Sokichi Sugimura, 72, feels elements of Japanese society have lost their moral compass to the point of being downright rude and he and his associates want to put them back on course, and in the process embrace samurai values.

As head of Tokyo-based Public Art Research Institute, Sugimura since 2002 has organized more than 40 guided tours of "bisan" (beautiful assets and skills) around the country, in such places as Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo and Toyama.

His focus is on often overlooked cultural assets like shrine torii and ancient temple statues, and skills like traditional crafts and cuisine.