Deeper Japan Debuts Expansion to the Ise-Shima Region with 5 Exclusive Cultural Experiences

The first wave of offerings from Deeper Japan includes 5 immersive cultural experiences in the Ise-Shima region, including a tour of Ise Grand Shrine, an Akoya pearl cultivation experience, and a hands-on confectionery workshop.

Deeper Travel Co., Ltd., which operates “Deeper Japan”—a service that collaborates with artisans, artists, and nature guides across Japan to develop and provide cultural activities for international visitors—has announced that it will expand its services to the Ise-Shima area.

Deeper Japan offers a comprehensive package that includes discovering local treasures, building relationships with artisans and artists who carry on traditional crafts, developing and refining experiential products from a perspective that is balanced between Japanese and international audiences, recruiting and training local interpretive guides, and creating visual content and systems designed by the company’s creative team to continuously convey the appeal of the region, its people, and its products.

Unlocking the Cultural Depth of Ise-Shima

Home to Ise Grand Shrine, Japan’s most revered Shinto sanctuary with more than 1,500 years of history, the Ise-Shima region attracts approximately eight million visitors annually. Yet despite its popularity, most inbound tourism remains concentrated on shrine visits, leaving many travelers unaware of the rich cultural ecosystem that surrounds it.

Beyond the shrine grounds lies a unique cultural landscape shaped by the intersection of Shinto spirituality and the bounty of the sea. The region is renowned for Akoya pearl cultivation, traditional bonito flake production, Japanese confectionery, food culture, and centuries-old artisan practices closely tied to the shrine’s history.

Deeper Japan partners directly with artisans and cultural custodians in Ise-Shima to offer small-group programs with interpreter-guides, providing visitors with cultural experiences that are difficult to encounter through conventional tourism. Deeper Japan’s expansion into Ise-Shima is expected to contribute to addressing these challenges through collaboration with local artisans and cultural inheritors.

New Cultural Experiences in the Ise-Shima Region

Explore the World of Katsuo-Bushi

One of the few remaining katsuo-bushi (bonito flake) factories in the Ise-Shima region is operated by a fourth-generation artisan and his daughter. More than 6,000 pieces of katsuo-bushi are offered annually at Ise Grand Shrine as part of sacred rituals.

Visitors can observe the katsuo-bushi production process, shave the flakes themselves, and enjoy the delightful experience of savoring the katsuo-bushi with freshly cooked rice.

Walk the Sacred Grounds of Ise Grand Shrine

This guided private cultural experience offers a deeper understanding of Japan’s indigenous Shinto tradition through the eyes of a former shrine maiden, priestess who once served at Ise Grand Shrine. The expansive shrine complex comprises 125 buildings and hosts more than 1,500 rituals annually.

Participants visit both the Inner Shrine (Naiko), dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu, and the Outer Shrine (Geku), while learning about the shrine’s 1,500-year history, its role in Japanese spirituality, and its connections to local communities.

Harvest Akoya Pearls in Ago Bay

The calm waters of Ago Bay on the Shima Peninsula have nurtured Japan’s Akoya pearl industry for generations. Known for their delicate luster, Akoya pearls owe their distinctive beauty in part to the seasonal variations in Japan’s coastal waters.

Visitors tour a local pearl farm, board a fishing vessel to observe cultivation operations firsthand, and harvest pearls from oysters according to the season. The pearl harvesting experience offers a rare opportunity to witness the relationship between nature, craftsmanship, and one of Japan’s most iconic luxury products.

Make Wagashi Sweets Near the Shrine

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery, historically offered to deities and enjoyed by pilgrims traveling to the shrine. The pearl harvesting experience highlights the deep spiritual and cultural significance of food within Shinto tradition.

Under the guidance of a third-generation artisan in her private wagashi workshop, participants learn to create three varieties of wagashi and prepare their own matcha tea to enjoy alongside their handmade creations.

Visit a 3rd-Generation Master Scroll Mounter’s Workshop

For centuries, Japanese restoration techniques have preserved cultural treasures ranging from shrine artifacts to Buddhist paintings and museum collections. In Ise, a third-generation hyogushi, or scroll mounter, continues this tradition through meticulous restoration work.

Visitors can observe restoration techniques up close in a private framing studio, including mounting and backing processes used to preserve centuries-old artworks and cultural properties.

About Deeper Japan

Deeper Japan is a brand operated by Deeper Travel Co., Ltd that allows visitors to Japan to seamlessly book traditional cultural experiences that are otherwise difficult to access. By carefully selecting high-quality cultural and immersive natural experiences, and directly collaborating with skilled craftsmen and artists at the forefront, Deeper Japan promotes mutual understanding between different cultures through travel and actively preserves tradition and diversity.

Focus is primarily given to small groups of guests, providing an opportunity for deeper interaction between craftsmen and guests rather than large-scale, superficial experiences. Additionally, certified interpreter guides are employed to ensure interpretation in the guests' native languages whenever possible. Approximately 80 percent of Deeper Japan's clientele comprises independent travelers from Europe, the United States, and Australia.

Through partnerships with non-profit organizations, collaborations with NGOs, and alliances with local governments and tourist associations, Deeper Japan assists in supporting regional economic development and the conservation of cultural heritage.