Relaxing trip to the countryside - Highly recommend taking this trip with Snow Monkeys Resort tours. Small group with private transfers to Blacksmiths museum, one of the original castles - Inuyama and tea ceremony in the Inuyama gardens. Kim was so knowledgeable and made our trip very memorable. Five stars all the way!

Great day trip - Great day trip from nagoya, lots of information about Japanese culture and the history. Kim was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide.

Great Tour! Highly Recommend. - Amazing tour. This was my tour with this company. This one was as amazing as the other 2. Everything was well planned and times. Kim gave us some great food recommendations during the lunch break. Lots of history. The castle, tea ceremony. Everything was really good.

Put this activity on your ‘Must Do While in Japan’ list! - Ms. Kim’s knowledge and genuine desire to ensure a premium experience contributed to a phenomenal day! The tour company provided a driver so Ms. Kim only needed to help us appreciate and enjoy a day’s immersion into swords/shoguns/samurai! My appreciation for the attention to detail and commitment to perfection embedded in the art of bladesmithing presented through the sword museum we personally highlighted in a hands-on session with a blade sharpening sensei! The city of Seki is a hidden gem! Full of history and expressive temples, and very kind people without the hustle and bustle (or crowds) of the big city. Ms. Kim brought the family drama and politics to life with her curated explanation of the historical significance of the remaining samurai castles - their military/political significance and turbulent ownership. I highly recommend this tour if you like blades, great historical artifacts, and this tour company for service quality.

The Three-Part Journey - 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.