De Nagoya : Épées de samouraï et château d'Inuyama Visite privée

I would highly recommend this very fun and informative tour. Our guide, Kim, was easy to talk to and able to explain the history of Inuyama, cultural practices, and swordsmithing in a very understandable way. The activities were also well paced and enjoyable and the views in the Urakuen Garden and the Inuyama Castle were breathtaking. I would inform other travelers that the steps inside the Inuyama Castle were quite steep and walking outside the top of the Castle may not be the best for those with a fear of heights. We were warned about this before entering the Castle and were given the option not to proceed if we were scared. Thankfully my partner and I were able to do these activities and I would still recommend trying to go up the Castle because of how beautiful the 360 degree panoramic view is. I definitely gained a deeper appreciation of Japanese history, culture, and practices with the tour.

Thoroughly enjoyed this private tour with my wife. Our guide, Shoko, was extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. Although Chinese by birth, her understanding of Japanese culture and history was quite impressive. The tour through the swords museum was especially fascinating. Also, enjoyed learning to sharpen Japanese knives. Other sites visited were also interesting. Do this tour as a small group and get more out of it.

A wonderful full day through Seki and Inuyama. Kim and Rebecca were both excellent tour guides and answered our many questions about sword making and samurai history. Thank you to our driver as well. 5/5

Mir is a fantastic guide!! We learned so much and had an invaluable experience on this tour. Well worth it! A great overview of sword making, beautiful views, fun shopping and access to great foods along the way to the castle. And our tea ceremony was a very special way to celebrate our journey. Highly recommend this tour. We traveled in comfort and would have never been able to experience so much so easily on our own. Grateful for the experience!

This is an excellent tour filled with history & beauty. Our guides, Kim and Emily are knowledgeable and provided much relevant information. They not only know their stuff, but also took great care of us. Such kind and sweet young ladies! Our driver Asano-san is very skilled and patient. Overall, truly an unforgettable experience!

Really enjoyed this tour. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly. The tour was well-paced where we had plenty of time to see the sights and also shop for souvenirs. Definitely recommended!

This trip was truly incredible and Kim was one of a kind! Being able to learn how to sharpen my Japanese knives, learn the history of the Nagoya area, and a surprise of being able to see blacksmiths in the early process of making a sword was a true treat! Kim, being from New York, had such an incredible knowledge of the area! She also could help navigate us well and was the best tour guide I’ve ever had. My wife wanted to do this and I wasn’t sold, but it was way better than we ever imagined. It’s a must do for people who like history and love Japanese knife and sword making.

Quoting our son,our guide Kim was very good at making the trip interesting thanks to her storytelling since she was very knowledgeable about the places we visited. Worth the visit for us, we loved both the knife/sword museum and the nagoya castle.

Aemir was a fantastic guide, very personnable and had lots of interesting facts to share. Our driver Tomita was extremely punctual. The tour was really interesting for an easy guided day out.

This tour was very well-paced as we went on a historical detour that felt more and more like a series of haikus as Kim, our tour guides, and Ameer, our assistant tour guide, walked us through the blacksmithing and feudal era around Inuyama. Our first destination was the blacksmith museum where we got to see the processes of how samurai swords are created, from the blades themselves to the hilt. The museum has two levels: the first level shows the entire creation process and the second level had an exhibit where we got to see the evolution of how the tsuba (the guard piece of the hilt) designs have changed over time. As someone who enjoys historical weapons, it was lovely getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how customized these weapons are and the amount of time and care that goes into each piece. In addition to the museum, nearby there was a shop where we got to experience a knife sharpening class and got some tips on how sharpen our own kitchen knifes with water and a whet stone. Our second destination was Inuyama Castle and the bustling side streets leading up to it where vendors and small shops sold snacks, souvenirs, and sweet treats to enjoy on the hot day we visited. Once we got in line for the castle, it was about a 30 minute wait before we could go inside. Our seemed like everyone in the prefecture wanted to visit the castle as it was a very nice day. Once we got inside, on each floor of the castle Kim narrated and showed us the various events that had occurred on the premises, as well the historical drama the castle bore witness to during the turbulent years between various warlords in the area. As characteristic of most historical castles around Japan, the stairs are quite steep and the steps are high. It was much appreciated that Kim had asked our group if there were individuals who had weak or injured knees and for those of us who did (i.e. me) she made sure the group was sufficiently rested and prepared for the next set of stairs before moving up and down the floors. Kim also informed our group of various ways to come down the stairs that could make it easier for us if we were tired and/or nervous in going down the steep steps. And lastly, our final destination was enjoying the tea garden and matcha experience. It felt like a well-deserved reprieve and a chance to clear the mind after battling the number of stair steps we did at Inuyama Castle. While journeying around the garden and during our tea experience, Kim shared some of the more light-hearted and even humorous events that had occurred in the area and how Japanese tea ceremonies are we know them as to this day. I won't spoil some of the funny stories we heard, but if you take a gander through the concept of wabi-cha you'll get a good idea what those stories entail. Overall, this was an enjoyable tour away from the bustle of the big city. All the locations and history shared to us ties back to the samurai and samurai warring days. I think if you're interested in that era of time this may be the tour for you. The best way I can describe this tour, as I've mentioned in the beginning, is a series of haikus. At our first destination it was like we were preparing for battle. At our second destination it was like we were in a battle. And at our final destination it was like we got to enjoy the spoils of a battle well fought. Interestingly enough the history we learned from Kim mirrored this progression and pacing between the locations very well. Some tips I'd give to someone who's interested in this tour is wearing comfortable shoes and having a good breakfast beforehand. During our second destination, we had an hour break where we could find lunch before trekking to Inuyama Castle. The bustling side streets were teeming with good food and drink; however, from my observations the offerings looked more like snack items than something you would grab for a proper lunch meal. Before attending the tour, my family member and I had a filling breakfast so that during the second destination we had more time to explore and sightsee around Inuyama Castle instead of trying to look for something good for lunch.