A traditional handcraft tour ~India ink stick~
Joined 2017
The production of India ink stick started at a monastery in Nara in 14C. Today 95% of India ink sticks are made here in Nara. In this tour, you will experience Japanese calligraphy and enjoy making your own ink stick with the guidance of a traditional craftsman. Then you will walk up one of the main streets called Sanjo street and look around other handcraft shops unique to Nara.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At JR Nara station
JR Nara station
meeting
India ink stick shop
Calligraphy experience and India ink stick making
Sanjo Street
Walk up Sanjo Street looking around traditional handcrafts shops, selling writing brush, Linen, bamboo whisk for powdered green tea,etc.,all of which are unique in Nara.
Kintetsu Nara station
Finish the tour
Ending Point
At Kintetsu Nara station
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
guide fee 9,250JPY,
guide transportation fee from home to Nara 2,000JPY
Fee for calligraphy experience and India ink stick making,
2750JPY per an adult, 2200JPY per a person 18 years old
transportation fee (you)
Tour Important Information
Important message from the supplier
The price of the tour includes the guide fee and the guide's transportation fee between home and the travel city.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2017
About Tour Guide Michiko T.
Hi, I'm Michiko.
I'm a national certified English tour guide.Since I was born and raised in Nara, I'm familiar with the sightseeing spots and attractions of Nara, and neighboring city, Kyoto.
Nara and Kyoto, old capitals of Japan, retain time honoured structures and art works. What is more, beautiful gardens and picturesque landscapes are always waiting for you!
I'm also a traveler who especially love to explore local foods and crafts, which have been passed down from generation to generation.
I'll try to guide you with best hospitality. When you have a chance to visit Nara,Kyoto and Osaka, please contact me anytime and join my tour!
I will be looking forward to seeing you.See you soon!
Reviews
Sam H.
“Michiko is amazing ”
We cannot recommend Michiko highly enough. We recently spent a day and a half with her in Kyoto and she was so thoughtful and engaging. Michiko brought Kyoto alive for us. Her English is excellent and she is so well informed and very professional. We thoroughly enjoyed our time her looking at all the magnificent sites and gardens. Michiko is amazing.
Michiko T.
Thanks for the thoughtful review! I am so lucky to have such wonderful guests like you two. I had felt that this tour would be something special for both of you, and I am so glad that you loved the places and experiences, including the Japanese apricot garden. I was also impressed that you liked to see not only traditional Japanese culture, but also the current life of Japanese people. I won't forget your jokes and smiles! I wish you all the best!
Spliteye M.
“Wonderful Tour of Kyoto”
Michiko T. gave my sister and I a wonderful tour of East Kyoto temples, shrines and street life. She picked us up at our hotel early in the morning and we concentrated our interest on the East side of town to avoid long transportation time between east and west sites. It was a very smart choice. We were surprised by a heavy snow fall and it was gorgeous to see the ancient capital covered in snow. Michiko is very knowledgeable about the historic sites and knows her way around town like a native. Between temples and shrines, she also took us to very beautiful shops and places to eat. We had the best cappuccino and colorful croissant at Coquelicot Blanc/Black Swan Coffee shop. Our visit to Murin-an Garden was particularly stunning, watching the snow fall from the cozy comfort of the tea house. Loved it. We highly recommend Michiko, except when we're visiting Kyoto because she's ours :)
Michiko T.
Thank you for the wonderful review. I was so happy to show you the East side of Kyoto on that special day when the snow cast its magic over the city. You were great guests, admiring the winter trees and gardens, a cup of delicious cappuccino and croissant, and all the beautiful things you encountered, all the people involved, and making everyone around you happy. I'll never forget this tour! I hope you will continue to enjoy walking and find many more “utsukushii” things in your life.
Regine D.
“Perfect tour”
Michiko was the perfect tour guide, would recommend a tour to a tea plantation, the farmer was very informative on all aspects of tea farming and the tea was delicious. Stopped for the best meal in Japan on the way home.
Michiko T.
Thank you for the kind review. I also had a great time visiting a tea farmer in Wazuka village. Especially, I was impressed you enthusiastically learned about tea, and tried supporting young generation who are trying their best. I hope you’ll remember this tour when you drink a cup of tea.
$75/ per group
More tours by Michiko T.
