• Tokyo

Japan

Traditional cultural pursuits such as sado (Japanese tea ceremony) and ikebana (flower arrangement) are much more than simple pursuits in skills. They embody spiritual ways seeking the traditional values of wabi (elegant stillness) and sabi (antiquated elegance with calm). Facilities abound which offer you the hands-on experience of the Japanese tea ceremony, flower arrangement and other cultural pursuits.

There are even possibilities for you to learn dressing in a kimono all by yourself. Soul stirring, graceful, gorgeous - every region in Japan celebrates its own festivals and events in response to the transition of the four seasons. Called matsuri, festivals can be found almost everyday somewhere in Japan.

Many festivals have their origin in Shinto and Buddhism, while other events, such as snow festivals and fireworks displays, are wonderfully staged for the local populace and visitors alike. KABUKI: The best known and most loved by people around the world, the traditional performing art of Kabuki is a more popular form of theater than Noh. Rhythmical lines spoken by actors, colorful make-up and a stage full of mechanical devices for special effects are essential characteristics of Kabuki, but the most important is that all the roles, including those of women, are played by male actors.