Day 1: A kimono-clad tea ceremony in the castle town Tsuruoka

Alight at Tsuruoka Station, meet your guide, and begin your journey. Start by heading to Chikeiken for a meal of exquisitely prepared local homestyle cuisine. Proprietress Ms. Chonan, who runs her restaurant and guesthouse in addition to farming her own land, believes that eating in-season, locally grown ingredients is the number one key to good health.

After lunch, visit a kimono shop to change into kimono, then head to Sakai’s Old-style Japanese garden, designated a National Site of Scenic Beauty. The garden is located on the grounds of Chidokan, a property which has ties to the Sakai clan. The Sakai settled in Shonai about four hundred years ago; they were prominent retainers of the Tokugawa, the clan who emerged victorious at the end of Japan’s tumultuous Warring States period. Enjoy a moment of tranquility as you gaze at the elegant garden, with matcha tea and wagashi sweets served by a tea master.

Then, check in at Suiden Terrasse, a stylish modern hotel designed to appear as if it is floating upon the surrounding rice paddies.

In the evening, head to locavore restaurant Al ché-cciano for an Italian dinner by Chef Okuda, ambassador of Shonai cuisine to the world. His cooking, making use of the fresh vegetables, seafood, and meat of Dewa Shonai, is popular worldwide.

Day 2: Climb the pilgrimage path of Mt. Haguro alongside a yamabushi mountain monk

After breakfast at your hotel, head for Mt. Haguro, one of the Dewa Sanzan holy mountains. Possessing 1,400 years history as a sacred site for practitioners of Shugendo, the Dewa Sanzan are considered mountains of rebirth. At Zuishinmon Gate near the foot of the mountain, meet up with a yamabushi mountain monk and climb the 2,446 stone stairs of the cedar-lined pilgrimage path to the summit. En route, encounter a thousand-year-old cedar tree, and a five-story pagoda designated a National Treasure. (The pagoda is currently undergoing repairs and will be visible again coming autumn.) During the hour and a half it takes to reach the summit, immerse yourself in the spiritual atmosphere of the sacred forest. Take a break at a teahouse along the way, which offers sweeping views of the Shonai Plains below. Upon reaching the summit, pay your respects at the Sanjin Gosaiden prayer hall of Haguro Shrine.

After completing your pilgrimage, make a gentle return to the secular world with a visit to the shop of an artisan who specializes in Shonai sashiko, one of the Three Sashiko of Japan. Shonai sashiko is a kind of functional embroidery used to reinforce kimono and enhance their insulation. Stitched in white cotton thread on real indigo-dyed cotton fabric, the intricate patterns express the wishes and prayers of the people, for things such as good harvests and protection from evil. Meet Shonai sashiko artisan Emi Sato, who will illuminate for you the connection between this traditional local craft and present-day global sustainability goals.

Then, head to the historic Matsugaoka Reclamation Site, where 150 years ago samurai put down their swords and took up sericulture. These former warriors planted mulberry trees, raised silkworms, and began producing raw silk, becoming the northernmost silk-production area in Japan. So impressive was their achievement that even the Emperor and Empress of Japan paid a visit to the site. Be greeted here by President Yamato of Tsuruoka Silk, who will extol the charms of silk, including its value as the ultimate natural and ecologically sustainable fiber. For lunch, head next door to the winery restaurant Pino Collina. As you dine on delicious dishes made with local ingredients, gaze out at the surrounding vineyards and the peak of Mt. Gassan, highest of the Dewa Sanzan holy mountains, looming beyond.

After lunch, pay a visit to Gyokusen-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple with a 770-year history. The temple garden has been designated a National Site of Scenic Beauty, soothing visitors with its seasonally changing beauty..

In the evening, enjoy an east-meets-west take on traditional kappo cuisine at Beniya, made with local seafood, meat, and vegetables—farmed as well as foraged.

Day 3: Compose haiku in the port town of Sakata

After departing your hotel, head to the port town of Sakata. Sakata is where the Kitamae-bune ships would land, bringing with them not only wealth, but also the culture of Kyoto and Osaka. After enjoying the scenic zelkova tree-lined path that shades the Sankyo Rice Warehouses from the sun, shop for souvenirs inside one of the warehouses, which has been converted into a local products market.

Next, visit the Homma Museum of Art. The Homma were a wealthy merchant family who prospered from the Kitamae-bune trade. Director Tanaka will take you on a tour of the museum’s collection of fine art, the 200-year-old Seienkaku villa, and Kakubuen, designated a National Garden of Scenic Beauty. In this historical setting, a teacher of Japanese poetry will demonstrate how to compose haiku, a form distinguished by elegant brevity. Let the beauty of the scenic traditional surroundings inspire you to wax poetic.

For lunch, enjoy sushi at Koise. The specialty of this restaurant is fresh fish caught in nearby waters, served with a sprinkling of salt. Be seated at the counter, where you can converse with the itamae sushi chef as you enjoy his blissfully delicious sushi.