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Slow Tour to Tamba-Sasayama $2500

October 22nd - 27th, 2026

This tour is an exclusive opportunity to experience rural life in Japan. You'll spend four nights in the little village of Tamba-Sasayama -- two small towns (Tamba and Sasayama) near Kyoto that were combined in 1999. Since then, it has become a gathering place for traditional Japanese artisans and crafters. These days, it offers a "slow travel" experience to visitors who want to escape the hustle-bustle of Kyoto, meet up-and-coming artists, and feel what countryside living in Japan is like.

The tour includes two workshops, three studio visits where artisans marry old and new techniques, and time to spend strolling around town or through the rice or edamame fields. If you've been to Japan before but would enjoy the slower pace of this less-traveled part of Japan, this tour could be a dream come true.

The tour begins with pick-up service in Kyoto in the morning of October 22nd. You'll travel by mini-van each day and enjoy a single room accommodation in a renovated traditional merchant house. Maximum group size is eight members.

CAUTION!

This trip is not for everyone. If you're flexible, healthy, eager to visit Japan, and normally not inclined to travel in groups (but welcome the chance to meet like-minded others) - this trip could be what you've been waiting for. If you have dietary restrictions, physical limitations, or a low tolerance for the unfamiliar, this may not the right trip for you.

While we do try to accommodate food preferences, we are not able to guarantee meals that are vegan, gluten-free, or MSG-free, so we may not be able to accept guests with severe food sensitivities.

Guests will be asked to prepare for the trip and to conduct themselves in ways that may sometimes be a challenge:

  • Balance: able to get up and down for floor seating
  • Mealtime: able to eat with chopsticks and have no strict dietary/allergy issues
  • Cultural Awareness: become knowledgeable about Japanese customs and etiquette, able to handle basic greetings, counting, and polite speech
  • Group participation: be punctual, flexible, compassionate, attentive, and respectful of group dynamics

Watch to learn more about the tour

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2026 OCTOBER Tamba-Sasayama Tour DEPOSIT

$500.00
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Description

Paying the deposit reserves a slot on our October 2026 Tour to Tamba-Sasayama. Your reservation will be finalized after a chat with Nancy - she'll contact you to arrange a time after your deposit is received. 

The tour is limited to eight guests. To review what is and isn't included, click here to go to the general Tamba-Sasayama Tour Info Page.

The total trip cost is $2500 (excludes airfare). The $2000 balance, split into two payments of $1000 each, is due by May 15, 2026 and August 15, 2026.  (Online payments through Venmo or Wise are OK; otherwise by check to avoid large fees.) $200 of the deposit is non-refundable.

REFUND POLICY:
75% back for cancellations made before 5/13/26
50% back for cancellations made before 7/13/26
25% back for cancellations made before 9/13/26
Participants are expected to get traveler's insurance.

Comfort Level

You'll stay in a private room with bath at a beautifully renovated traditional merchant house with breakfast provided. The group will travel with a private mini-van to all excursions and be taken care of by local guide Yoshi and our concierge Yuki each day. If you like, Yoshi can show you his rice fields - yes, he's a rice farmer.

The focus of the trip will be to enjoy a slow pace where you can really drink in rural Japan (as opposed to the sips and gulps you might do elsewhere).

Payments

A $500 deposit reserves your spot, which would only be confirmed after a phone chat with Nancy to discuss the trip and share expectations or concerns. The balance is due by check (no online payments) in two installments (six and three months prior to departure).

Refund Policy

75% back for cancellations made at least six months in advance, 50% for cancellations made at least three months in advance, and 25% for cancellations made at least one month in advance.

If Kyoto Kimono has to cancel (under unsafe or travel ban circumstances), refund amounts would be issued minus any unrecoverable expenses already paid (up to 5% of your payment). More likely, we would reschedule the tour rather than cancel altogether. Participants are encouraged to purchase travel insurance, and we highly recommend getting coverage not only for your flight and medical treatment but also to cover a full refund in case of cancellation.