Enter Tokujuji Temple and have a traditional Japanese cultural experience, combining your choice of a tea ceremony, calligraphy lesson, or both, all while wearing traditional Japanese dress. During the calligraphy lesson, you'll learn about the tools used and how to draw the lines with step-by-step instructions. You'll have plenty of time to practice one or more of the Kanji, Chinese Characters, to draw. While you practice, your instructor will make a sample of your name. Once you have practiced the Kanji, practice how to draw your name in Japanese, either in Hiragana or Katakana. Select the best of your work and sign it and stamp it. It will be put into a cylinder to take home. The tea ceremony has 5 steps. First, the tea master will bring in the tools. Then, they will purify the tools, make the tea, clean the tools, and take everything back to the Mizuya, backyard. Enjoy sweets and matcha tea. Learn how to drink the tea in the correct manner and how to make the tea. Take a walk in the beautiful Japanese garden and have pictures taken.

Start the tour near the famous Peace Park, and follow your guide through the streets and shopping arcades of downtown Hiroshima. Whilst many people know the history of Hiroshima, enjoy this illuminating opportunity to meet local people and visit off-the-beaten-track hidden gems.  As you stroll, gain an understanding of how Hiroshima's commitment to peace around the world has made it one of the friendliest cities in Japan. See how people genuinely want to share their stories, welcome you to their city and share with you, not just the history, but what the city has become and how they look toward the future. Experience local hospitality and try the dishes this city has become famous for across Japan. Take the opportunity to try classic Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki, local snacks, and spicy tsukemen that will delight ramen lovers everywhere. After this, visit a classic “village-inside-a-building” to sample some teppanyaki yumminess. Finally, finish up with a surprising old-meets-new dessert stop.

Explore the city with a friendly local who is passionate about his/her city and eager to share all the tips and tricks that will help you make the most of your trip. Meet where you're staying to get familiar with the neighbourhood, find out about the best places to eat and buy groceries, the easiest ways to get around, and the hidden gems you might have missed. By the end of the tour, you'll feel more comfortable in navigating the city and confident that you have all the information you need to make the most of your stay. Once we receive your booking, the supplier get in touch with you to confirm all the details for the tour: meeting place and time, language and your contact information, and also ask you some questions to get to know you better. They will hand-pick the right local for you based on your interests. Each tour is completely customized so you can choose the meeting location, start time and length that you prefer (minimum: 2 hours).  During the walking tour you will have the option of taking public transportation or taxi to get around the city (at your expense). The local guides (Lokafyers) are locals who are passionate about their city and love to meet travellers and share what they love about their city.  They are not professional tour guides and do these tours occasionally, which provides an authentic and personal experience that is like having a friend show you around their home city.  Through conversations with your Lokafyer, you’ll learn what it’s like to live in Hiroshima, learn about cultural differences, local events and politics and also get to know each other on a personal level. With this experience, you won’t be just passing through the city, you’ll be part of it.

In Hiroshima City, there are many heritage sites in the suburbs in addition to the Peace Memorial Park, each with a story connected to the atomic bombing. While at the heritage site of the bombing, we will introduce you to the power of the atomic bomb and the situation at the time. 70 years after the war, the destroyed Hiroshima has been dramatically revitalized, and now you can see it full of greenery. You can get a real sense of it through your own eyes, and cycling is the best way to do that. With the guidance of our local staff, who grew up in the city, come and experience the real Hiroshima that you can't experience through photos and books. ＜About the route＞ [11:00 / 15:00] Meeting up [11:05/15:05] Peace Memorial Park What is the Peace Memorial Park? Learn about the memories contained in the monuments and the Atomic Bomb Dome and what happened 70 years ago. [11:30/15:30] Sendamachi, Miyukibashi Bridge, Kyobashi River, etc. The guide will show you the actual townscape of Hiroshima in the suburbs away from the touristic area. You will find beautiful Hiroshima vigorously revived from the tremendous damages by the atomic bombing while visiting numerous A-bomb heritage sites and listening to the episodes handed down in Hiroshima. [13:00/ 17:00] The tour finishes at the meeting point. *You will be given data of the photos taken on the day. *If you wish, we can also guide you to the Atomic Bomb Museum. (Additional hour, plus 1,000 yen cash payment on the day. Not possible when combined with other guests, only from 11:00 to 13:00) *The timetable may change depending on the situation on the day.

