Japan deftly balances its penchant for innovating futuristic technology with preserving thousands of years of culture. A similar dichotomy exists in its cities, as towering skyscrapers cohabit with historic shrines, and amid its population, which can be as engrossed by its 21st century gadgetry as by maintaining a simple Zen garden.
For groups venturing to Japan, history and heritage appear at every turn.
“Japan has a wealth of cultural experiences and teambuilding opportunities available,” said Ryoko Hasegawa, director of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Los Angeles office. “Whether learning to make sushi, handcrafting pottery or participating in a traditional tea ceremony, unique and immersive experiences can be found all over the country.”
Meagan McTaggart, convention specialist for the JNTO’s New York office, concurs that the cultural highlights groups can experience are extensive.
“There are several per city and the main ones include wearing a kimono, dance/martial arts demos, playing traditional instruments, sampling local foods, making origami, theater performances, visiting castles and shrines, famous pilgrimage hikes, and going to festivals,” McTaggart said.
Tokyo
Aside from immersive experiences, groups can also arrange off-site events at a full scope of historic and cultural venues throughout the country, including its largest city of Tokyo, which is gearing up to host the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games.
More than 9 million people live in Tokyo’s 23 wards. Within that expanse, groups can find respite at Hama-rikyu Gardens, built in the Edo Period (1603-1867), where attendees can attend a tea ceremony at a teahouse located in the middle of a pond, according to the Tokyo CVB.
For off-site options, the Art Deco Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, built in 1933, can host receptions in its new annex lobby, terrace and cafe. Meanwhile, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, located within Ueno Park, can host 200 guests.
The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum reopened in 2016 after extensive renovations. Groups can combine a party in the second-floor lobby with a private viewing of the exhibitions. Another cultural draw, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, documents the history of the city in the Edo Period. Groups are welcome, though the museum will be undergoing a renovation and closed from October through March 2018.
Other city improvements in preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games include a new national stadium in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. Tokyo Big Sight, or the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, and the Tokyo International Forum are undergoing renovations as well, according to the Tokyo CVB.
Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo recently opened a special Club Lounge on the 45th floor, which features meeting spaces. Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho opened last year with 250 guest rooms, and on tap are the Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo, slated to open in 2018 with 164 guest rooms, and the Four Seasons Hotel in Otemachi, Tokyo, set for a spring 2020 debut.
Yokohama
South of Tokyo, Yokohama is known for its mixture of Japanese and Western culture, according to Chiho Matsunaga, with the Yokohama CVB’s Business Events Team, partly a result of its history as the first harbor city used as an entrance to Japan.
Today, diverse cultures dominate the landscape, from Western-style houses to Japan’s biggest Chinatown.
Sankei-en garden, formerly the private home of a wealthy silk merchant, stands as one of the city’s most popular attractions and can be used by groups for an off-site. Today it contains historical houses and buildings including a pagoda constructed in Kyoto in the mid-1400s, relocated to Sankei-en in 1914.
For those intrigued by Japanese noodles, Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum was founded in 1994 as the world’s first food-themed amusement park. The complex includes nine ramen shops in a streetscape replication from 1958, the year that the world’s first instant ramen was invented. Groups can also use the Yokohama Museum of Art for receptions.
A new convention facility will open in 2020 adjacent to the PACIFICO Yokohama convention complex, and will feature more than 460,000 square feet of space. Also in store for 2019 is a new 2,400-room APA Hotel and Resort and the 297-room Hyatt Regency Yokohama.
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Kyoto
Kyoto, another of Japan’s main meetings destinations, is beginning construction on a new expansion this year to its Kyoto International Conference Center, slated for completion in early 2019.
“Kyoto is a beloved tourist destination, but we are also a world-class meetings destination,” said Matthew Stevens, conventions and conferences specialist for the Kyoto CVB. “Kyoto is home to Japan’s first international conference center, where COP 3 [Kyoto Protocol Climate Conference] was held and the Kyoto Protocol was signed. *
Unique venues include two of Kyoto’s 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Daigoji Temple for up to 1,500, and Shogun-era Nijo-jo Castle for up to 400. Groups can also use indoor and outdoor space at the Kyoto National Museum and visit sake breweries in the Fushimi Sake District.
“In meetings of all kinds we have set up gala dinners and networking events at museums, temples, shrines and even at our castle,” Stevens said. “Other examples of Kyoto cultural content includes Taiko drumming, geiko and maiko [Kyoto-style geisha] performances at events, tea ceremonies on-site using locally grown tea, and even local sake tasting set up right in the venue.”
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto opened last year with 109 rooms and Park Hyatt Kyoto is slated for 2019 with 70 guest rooms. Newly renovated and reopened last September is the Rihga Royal Hotel Kyoto with 489 guest rooms. According to Stevens, Keihan Resorts and Hotels recently renovated its Kyoto Tower Hotel Annex, and is planning a new property.
Nagoya/Osaka
Nagoya was once renowned for its Nagoya Castle, built in the Edo Period as the seat of the Owari branch, one of the three branches of the ruling Tokugawa family. The current concrete castle is on the books to be replaced by a wooden structure in coming years.
Groups can use the Tokugawa Art Museum for receptions and can organize group tours of the Toyota Commemorative Museum for Industry and Technology. Nagoya Nohgakudo, or the Nagoya Noh Theater, showcases Noh, a Japanese form of musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. On-site is a small museum.
Grand Prince Hotel is opening a new location in Nagoya in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics.
Japanese Noh is also a highlight in Osaka, where groups can explore the Yamamoto Noh Theater, built in 1921 and reconstructed in 1950 after a fire. Other options include the Katsuoji Temple and the Sumiyoshi Taisha ancient shrine, boasting more than 1,800 years of history and offering a facility on its grounds for up to 500.
Osaka is home to the Osaka Convention Center, Universal Studios Japan and arts venues such as the National Art Museum and National Bunraku Theater for traditional Japanese puppetry.
Fukuoka
Known for its modern infrastructure, Fukuoka also is home to traditional yatai, or food stalls, as well as historic Buddhist temples and shrines, including Shofukuji, Japan’s first Zen temple.
According to the Fukuoka CVB, the city offers group outings for sake tastings and tea ceremonies as well as learning about painting Japanese dolls and making Japanese sweets. Groups can attend a Noh theater in its famed Ohori Park, organize a reception at a sake brewery and indulge in traditional kaiseki-style Japanese cuisine.
Sapporo
Located on the island of Hokkaido, the Sapporo name may be best known for its beer, but its mountains and ski terrain took center stage as home to the 1972 Winter Olympics. The Sapporo Olympic Museum, located at the foot of the Okurayama Ski Jump Stadium, can host 200 for events.
The Sapporo Biergarten and the Sapporo Beer Museum can also host groups for tours and tastings, according to Dima Azarov, in the Meetings & Business Events department of the Sapporo Convention Bureau. Meanwhile, the Nitori Otaru Art Base complex can host up to 200.
