Arts & Crafts in YUKIGUNI

In just 70 minutes from Tokyo, leave the bustle of the city behind and arrive in the serene landscapes of YUKIGUNI. Your journey begins with a stay at a modern luxury inn where contemporary design harmonizes with traditional Japanese architecture. Here, silence and comfort provide the perfect setting to unwind at the start of your adventure.

Experience the ingenuity of life in YUKIGUNI, where people have long learned to live in harmony with deep winter. Begin the day with a hands-on farming experience at a local family farm, discovering how traditions of resilience and self-sufficiency continue in daily life. Continue to a sake brewery that uses natural snow cellars to preserve and refine its craft. Finally, step into a historic home to taste traditional pickles — flavors born from the art of winter preservation. Each encounter reveals how snow has shaped both culture and livelihood for generations.

Journey into the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, one of the world’s largest outdoor art projects. Here, contemporary artworks are scattered across rural villages and terraced rice fields, blending daily life, local culture, and creativity in a way found nowhere else. As evening falls, retreat to Matsunoyama Onsen — counted among Japan’s three great medicinal hot springs — where the mineral-rich waters of this secluded retreat offer deep relaxation after a day immersed in art and culture.

Set out on a journey into Japan’s craft heritage. Begin with a hands-on experience at the Tsubame Industrial Museum, where you’ll hammer your own pattern into a copper tumbler. Continue to the workshop of Tamagawa Nobuo, a Living National Treasure, and marvel at the precision of hand-hammered copperware perfected over generations. The day concludes at a hot spring inn designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, where historic architecture and soothing baths provide a rare opportunity to rest within living heritage.

Craft your own fruit knife at the Tojiro Open Factory, experiencing the precision of Japanese craftsmanship firsthand. Then, receive a traditional blessing at the revered Yahiko Shrine, a moment of reflection and serenity. In the afternoon, enjoy a scenic drive along the Echigo Nanaura Seaside Line, where sweeping views open to the Sea of Japan. The journey concludes with a stay in the port city of Niigata, where the presence of the sea and quiet elegance provide a graceful close to your YUKIGUNI adventure.