Dive into the best of Hiroshima's food and casual nightlife scene. See the way locals enjoy a night out on the town and get a feel for the delicious food in the area. You're sure to have fun as you learn about Hiroshima and meet some interesting local personalities along the way.  Enjoy up to three alcoholic drinks included with this tour. Alternatively, non-alcoholic options are available as well. But the main event is the food. Enjoy dish after dish of deliciousness. Fresh seafood, tempura, grilled items, steamed items, slow-simmered items, and more. You're sure to try something new and exciting on this culinary adventure.  At least ten different dishes will be served over the course of the evening. If you've got eating restrictions or preferences, the local partner will do their best to accommodate these, so just let them know. The three restaurant stops will all or partially be 'tachinomi,' which is a place where you stand at a counter or table and socialize, all the while enjoying small plates of food, tapas style. Usually at least one stop is seated, but you'll likely spend less than 30 minutes at each stop, keeping the night fresh and exciting. By the end of the night, you'll feel like a local and will also be well versed in food, drink, and nightlife.

After meeting your guide, you'll head to a local izakaya that specializes in Okonomiyaki. Quench your thirst with a refreshing Japanese drink as the chef cooks your Okonomiyaki (a Japanese savory pancake) on a flat iron grill at your table. Then, you'll go bar hopping in the backstreets of Hiroshima just like a local and taste authentic local foods. The local partner has prepared a special bar hopping map of the Nagarekawa area. Take a look at it and decide where to eat and drink next depending on your moods. Your tour guide will recommend local restaurants and bars. You'll be able to try amazing Japanese foods that you can only taste in Hiroshima. Taste sake made in Hiroshima. Hiroshima is very famous for its sake breweries. Try different flavors, ranging from dry and rich to sweet and light. On this tour, you will get to learn all about different sake flavors and you'll be able to discover your favorite ones. Japanese Izakaya foods like grilled oysters, yakitori, fried fish pair perfectly with sake. Feel free to ask your guide what the best combinations are.

Spend the day with your guide exploring the highlights of the amazing city of Hiroshima. Explore the city's downtown, learn about the events of 1945, and visit the beautiful island of Miyajima. Walk around the Peace Memorial Park which is dedicated to the memories of the direct and indirect victims of the nuclear bomb attack in 1945. Continue to Genbaku Dome, a UNESCO world heritage site, and the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded. Visit the Peace Memorial Museum where you will see belongings left behind by victims of the nuclear attack, artifacts from the bomb, and read testimonies from survivors. As you explore the museum you will learn about the horrors, inhumane nature, and events of the 1945 attack. Try some local foods like Hiroshima-yaki or oysters for lunch before you finish up your tour of downtown Hiroshima. Board a ferry downtown and head to Miyajima, the Island of the Gods. Marvel at the floating red torii gate in high tide and go inside the Itsukushima shrine built over the sea.

Discover the neighborhood of Saijo in Hiroshima, the perfect destination for Sake fans due to its concentration of breweries along the waterfront. Find out how the water or, 'shikomi mizu', is essential for producing this local alcohol due to its medium hardness that is well suited for the brewing process. Discover the subtle differences in the water’s components which impact the taste of the sake at each brewery’s location. Begin the tour with a tasting and sake explanation at Kamotsuru brewery, representative of Hiroshima sake. See how Kamotsuru boasts an impressive line up of 12 unique bottles. Witness many artifacts and learn about the brewing process. Please note that watching the sake brewing process is not available to the public in Japan due to sanitary and health inspection regulations. Next, head off to try a local specialty hot-pot dish made with premium sake called Bishu Nabe, and other tasting plates made with Saijo ingredients. Learn about the history of this tasty dish at a local lunch spot. Please note that Bishu Nabe must be ordered in advance so last minute bookings may require an alternate lunch menu. After lunch, stroll through the picturesque streets and go brewery hopping. Sample many kinds of sake and sake based products in unique tasting rooms. Visit a local cafe and enjoy sweets and a snack break inspired by Japanese rice wine. At each brewery, sample different kinds of sake. If you find a type you like, the brewery shops carry a huge variety for you to purchase and take home. Finish the tour with a new perspective on Saijo and an incredible knowledge of how sake is produced.