Musubi: Curating unique Japan experiences for sophisticated travellers

A Journey Across Japan Covered by National Media
—from The Samurai Challenge to Japan Classic (2025): Seven Years of Practice in High-Value Adventure Travel

This initiative was originally featured in a series of regional newspapers across Japan following an interview conducted by Kyodo News, one of Japan’s leading news agencies.
At the time, the coverage focused on the Bentley Drivers Club Rising Sun Rally, an international touring project that brought classic Bentley automobiles from overseas to Japan for a long-distance journey across the country.

Rather than publishing these articles immediately, this summary is presented now—at a moment when the full trajectory of the initiative can be clearly understood.

What began as an experimental journey has, over seven years, evolved into a replicable Japanese model of high-value adventure travel, culminating in Japan Classic (2025).

National Media Attention and Social Context

The Kyodo News coverage was syndicated to multiple regional newspapers, each presenting similar content that emphasized:

• A 20+ day journey traversing 24 prefectures across Japan

• Routes designed to follow coastlines, mountains, forests, and agricultural landscapes

• Encounters with everyday local life—cherry blossoms, farming activities, festivals, and community events

• Cultural visits to museums and heritage sites

• A target audience of intellectually curious, high-spending travelers seeking meaning rather than luxury facilities

The nationwide publication of these articles reflects not merely interest in a single event, but broader recognition of Adventure Travel (AT) as a strategic direction for Japan’s tourism future.

“No Special Attractions Are Required”

A recurring message in the coverage was a simple yet profound realization:

Extraordinary tourism resources are not required.
What travelers seek is authentic, unembellished regional life.

This insight did not emerge as a marketing concept, but through direct experience dating back to The Samurai Challenge (2017)—a pioneering classic car journey from Kyushu to Hokkaido involving participants from 13 countries.

The landscapes seen through a car window, conversations with local residents, and ordinary seasonal scenes left a deeper impression than any staged attraction.

Government Recognition During the Pandemic (2021)

In 2021, amid the global standstill of international tourism caused by COVID-19, this initiative took a critical step forward.

A condensed version of the concept was selected as one of only 12 projects nationwide under the Japan Tourism Agency’s Adventure Travel-related pilot programs, designed to prepare for post-pandemic recovery and high-value inbound tourism.

Even under severe restrictions, the pilot demonstrated that:

• Regional culture and nature could generate high value without overdevelopment

• Coordination between local communities, guides, and destination management structures was essential

• High-value tourism could be both low-impact and long-stay

While travel paused, the structure continued to mature.

International Validation and the Birth of Japan Classic (2025)

In 2024, these accumulated insights were applied in practice through the Bentley Drivers Club Rising Sun Rally, an internationally recognized touring project.
While the Bentley Drivers Club served as the outward-facing entity, the Japanese-side planning, regional coordination, and operational design were implemented domestically.

Building on this experience, Japan Classic (2025) was launched as a Japan-originated initiative—designed not as a car event, but as a framework for connecting regional culture, everyday landscapes, and global travelers in a sustainable, high-value way.

Adventure Travel as a Regenerative Cycle

As emphasized by leaders within Japan’s Adventure Travel sector:

Each town and village should have its own form of adventure travel, rooted in its natural and cultural identity.

By attracting travelers who resonate with regional values and reinvesting tourism revenue locally, adventure travel can create a positive cycle—supporting cultural continuity, environmental stewardship, and community pride.

Why This Record Matters Now

The original media coverage centered on an international touring club.
What is now visible, however, is the underlying structure that enabled the journey:
local coordination, guide judgment, and long-term destination design.

From The Samurai Challenge (2017)
to government-backed pilot testing (2021)
to international validation (2024)
and finally Japan Classic (2025)—

this seven-year trajectory demonstrates that high-value tourism does not depend on spectacle or luxury infrastructure.

Instead, it emerges from everyday regional life—when thoughtfully connected, respectfully curated, and responsibly managed.