Have a Green Tea Life

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A journey to The Japanese green tea mecca

The Mino region, 1 hour drive away from Zenagi, is a mecca for Japanese green tea where Japanese tea culture including tea farming,
tea ceramic art, and tea ceremony is deeply rooted.

Tea culture has been inherited for over 450 years in this place since it was established by Oda Nobunaga,
one of the greatest Samurai in history and also known as a tea-revolutionary.

Explore the Mino region while staying at Zenagi if you are curious to discover Japanese tea,
which is a comprehensive art symbolizing Japanese culture.

Visit a tea farm and make your own tea blends with the tea master.
Interact with the local artisan of Minoyaki,
the top quality ceramic ware produced in the Tono area of Gifu prefecture,
and find your favorite tea bowl.
Delight in a tea party performed by the master of tea ceremony in beautiful nature.

There is nothing more free, beautiful, and fun than Japanese tea culture.
Enjoy and appreciate Japanese Green Tea life.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1

3:00 PM Check-in

Spend your relaxing afternoon at a luxury Kominka hotel made from all natural wood with only 3 suite rooms. Each room has a made-to-order luxurious Hinoki bathtub with different designs.
Enjoy forest bathing in the Hinoki bathtub while immersing yourself in the Hinoki aroma for a moment of relaxation.
(Forest bathing originated in the Kiso region).

A private butler is at your service to assist you with anything you need during your stay.
All the furniture and furnishings in the hotel are handcrafted by the local craftsmen and artisans.

6:30 PM Dinner

Fresh mushrooms, mountain vegetables, and wild game meat such as bear, boar, and deer bestowed by the forest of Kiso Valley.
Organic vegetables and fruits produced at a local Satoyama farm.
Fish grown in Ise Bay receiving the rich blessings of the Kiso forest.

Our cuisine incorporates local natural ingredients of Kiso into innovative French dishes (12 to 15 course menu). The portion of each dish is small so that all the guests including small children and the elder can enjoy their meal.

Please kindly contact us in advance if you need special child-friendly menus.

9:00 PM Stargazing

After the meal, lets's get outside to stargaze, lying down on the sofa at the outdoor wooden deck.
Total darkness of the countryside lets you enjoy the beautiful sky full of glittering stars just like a planetarium.

In winter, enjoy a perfect evening with your family and friends, sitting by the fireplace.

11:00 PM Sweet dreams

In the silence of the night all you hear is the sound of the wind and insects. Slip into sweet dreams on the luxury beds.

Day 2

7:00 AM Breakfast

Have a fresh & healthy breakfast. Enjoy a fancy western breakfast using fresh organic fruits and vegetables from Satoyama.
Taste our specilty egg dishes which are prepared depending on your preferences and homemade natural yeast bread.

9:00 AM Make a visit to the local tea farm.

Enjoy tea blending with the tea master called Cha-shi In a glamping tent set up in the middle of the tea farm.
Cha-shi is equivalent to the wine specialist at domaine.
Assemblage different types of tea leaves harvested locally, roast them and create one and the only green tea.

1:00 PM Taste tea Kaiseki lunch and traditional Japanese confectionery in a glamping tent.

Have some green tea cocktails specially prepared to pair with the food. Tea Kaiseki lunch in the beautiful tea farm will be the highlight of the expedition.

4:00 PM Back to Hotel and Take a Bath

Once you get back to your room, the Hinoki bath is ready for you. Take a bath for a moment of relaxation and rest your weary bones.

Restaurant : Maru Sankaku Shikaku

6:00 PM Dinner

We perare a wellness-focused Japanese Kaiseki meal exclusively for those who stay more than 2 nights. The special menu was desingned in collaboration with the Japanese restaurant Ginza Uchiyama, who holds MICHELIN stars in consecutive 10 years.
Enjoy healthy course meal which makes the most of local fresh ingredients of the Kiso region.

11:00 PM Sweet dreams

In the silence of the night all you hear is the sound of the wind and insects. Slip into sweet dreams on the luxury beds.

Day 3

7:00 AM Take a walk

Good quality sleep lets you wake up early in the morning. Enjoy a morning walk around the hotel in the beautiful landscape. Local area maps are available at front desk.

8:00 Breakfast

We will fix healthy Japanese breakfast on your last day at Zenagi.
Make a traditional and healthy breakfast, just like a granma's recipe, even more gorgeous meal by putting extra time and effort.
Organic rice, Miso soup with plenty of vegetables, side dishes made from fresh local ingredients, and fermented foods which is Nagano's specialty.
Start off the day with healthy breakfast full of flavor.

9:00 AM Head out to Tajimi, the biggest producer of ceramic ware in Japan.

This is where Minoyaki ceramic ware, loved by Samurai and Shoguns, has been made for hundreds of years.
You will be taken to the backstage of the ceramic museum where an intensive collection of ceramics made over 450 years ago is stored.
Then make your way to the studio of a modern Minoyaki artist to appreciate the craftsmanship, where you can also make a purchase.
Enjoy a moment of supreme bills by sipping tea with the tea bowl made by the artist.

12:00 PM Lunch at Maru Sankaku Shikaku

After the activity, you will enjoy lunch at our dining restaurant with an open terrace located right next to Zenagi. On sunny days, you have a view of a beautiful landscape from the terrace on the wooden deck while enjoying a meal.

*Weekday package with 2 meals doesn't include lunch. Lunch can be arranged at an additional cost of JPY6,050 per person.
(Please select a lunch course in advance from the menu.)

Restaurant : Maru Sankaku Shikaku