All Reviews for Cultural Experiences

One of the most beautiful dances I have ever seen and one of the highlights of my trip in Japan.

Nothing short of spectacular! These public dances emit a magical atomsphere that is sure to spell-bound everyone. There is nothing else like it in the world !

Good show with a quick cup of tea at first in a separate room. Easy to change the voucher into ticket (one hour before the show). Very pleased.

Very nice and impressive performance. The tee ceremony not really worth it, but the performance was excellent

Having the ticket beforehand has been great. I think there were still available tickets onsite when we got there but the place was pretty packed by showtime so still good to plan beforehand.

If you plan to do the tea ceremony, there will be several batches as the room is small. Try to sit in the first row to experience the Maiko serving you your tea.

I was given a foldable chair to sit in while other had regular seats in the theatre. I understand that I was not the only one given such a seat but it indicated that the theatre oversold their tickets? And given that I purchased my ticket one month in advance, I don't see how it should come to that. Veltra, as the go between, you should really look into the matter, or at least drop the booking from your site – as it reflects badly on you to be listing activities that don't meet a certain standard for paying customers. The show was great though.

Performance was excellent but was treated like maximazing turnover - tea ceremony too fast and on a personal level having book most expensive options well in advance was disappointed to be on an end row -on an additional hard chair unlike the the more comfortable seats in the auditorium - so my 3 reflects the efforts of the artists not the management

Have been to Kyoto before but never saw a dance performance. It was fantastic and the seats were very good too. I really appreciated being able to get them from the US before the trip -- I expect they would have been sold out by the time we were in Kyoto, especially as we had 7 people attending. Thanks, Veltra!

I have enjoyed cruising several times abroad. My daughter said, "You really like this, don't you, Mom?" and I participated again domestically without hesitation. The staff was very kind, and the food was delicious. We didn't go far, just cruising around the bay, but I was able to enjoy the meal while watching the sunset and planes taking off. At a nearby table, a couple from the U.S. military was celebrating a surprise anniversary, which was quite touching and added to the exotic atmosphere.

海外では何度かクルージングを楽しんできました。一緒に行った娘から「お母さんも好きだね～」と言われつつ、国内でも懲りずに参加しました。スタッフがとても親切で、お料理もおいしくいただくことができました。湾の中をグルグル回り遠出はしなかったのですが、食事を楽しみながらもサンセットや飛びだつ飛行機をみることができました。近くの席で米軍のカップルが、サプライズアニバーサリーをしていたので、ちょっと感激＆異国気分も味合うことができました。

Wearing kimono is a must do in Otaru. Everyone looks and treats you like you’’re a celebrity. It was loads of fun and Mina the shop owner was fantastic. She speaks some English and is very engaging. Email her your questions and she’ll get right back with you.

My two girls and I had an amazing time making ice cream sundaes!! Our host was so kind and ever so patient with my kids. Although, we do not speak Japanese, he was so gracious to speak to us in English and was easy to understand, so funny and engaging! I would recommend this workshop to anyone, it was definitely a highlight in our trip to Japan!

This is a great way to see Tokyo at night. The staff were extremely helpful and attentive. Even though their English was limited they made sure the evening was great for us. The food was delicious and gave us a chance to sample different types of food. Definitely recommend

They kindly taught how to cut and draw Edokiriko glass. We could communicate with the instructor in English as well as Japanese. The glasses we made were kind of not perfect one, but really adorable and handmade.

The yakatabune (houseboat) is used for various purposes, and this is my first time here. It's stylish in many ways. There was a sunken kotatsu, but we had chair seating during our visit. My foreign friend was delighted! However, the sunken kotatsu allows you to feel the movement of the waves more directly. Compared to others, it feels more elegant and doesn't have a rustic vibe. The all-you-can-drink system is well-organized; they bring drinks when you order instead of self-service. It's a nice cruise dinner experience. Oh, and there was a smoking area too!

屋形船はいろいろ利用していて、こちらは初めてです。
いろいろな意味でおしゃれ。掘りごたつとありましたが、我々のときは椅子席。
外国人の友人と一緒だったので喜ばれました！
しかーし、掘りごたつのほうがダイレクトに波の動きを感じられる。
他と比べるとおしゃれです。泥臭い感じがありません。
飲み放題も自分ではなく、ちゃんとオーダーすれば持ってきてくれるシステム。
おしゃれなクルーズディナーと思えばよし。
あ、喫煙所もあったし！

The venue was easy to find, the signage outside made it clear we had arrived to our destination. The helpers were extremely sweet and enthusiastic about the history and process of food sample making. It took perhaps 30 minutes in total for the session-we chose to do the Full Size Parfait with 6 Pieces of Fruit. It was very quick. All of the pieces were pre-made. All we focused on was creating the parfait base and swirl. Very straightforward, fun little craft, also great souvenir to take home. Was just under the impression the process would be a bit more hands on - perhaps with the other options available? Interesting experience, would recommend to others to try at least once.

The staff is so helpful and we had a really great time!

We are so pleased with this experience. The make up and hairdo were well done. We short listed 3 kimonos beforehand and then chose 2 on the actual day. We were properly dressed in the grand wedding kimonos and then driven by the photographer in a 7 seater car to Yusentei, a wonderful house with a garden. Every time we move our assistant would adjust our kimonos. Service was excellent. The photos were very nice!

The experience was great. The instructor knew a lot of English and was a good teacher; she worked with me to design my own custom piece. I am in love with my new little piece of art and I would recommend this opportunity to anyone who wants an experience different than the tourist spots. (It is a bit tough to find...when you arrive at street level, walk straight ahead about 10-15 feet and turn right onto the street. It looks like an alley, but it is not. Look for small blue signs with the house number. When you find the store that sells glass and crystal ware, you have arrived. The location/house is on your left side.)

