Motosu(Japan) Travel 2026: Cheap Flights, Hotels & Top Attractions

For an authentic cultural stay in Benkō, choose the Miyagawa District, located near the historic Benkō Shrine and traditional sake brewery streets. This area offers access to local festivals like the Benkō Autumn Festival, where you can witness taiko drumming and rice-planting rituals.

Stay at Kōgen Ryokan, a family-run guesthouse with tatami rooms and homemade kaiseki meals featuring regional ingredients such as mountain vegetables and wild mushrooms. The ryokan also arranges guided walks to nearby Shinano River terraced fields, offering insight into centuries-old farming traditions.

Yes, Hinode Ryokan in Benkō specializes in immersive kaiseki dining using seasonal ingredients from local farms and forests. Each meal is served in a private tatami room overlooking a moss garden, with dishes like grilled wild mountain trout and pickled bamboo shoots.

The inn also hosts monthly tea ceremony workshops led by a certified iemoto, teaching guests about matcha preparation and Zen aesthetics. Many guests return to enjoy the autumn maple viewing night, where lantern-lit paths enhance the poetic atmosphere of the property.

Visitors to Benkō can explore the Nakasendo Trail segment through the Takayama Pass, a well-preserved Edo-era post town route ideal for hiking and photography. Along the way, stop at Yamagata Rest House, a restored sake storage warehouse now serving artisanal snacks.

For adventure seekers, try river tubing on the Shinano River during summer months—gentle currents pass through limestone cliffs and ancient cedar groves. Local guides offer bilingual safety briefings and share stories of the river’s role in regional folklore.

The Kanazawa Street Market District near Benkō Station is the heart of local culinary life. Here, vendors sell freshly grilled fugu sashimi, mountain vegetable dumplings, and hand-pressed miso soup from century-old recipes.

Many accommodations, including Sakura Guest House, partner with market stalls to offer cooking classes using daily purchases. Visitors can join early-morning tours to source ingredients from the local farmers' cooperative, then prepare a full kaiseki-style meal under expert guidance.

Don’t miss the Benkō Lantern Festival (Autumn), held along the Shinano River, where thousands of handcrafted paper lanterns float downstream, symbolizing ancestral remembrance. Traditional taiko drum performances and kimono dance troupes entertain crowds each evening.

In spring, the Sakura Viewing Festival at Sakurayama Park features cherry blossom illumination, tea ceremonies in hanami tents, and a craft fair showcasing local woodcarvings. Some ryokans offer festival-exclusive packages, including a seasonal kaiseki dinner and a mochi pounding workshop.

Yes, several hotels in Benkō provide complimentary bike rentals, especially those in the Central District. Mori no Ie offers electric-assist bicycles with GPS-enabled route maps, ideal for touring Hida Furukawa or Mino-Kamata.

Luxury options like Kawa no Ie Inn include custom biking packages with hydration packs, helmets, and guided routes through the Shinano River Greenway, known for its wetland birdwatching spots and seasonal wildflowers. Many properties also partner with local cycling clubs to organize themed rides combining history, nature, and local cuisine.