— KAIDO JOURNEY —
Festival Edition — June 1–4, 2027 · ends at the Fujisan Cup
Four days on the old Tōkaidō — private coach, interpreter-guide, morning keiko in a real dōjō, tea country and the post towns.
June 1 (Tue) – June 4 (Fri), 2027 | 4 nights | private coach
About an hour from Tokyo by shinkansen. The Festival Edition begins at Shin-Fuji Station and delivers you to the taikai hall in Fujieda — entry included, hotel included through the festival.
01
20th World Kendo Championship
May 27–30
Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
02
This journey (Festival Edition)
June 1–4, plus the festival night (check-out June 5)
Fujinomiya → Shizuoka → Fujieda
03
Fujisan Cup 2027 — entry included
June 4–5
Fujieda, Shizuoka Prefecture
The Tōkaidō is the old road that joined Edo and Kyoto. We follow its middle stretch — from the foot of Mt. Fuji to Fujieda — over four days, by private coach — a chartered bus — with an interpreter-guide the whole way.
Pay respects at Sengen Taisha, step into a sake brewery, and come down to Okitsu — a post town on the old road — to sleep in a hundred-year-old machiya we brought back ourselves. Next morning: zazen before breakfast, then the street outside your door with a sealed letter in hand. Print an ukiyo-e, train with local kenshi, take tea where gyokuro is grown. On the fourth day you arrive at the hall — and the festival is yours: entry to the Fujisan Cup is part of the journey.
Venues and lodgings are confirmed in the final itinerary sent before departure. Machiya nights are limited by the number of houses; larger parties are split between the machiya and a nearby ryokan.
Day 1
June 1 (Tue)
Seisei-an — a hundred-year-old machiya we restored, two minutes from the station
Day 2
June 2 (Wed)
Hotel, Shizuoka City
Day 3
June 3 (Thu)
Hotel, Fujieda (walking distance to the hall)
Day 4
June 4 (Fri)
Hotel, Fujieda — festival night included (check-out June 5)
— The First Night —
Okitsu was a post town on the old Tōkaidō, and Seisei-an is a merchant house there, a hundred years old, empty for years until we restored it room by room. Black-lacquered beams, tatami, a garden you can see from the floor. Futons made by a craftsman with a ten-year waiting list. In the morning, zazen before breakfast if you wish — and the street outside the door is the same street the map in your hand was drawn for.
Machiya nights are limited by the number of houses. Larger parties are split between Seisei-an and a ryokan a short walk away — tell us your preference when you apply.
The remaining three nights are hotels — one in Shizuoka City, two in Fujieda within walking distance of the hall. Single rooms, quiet, with a desk and a window. Nothing grand, and deliberately so: after a morning of keiko and two days of taikai, what matters is a room where you sleep well and wake up ready.
— The Experiences —
Three moments woven into the four days — filmed and photographed on the road, with guests who walked it before you.
01
A dōjō in the woods of Shizuoka Gokoku Shrine, on the morning of day three. Local kenshi arrive early, and you join them. Your bōgu travels with us on the bus — and if you would rather watch from the wall, that is a fine way to spend a morning too.
Keiko with local kenshi — every level welcome
02
On the morning of day two you step straight out of the machiya into Okitsu, and you are handed an old-road map, a sealed letter, and a single gold ryō struck with Mt. Fuji. Spend it as travellers did four hundred years ago — the sweet-shop on the post-town street knows exactly what it is worth. A small game, played on a real road.
One gold ryō, a sealed letter, and manjū from the post town
03
Before breakfast on day two, in the machiya where you slept: zazen, or sutra-copying with a brush, in the quiet of the morning. Optional, unhurried, and — guests keep telling us — the part of the journey that stays longest.
Sutra-copying before breakfast — one line at a time
— The Festival Nights —
On the evening of June 4 the Welcome Reception brings every team to one room for The Draw — the lots that decide who you face tomorrow. Two days of matches, keiko with 7th and 8th dan sensei, and a floor full of people who crossed borders to be there. Your entry is already in your pocket.
The Welcome Reception and The Draw
Two days of taikai in Fujieda
¥198,000per person (tax incl., planned price)
Final price is fixed when booking opens. Reference: about $1,300, subject to exchange rates.
Formal booking opens in autumn 2026, together with the terms and conditions of travel. This page is provided as information. Planned and operated by KAI Inc. — Travel Agency registered with the Governor of Shizuoka, No. Chi-48 (regional) · Certified Travel Services Manager: Hideko Makita.
A machiya morning on the old Tōkaidō — private departures can include stays in our restored houses
This journey does not need a tournament. For dōjō groups, families and friends we arrange the same four days — morning keiko included — as a private departure, in any season. Tell us your dates and your party, and we will build the itinerary around you. The price differs from the Festival Edition: transport is chartered for your party alone, so the cost per person depends on how many of you travel.
Shizuoka International Kendo Festival
Where the Festival Edition ends — an international kendo taikai in Fujieda, the week after the World Championships. Friendly matches, and keiko alongside 7th and 8th dan sensei. Your entry is included in this journey; tournament details are on the official site.
June 4 (Fri) – 5 (Sat), 2027｜Fujieda, Shizuoka Prefecture
Places are held in the order applications arrive. Nothing is binding at this stage — the travel contract is concluded in autumn 2026, once you have received the full terms in writing.
Before any contract is concluded, we provide a written statement of travel conditions and, upon conclusion, a contract document. With your consent these are sent by email as PDF; paper copies are available on request at any time. If you ask, the Travel Services Manager named above will explain the conditions to you directly.ご契約の前に取引条件説明書面を、ご契約後に契約書面をお渡しします。ご承諾をいただいた場合は電子メール（PDF）でお送りし、ご希望があればいつでも書面でお送りします。お求めがあれば、上記の旅行業務取扱管理者が最終的な説明を行います。
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