The curry is a bit tricky to make, but the results are great. Note that as the curry is wax it can't be kept in direct sunlight or it will melt!
Instructor was very nice and helpful. Great experience.

This was great - lots of fun and the instructor was kind, patient and friendly. Highly recommended!

I surprised my foreign friend with a gift, and they were very happy. The location is easy to find, and there is a wide variety of kimono types, so I highly recommend it.

外国の友人にサプライズでプレゼントしましたがとてもよろこんでいました。
場所も分かりやすく着物の種類も豊富でおすすめです。

I experienced Edo Kiriko for the first time!

After choosing a glass, I received a brief explanation of the machine and then immediately practiced with a practice glass. I was so nervous thinking, "Wait, we're doing it already?" (laughs)

At first, I wasn't very good, but gradually I got the hang of it and was able to engrave my favorite design onto the glass. It was fun to work at my own pace. The instructor was also in a spot where it was easy to talk to them, which made for a very pleasant environment!

Since I made it myself, I ended up with a glass that I feel very attached to!

江戸切子を初めて体験しました！

最初にグラスを決めたあと、軽く機械の説明を受けたらすぐに練習用グラスで実践。
えっ、もうやるの？とドキドキでした（笑）

最初は下手でしたが、徐々に出来るようになって、自分の好きなデザインをグラスに刻めるようになりました。
マイペースに作業できて楽しかったです。
先生も話を聞きやすい場所にいて下さるので、とても嬉しい環境でした！

自分で作ったためにとても愛着の持てるグラスに仕上がりました！

I got caught in traffic and arrived just in time. Despite causing a lot of inconvenience, the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Thanks to them, I was able to see a beautiful sunset! The atmosphere on the ship was great, and the food was very delicious.

渋滞に巻き込まれ時間ギリギリに到着になってしまいました。とてもご迷惑お掛けしたのにも関わらず、スタッフの方々はとても笑顔で対応してくれました。
おかげで、とても綺麗な夕陽を見る事が出来ました！船内の雰囲気も良く料理もとても美味しかったです

It was a very beautiful annex, and I was able to enjoy delicious sukiyaki! The maiko were lovely, and it was a precious experience to see them dance up close. I was significantly late for my reservation, but they were very polite and accommodating. I would definitely like to use this place again if I have the opportunity. Thank you!

とても綺麗な別館で、美味しいすき焼きをいただくことができました！舞妓さんも可愛らしく、近くで踊りを見ることができて貴重な体験でした。予約の時間に大幅に遅れてしまったのですがとても丁寧にご対応いただきました。また機会があれば是非利用したいです。ありがとうございました！

I booked this for 2 people even though I was going alone, because it was the only way the website would accept the reservation. The day of the tour I had my hotel contact them to update my hotel pick up info, which also updated the number of guest. I was pleasantly surprised that they refunded the second ticket. The food and location were amazing, as was the meetings with the maiko and watching them dance. I wish there was a translator during your meeting with them. Since there wasn't, I only spent about 3-5 mins with each maiko whereas the tables of Japanese guests spent as much as 15 minutes with each of them. Otherwise, it was amazing.

I had my first meal on a boat. Since we celebrated our wedding anniversary two days ago, I secretly prepared a cake for my wife, and when the staff brought it out, they were so kind and took a photo for us, which they put in a photo frame as a gift. It was mentioned that there would be special service on the actual anniversary day! I truly appreciate their thoughtfulness. It became a wonderful memory! Thank you!

初めて船で食事を頂きました。
2日前に結婚記念日を迎えたので嫁さんに内緒でケーキを準備しスタッフさんに出して頂いた時にそのスタッフさんが良い人で写真を撮って頂きフォトフレームに入れてプレゼントして頂きました。
結婚記念日当日ならサービス有りってなってましたが！ほんと気を使って頂いて感謝しています。
良い思い出になりました！ありがとうございます

It was really great and I want to do it again hopefully with my family and friends:)

We participated as a party of two. The table for two was by the window with a view of the sea. The sunset can be seen from the left side in the direction of travel. The sunset is around 7 PM. We ordered the steak course. The steak was tender and satisfying in portion size.

2名で参加。2名席は窓際で海が見える。進行方向左側から夕日が見える。日没は19時頃。料理はステーキコースを注文。ステーキは柔らかくボリュームもあり満足。

The frustration of not being able to carve as I wish. It also requires quite a bit of time and concentration. But even if I make mistakes, the instructor will fix them for me (laughs). In the end, it turned out to be something I was satisfied with. If I do it about three more times, I wonder if I'll get used to it and become better. It turned out to be a nice souvenir, so I'm glad.

思うように削ることができないもどかしさ。そして、結構時間と集中力が必要とされます。
でも、失敗してもお兄さんが直してくれます(笑)
最終的には、満足のいくものになりましたよ。
あと三回くらいやったら、慣れて上手になるかなあ。といったところです。
いい記念品になり、よかったです。

The boat cruise was very enjoyable. We had a big group and the staff was friendly and enthusiastic. The sights of Tokyo from the water was wonderful. The show near the end of the cruise was entertaining. The only reason I'm giving it a 4 star instead of a 5 star is the quite underwhelming menu. The main dish was tempura, with maybe 4 pieces total. One shrimp. One. Another dish had 3 pieces of sashimi. The rest consisted of small dishes. In the photos, you can see crab legs and a huge plate of sashimi, which is very deceiving. My son was starving when we left. I have a friend who did a yakatabune a week prior with another company and he spoke of crab legs and plateful of sashimi. I guess the big draw is the all you can drink portion of the cruise. If you ordered the food anywhere else in Tokyo, it would probably cost 2000 yen. The staff, ambiance, and the people we were with made the cruise worthwhile.