include scenery that is representative of an exclusive to Kyoto. At the same time, many of the sights you can see during them are hidden gems located away from the city center and surrounded by nature. You can enjoy them while riding the bike of your choice.
Japanese Armor Wearing Experience by Kouzu Shokai
Kouzu Shokai is a company that has created and provided various props, furnishings as well as samurai swords and armor for the motion picture industry in Kyoto since 1918. Ten years ago, they have began to offer an experience whose participants can dress up in traditional Japanese armor that was used in actual filming and have a photo session with it on. Although being able to wear armor is the focus, the visitors additionally have the opportunity of learning about the craft that goes into creating them as well as other tricks of the trade from the staff members.
Dialogue Tourism with Kyotoites by Nishizawa Stay
This experience is organized by Nishizawa Stay, a company that is involved in a wide range of real estate and travel-related ventures in Kyoto. Their aim is to promote tourism that focuses more on meeting local people, rather than simply visiting the tourist spots. This kind of program is called “dialogue tourism”. Nishizawa Stay offers the participants of their experience the opportunity to meet and converse with various well-established Kyotoites, such as a buddhist monk, sake brewer, ceramic artist and many more.
Experience traditional Japanese theater by Discover Noh in Kyoto
This event is organized by Discover Noh in Kyoto, a company specializing in introducing the world of the traditional Japanese masked theater to various interested groups and individuals. The tours offered by them not only include the opportunity to watch a noh play, but also to learn of its deeper meaning and the background in which it was first created. That is made possible thanks to the expertise of the guides who have researched the subject at length and can now give their tours a tailored hands-on experience.
Dry-raking experience by Sone Zoen
Sone Zoen is a garden landscaping company dedicated to the practice and preservation of the art of Japanese gardens. In order to help others learn more about this skill, they have prepared a special space in a renovated home in northern Arashiyama where visitors can experience it first-hand. The focus of the activity is on creating dry-raking ripple patterns used to mimic the flow of water in karesansui dry landscape gardening. Its participants learn about not only the technique that goes into ripple-raking, but also about the knowledge and cosmology of Zen that is tied deeply to this art.
Traditional Kyoto culture experiences at Chourakukan
Chourakukan is a building with over 100 years of history, designated as a National Important Cultural Property. It is an original location that incorporates styles such as Rococo, Art Nouveau, as well as Chinese and Japanese residential architecture. Numerous exciting cultural events are held within its doors, the most recent being a “tea house games experience” during which participants can tour Chourakukan, play parlor games and chat and take photos with maiko and geisha. Other unique limited-time events are also planned in the future.
Actively exploring Kyoto with Yamashina Tourism Sweets Run
There are many people who like to keep running even when away on vacation. Yamashina Tourism Sweets Run aims to provide such tourists with the opportunity to combine their hobby with engaging sightseeing and a way to learn about the culture and history of their surroundings. Their tours are led by a sightseeing guide, running instroctor and a café owner. They guide their participants through the fascinating destinations found in the Yamashina area, all the while teaching culture and history and making a stop at a local café for a delicious treat.
Shared traditional residence for digital nomads by Colive Kyoto Taikoukyo (Achicochi LLC)
Today more and more “digital nomads” appear around the world, combining travel with their work life. Seeking to create a space that would allow them to truly thrive, Achicochi LLC has established Colive Kyoto Taikoukyo – a real estate rental service. It is a venture utilizing renovated traditional Japanese houses and aimed at foreign visitors interested in staying in Kyoto for a month or longer. The monthly serviced apartments additionally offer experiences such as cooking rice in a hearth or making soba noodles, hoping to foster better understanding and long-term appreciation of Kyoto culture.
Experience making traditional wagasa umbrellas at Tsujikura
Tsujikura is Japan’s oldest wagasa (Japanese paper umbrella) maker and seller. Wagasa umbrellas have been used since the late 16th century and were believed to not only offer protection against rain and sun, but evil spirits as well. Today, they are an inseparatable part of traditional arts such as kabuki theater, shrine rituals and geisha performances. Aiming to expand beyond crafting and selling wagasa, Tsujikura has begun to offer miniature wagasa-making experiences, as well as tours of their workshop. Customers can also order a made-to-order wagasa, created with materials they choose.
Authentic cultural experiences organized by Yomiuri Shimbun
The Yomiuri Shimbun is Japan’s highest circulating national newspaper. Their extensive knowledge of traditional culture, gained through years of information gathering and deep involvement in cultural initiatives have been used to create special experiences. They offer plans that include learning about performing arts, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Kyoto cuisine, and many other traditions. During their Kyo-yaki and Kiyomizu-yaki ceramics workshop, participants can create their own artwork under the instruction of a renowned ceramic artist.
Japanese musical instruments performances by Rin Hitoe
Rin Hitoe is a group of Kyoto-based performers who specialize in Japanese musical instruments and dance. Having close connections to a number of shrines and temples in the city, they have performed a number of times on the grounds of locations such as the Kamigamo-jinja Shrine and Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine. They have used their background to organize special musical experiences enjoyed by both locals and tourists. One of them is a guided tour of Josho-ji Temple, followed by a tea ceremony, religious ceremony and musical performance. They have held tours combined with Japanese musical instrument performances at a number of religious sites, and plan to do so in the future as well.
