Recommended Tours
- Nature
The bountiful natural beauty of northern Japan
Surrounded by mountains on three sides and sea on the other, take in the beauty of the four seasons here as you journey on foot at an easygoing pace through some of Shonai’s most scenic nature.
Tour at a glance
Inclusions | Accommodation fees, Meals,Admission fees,Experience fees,Post-tour transportation fees,Guide Interpreter |
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Exclusions | Personal expenses,gratuities Drinks added to the prix fixe meals, Travel insurance |
Cost | from ¥310,000(per person for a tour of two participants) |
Minimum number of participants |
2 |
Tour Length | 3 days, 2 nights |
Tour Availability | 9/1 to 9/20 |
Meeting Location | Tsuruoka Station or Shonai airport |
Gaze down upon the vast rice paddies of Shonai from Mt. Kinbo, a Shugendo holy mountain.
Make a pilgrimage alongside a yamabushi mountain monk to two of the Dewa Sanzan holy mountains, Mt. Haguro and Mt. Gassan.
Visit Ramsar wetlands Kami-ike and Shimo-ike to pick lotus flowers.
A three-day tour curated and guided by the editor-in-chief of a regional culture magazine
A native of the area with deep affection for his home, editor-in-chief Mr. Kobayashi will introduce to you the nature, cuisine, and historical culture of the Dewa Shonai region, incorporating all sorts of knowledge he has gleaned during his exchanges with other locals in the process of preparing articles for his magazine. An experienced interpreter will accompany your journey to provide English-language interpretation and other assistance. Enjoy this special two-night, three-day private tour with your loved ones, meeting wonderful local people and basking in the bountiful natural beauty of northern Japan.
tour itinerary
Gaze down upon the vast rice paddies of Shonai from holy Mt. Kinbo
Alight at Tsuruoka Station to meet your guide and begin your journey. Head first to Mt. Kinbo. Revered as a sacred place by Shugendo mountain ascetics, the mountain possesses a 1,350-year religious and cultural legacy. Halfway up the mountain, at Naka no Miya shrine, meet with regional history expert Hidekazu Sakai. Enjoy a soba lunch together, at the shrine office, then tour the shrine precincts together. Continue along with Mr. Sakai to the peak of the mountain. From the peak, gaze down at the beauty of the Shonai Plains and take in a panorama of the surrounding mountains in three directions, and the sea to the fourth. Spend the night at Kuhei Ryokan in Yutagawa Onsen. At this popular ryokan designed with relaxation in mind, enjoy Japanese cuisine prepared with local ingredients and served with local sake.
Venture into the Dewa Sanzan holy mountains alongside a yamabushi mountain monk
Enjoy breakfast at your ryokan, then head into the Dewa Sanzan holy mountains. The Dewa Sanzan holy mountains are one of the places held most sacred by practitioners of Shugendo, on par with Kumano. Ascetic training continues here to this day; all are welcome to participate regardless of nationality. With yamabushi mountain monk Mr. Hayasaka as your guide, set out to summit 1984-meter high Mt. Gassan. Travel by vehicle to the mountain’s eighth station. From there, climb for about two and a half hours to reach the hut at the peak of the mountain, where you’ll enjoy lunch with proprietor Takeshi Haga while he regales you with tales from his life on the mountain. Head back down to the eighth station; from there travel by vehicle to the shrine at the peak of Mt. Haguro. The gods of all three of the Dewa Sanzan mountains are enshrined, here, and the sight of the magnificent thatched roof of Haguro Shrine welcomes you. Have an audience with Chief Priest Yoshikazu Abe. Pay your respects to the gods enshrined here; they will receive your prayers, especially prayers for health, safety, and family. Return to your ryokan to freshen up in the natural hot springs, then spend the rest of the evening relaxing.
Visit Ramsar wetlands Kami-ike and Shimo-ike to pick lotus flowers
After breakfast at your ryokan, travel by car for about 15 minutes to the Ramsar-registered wetlands Kami-ike and Shimo-ike. Watch waterfowl come flying in, listen to the songs of wild birds, bask surrounded by beech trees and wildflowers as you stroll the circumference of these beautiful ponds. Stop to admire the beauty of the lotus flowers on the pond, before picking a few to take back with you. It’s sure to be a memorable experience. At a popular nearby restaurant called gira e gira, tuck into a meal of Italian cuisine prepared with delicious local fish and vegetables.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1
12:50 Arrive at Tsuruoka Station
13:30 Mt Kinbo Shrine Office , Lunch Soba
14:45 Summit
15:15 Descend
17:30 Yutagawa Onsen Kuhei Ryokan (Japanese Inn)
Day 2
7:00 Departure
7:20 Meet Mr. Hayasaka, a yamabushi mountain monk
8:30 Start route from Mt Gassan 8th station
11:00 Lunch at the summit hut.
Conversation with Takeshi Haga, the lodge owner
12:00 Descend
14:30 Arrive back at Mt Gassan 8th station
15:30 Prayer at Sanjin-Gousaiden of Dewa Sanzan Shrine
16:40 Kuhei Ryokan
Day3
9:00 Departure
9:15 Oyama Kami-ike and Shimo-ike
9:30 Lotus flower harvesting experience
10:30 Walk around the pond
11:30 Lunch at “gira e gira
13:30 Tsuruoka Station
Reservations
Cancellation Policy
21 days before date of tour
No penalty
20 days before date of tour
20% of total price
7th day prior to the trip start date up to 2 days prior to the trip start date
30% of total price
1 day before date of tour
40% of total price
The day of trip start or no-show
100% of total price
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