Dear deer Nara! ~Nara Park & Nara-machi~
We will visit Nara Park, where historic monuments and nature create calm and peaceful atmosphere. You'll see wild deer roaming hear and there. Walking in Nara-machi district will give us a chance to see an old merchants' townscape.
Nara Park & Indigo dyeing experience
First we will visit Nara Park, where historic monuments and nature create calm and peaceful atmosphere. You'll see wild deer roaming hear and there. Walking in Nara-machi district will give us a chance to see an old merchants' houses.Then I will take you to an traditional indigo-dyeing studio and help you to experience it.
Asuka village 1 day tour ~the original landscape of Japan~
Asuka, the ancient political center, has been preserved. Not only historical structure such as Asuka dera, the oldest temple in Japan and "Ishibutai", mysterious huge stone tomb, but also tranquil village landscape must leave deep impression on you. "Tanada", terraced rice field, mountains and streams, old village houses will surely energize busy modern people. In the afternoon, we will explore the beautiful village, experience traditional Japanese natural dyeing,and visit the farmers' market.
Nara park & Wazuka tea plantation visit
In the morning, we will visit Nara Park, Todaiji temple, Kasuga grand shrine. You will have a chance to see, take photos and feed deer. After lunch, we will have a short trip to Wazuka village, the hometown of Uji tea, excellent quality of green tea. The landscape of tea plantations, built on the mountain slope, has 800 years of history. It was designated as the first scenic property of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as one of the Japan Heritages.
Other Popular Art, Culture, & Historical Tours in Nara
Mixed Scenery with Towns and Temples, Nara
Enjoy the beauty of the temples in rural scenery and old townscapes. Ikaruga is Japan's oldest temple town, dating back to the 7th century. Even today, the pagodas from that time rise and create a beautiful rural landscape surrounded by mountains. Naramachi is within the grounds of a temple built near the Imperial Palace in the 8th century. Commercial and industrial houses lined its grounds from the Middle Ages, and the temples blended into the traditional townscape.
One day tour in Nara
Highlights of the tour are feeding deers in Nara Park and overwhelmed by the great Budha, Daibutu. Tour also visits several historcal sites. As all historical sites are located in the Nara park, we will mainly walk through the park ( 5~8km ) The tour also can customized in line with the customer's interest, historical sites, cultural sites or shopping.
Tour of the Great Buddha of Nara
(Highlights) The Great Buddha of Nara is a magnificent structure weighing some 500 tons. Originally built in 752 AD, the stature is 15.9 meters high excluding the pedestal and its face 4.8 meters long. Subsequently, it was damaged by natural disasasters, fires and wars and was repaired several times. It was completely rebuilt in the Edo period (1603-1867). You will be amazed at the splendid image of the Great Buddha calmly seated on the pedestal with the look of a perfect repose and passionless calm. His right hand shows mercy and left hand, the wisdom of the universe. The building housing this huge image, The Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple, is the largest existing wooden structure in the world, having an area of 54 meters by 49 meters and a height of 45 meters. It was burned down by a fire twice, but was rebuilt in the Edo period. (How to enjoy) You will be amazed at how huge the Buddha image is. Immerse yourself in the solemn atmosphere it creates amid the odor of burning incense, wonder at the ancient technology and the wisdom and the devotion of people. After all, you will never end up not being deeply impressed with the aura the "Daibutsu-sama" Great Buddha emits. Everywhere around the Great Buddha Hall, in the meantime, you can enjoy mixing with tame deer which do you no harm but ask you for food, "shika-sembei", which is being sold at the nearby stalls for 150 yen a pack containing some 50 grams of the deer food. You will feel very happy feeding, stroking and hugging the cute animal whose number exceeds, perhaps, 100. (Others) The transportation fare between Kyoto and Nara on a Kintetsu train is 620 yen (plus 510 yen if you take a limited express train). The entrance fee to Todaiji temple is 600 yen.
Let's enjoy walking around the ancient city called Heijyokyo or Nara established in 710.
Nara is the most ancient city in Japan. You can see one of the most biggest images of Buddha in Japan called"Daibutu-san", and You also see many deer roaming freely around in Nara park. We visit Kasuga-Taisya Shrine ,founded to protect the Heijyokyo, which is also the deity of Fujiwara family is enshrined.
