Enjoy a head start to the spring blossom season while most of Japan remains in the depths of winter, admiring groves of flowering Japanese apricot trees and country camellia gardens

Explore an atmospheric historic town renowned for a multitude of craft traditions including handmade paper, wood and bamboocraft, Buddhist altars and lanterns, and observe the artisans in action at their workshops

Stay in private, local community-operated traditional accommodation, including an elegantly restored 19th century merchant town-house and a classic Kyushu mountain village house

See splendid collections of antique traditional dolls on display for the early spring Hina (Dolls’ or Girls’) Festival

Learn the ins and outs of traditional Japanese indigo dyeing and Kasuri (Ikat) textile weaving at a family-run workshop that prides itself on using safe natural plant-based dyes, with an opportunity to try your own hand at indigo dyeing

Savour the celebrated Yame green tea—counted among the finest in Japan—at a delightful tea-house, and learn about environmentally sustainable tea growing at a pioneering organic farm

Take uplifting walks through the picturesque Kyushu countryside, through a patchwork of orchards and fields, stone-walled rice terraces, quaint villages and country temples, and taking time out at local eateries and cafés 

Indulge in a gourmet dinner course showcasing the best of local produce while taking in the panoramic view of the Chikugo Valley from a hilltop onsen hotel

Immerse yourself in spirituality at an ancient Shinto shrine deep in the forests of a sacred mountain

Take a stroll through a charming pottery village to discover diverse ceramic styles on display at artisans’ workshops, and learn about the fascinating historic context of the northern Kyushu ceramics traditions