More than a place to sleep. Stay at Meihodo, and step into Japanese culture.

Surrounded by the nature of Aso, Meihodo offers far more than a room and a meal. Kyūdō, tameshigiri, tea ceremony, bonseki, taiko drumming — a whole range of Japanese cultural experiences waits on the estate itself. Several of them are held indoors, in the tea house, the great hall and the martial arts hall, so a rainy day is still easy to plan around.

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Preparing tea beside the round window of the tea house at Meihodo

Japanese culture, inside the place you're staying.

Meihodo is a cultural estate of 37 buildings spread across 56,000 square metres. A martial arts hall, an archery range, a tea house, a taiko hall, a great hall — the buildings where Japanese culture is practised are all on the grounds, so guests can join an experience between other parts of the day without travelling anywhere.

Rather than moving from one sight to the next, you settle in one place: you touch Japanese culture, learn a little of it, and try it with your own hands. An evening after check-in, a morning before you set off — the day is yours to shape.

About the estate See the buildings

Cultural experiences on the estate

From martial arts to tea ceremony, bonseki and taiko. Several are held indoors, in the tea house, the great hall and the martial arts hall. Prices and availability are on each experience page.

Kyūdō

Kyūdō

At the archery range 1 hour

Draw the bow in silence and let the arrow go. An hour at the new archery range, spent on breath and focus.

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Tameshigiri

Tameshigiri

Venue may change with the weather 1 hour

Cut a tatami target with a real sword. You learn the stance and the force, and feel the weight of the blade.

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Kendō

Kendō

Indoor (martial arts hall) 1 hour

Starting from the basic movements with a shinai — a discipline that begins and ends with a bow.

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Karate

Karate

Indoor (martial arts hall) 1 hour

The basics and kata of Okinawan karate, in a hall that also displays armour and weapons.

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Tea ceremony

Tea ceremony

Indoor (tea house) 1 hour

A bowl of tea in Seirensha, a tea house steeped in wabi-sabi. An hour built on a single meeting.

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Bonseki

Bonseki

Indoor (great hall) 1 hour

White sand and small stones become a landscape on a black tray. Quiet, absorbing, entirely indoors.

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Taiko

Taiko

At the taiko hall 1 hour

Play in the taiko hall, home to one of the largest Japanese drums, from basic strokes to a short phrase.

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Kadō (ikebana)

Kadō (ikebana)

Ask about the venue 1 hour

Work with the flowers of the season and learn the Japanese sense of beauty through arrangement.

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Samurai experience

Samurai experience

Moves between several buildings 2.5 hours

Tameshigiri, tea, archery and the great drum in one programme — the experience Meihodo is known for.

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Durations are a guide. The experiences marked “indoor” are held in the martial arts hall, the tea house (Seirensha) and the great hall described on the estate page. For the others the venue can change with group size, content and the weather on the day, so please confirm when you book. Every experience must be booked in advance. Prices and details are on each experience page; see our FAQ if anything is unclear.

Shaping a white-sand landscape on a black lacquer tray during a bonseki session at Meihodo

Rain in Aso? Your day at Meihodo still works.

You planned the trip for months, and it rains from breakfast onward. In Aso, that happens.

Several of the cultural experiences at Meihodo are held indoors: tea ceremony in the tea house (Seirensha), bonseki in the great hall, kendō and karate in the martial arts hall. When the outdoor sightseeing is off, the day is still straightforward to put together.

  • Tea ceremony is held in the tea house (Seirensha), bonseki in the great hall, and kendō and karate in the martial arts hall — all indoors.
  • For kyūdō, taiko, ikebana and tameshigiri the venue can change with group size and the weather on the day; please ask when you book.
  • Dinner is served at Ryotei Meihodo on the estate, so the day needs no travelling.
  • Takigyo is held outdoors and may be cancelled in bad weather.

If you are looking for indoor things to do in Aso on a wet day, the cultural experiences here are worth considering. Weather often reshuffles a Kumamoto itinerary; keeping an indoor session in reserve means the day still works.

Aso is famous for its landscape, and rightly so. Pairing the outdoors with an indoor session means a rainy morning usually costs nothing more than a change of order.

A day at Meihodo

One example. Experience times can be arranged when you book.

  1. 15:00

    Check in

    Arrive at your building, surrounded by the nature of Aso, and take a moment to settle in.

  2. 16:00

    A cultural experience

    Kyūdō, tea ceremony, taiko — whichever draws you. Most sessions run about an hour.

  3. 18:00

    Dinner

    Seasonal Japanese cuisine at Ryotei Meihodo, a short walk across the estate.

  4. Evening

    A quiet Aso night

    With the lights low the grounds are remarkably still. Stay in your room or wander the estate.

  5. Next morning

    Breakfast and a walk

    After breakfast, stroll the grounds and head out into Aso. Check-out is at 11:00.

Fine day or wet day.

Either way, the day at Meihodo takes shape.

On a fine day

  • Sightseeing across the Aso landscape
  • A walk on the estate (drum tower, hexagonal hall, waterfall site)
  • Outdoor experiences such as takigyo
  • Cultural experiences on the estate
  • Dinner at the restaurant, and the night here

On a rainy day

  • Tea ceremony in the tea house (Seirensha)
  • Bonseki in the great hall
  • Kendō and karate in the martial arts hall
  • Dinner at the restaurant, and the night here
  • For the other experiences, please ask whether they can run

Takigyo is held outdoors and may be cancelled depending on the weather. Experiences not marked “indoor” may change venue with the weather or the content on the day, so please confirm when you book.

Who this suits

First visit to Aso, or your fifth.

Planning a trip to Aso

Sightseeing and cultural experiences, arranged from one base.

Looking for something to do in the rain

Tea ceremony, bonseki and more, held indoors.

Wanting to try Japanese culture

Kyūdō, tea ceremony, bonseki — learned by doing, not watching.

Visiting Japan from abroad

Pages in Japanese, English and Chinese (simplified and traditional).

Travelling as a family

Each lodging is rented as a whole building, so you have it to yourselves.

Travelling as a couple

Quiet grounds and calm rooms for a day that stands apart.

Travelling as a group

For group bookings, please get in touch by phone or email.

After something other than a hotel

An estate of 37 cultural buildings is the destination, not the waypoint.

Meihodo is a way to spend the day, not only a place to sleep

Lodging, experiences, dining and the nature of Aso — four things joined inside one estate.

Stay × Experience × Dining × Nature
A tatami guest room at Korokan, Meihodo
Stay

Stay

Six lodging buildings, each rented whole: private, quiet, and surrounded by the nature of Aso.

 Drawing a bow in front of the great taiko drum at Meihodo
Experience

Experience

Kyūdō, kendō, karate and tameshigiri, alongside tea ceremony, ikebana, bonseki and taiko.

 A chef slicing tuna at Ryotei Meihodo
Dining

Dining

Breakfast and dinner are served at Ryotei Meihodo, on the estate.

 The waterfall training site in the forest at Meihodo
Nature

Nature

Across 56,000 square metres there is a waterfall site and a high vantage point over the mountains of Aso.

Next time in Aso: stay, and take part.

The nature of Aso and Japanese culture, in a single stay. Please get in touch with any questions.

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