Experience “Japanese Mountain Worship” and “Farm & Food Culture”: 3 Night Guided TourHakuba, Togakushi, Zenkoji Temple
Japan is often considered as a Buddhism country, however, the Japanese people have worshipped especially mountains in the nature from the ancient times to nowadays. The fusion of Shinto and Buddhism have been creating a unique culture, customs and foods in Japan. This tour will lead you into the precious experience of the traditional Japanese self-meditation and foods through a journey of following the ancient monk’s trails and staying at temples. During the farming experience in Hakuba, you will harvest rice and make your lunch by clay pot outside with local farmers. The guiding including local folktales and mythology will deepen your understanding and make your trip more impressive.
Local English-speaking tour guides in Nagano or a guide-interpreter and tour guide will attend this tour.
Features of this tour
- Lodging at a shukubo, where you can experience the life of a temple
- Shugyo experience (Shakyo, Asaji, etc.)
- Power Spot Trekking and Shrine Visitation
- Ninja experience at the Karakuri-yashiki
- ・Experiencing real rice harvesting at a farmhouse
- Glamping BBQ with full courses using local ingredients and prefectural wine
- Mountain bike tour with spectacular views and countryside scenery
Rice harvesting experience
Glamping BBQ with local ingredients
Mountain bike tour with spectacular views
Couse details
Duration 3 Nights 4 Days
| Day1 | 13：00 Meet-Up at JR Nagano Sta.・・・Approach to Zenkoji Temple・・・O-Kaidan Tour at Zenkoji (Approx. 1 hour）・・・Shakyo (Copying Buddhist scriptures) at Shukubo /Fuchi-no-bo, guests’ quarters in Zenkoji (Dinner/Shojin Kaiseki Cuisine) |
|---|---|
| Day2 | Shukubo・・・O-Asaji Morning Service at Zenkoji（Approx. 70 min.）・・・Breakfast (Shojin Cuisine）、Leave from Shukubo＝＝Trekking in Ancient Routes（5 shrine tour in Togakushi, Approx. 3 hours）・・・Lunch at Donguri House・・・Trekking in Ancient Routes（Approx. 2.5 hours）・・・Togakushi Ninja Museum, Togakushi Ninja Trick House＝＝＝17：20 Togakushi Chu-sha・・・ Oumeitei Tsuji Ryokan（ Dinner/Soba Kaiseki Cuisine） |
| Day3 | Breakfast, Leave at 8:00＝ Trekking in Shio-no-michi Trails・・・Lunch（Lunch Box）/Rice Harvest、Lunch（Cooking Outdoor）・・・Free Time・・・Dinner（Glamping & BBQ or Course meal of local ingredients）・・・Hakuba Mominoki Hotel |
| Day4 | Breakfast（Buffet）・・・８：15 Leave the hotel・・・8：30 Mountain Bike Tour in Hakuba＝＝＝12：30Lunch（Seasonal Dishes of Hakuba at Kappa-Tei）＝＝＝△：△Finish tour at the hotel or Hakuba Sta. |
（・・・by walk = = by bus or shuttle bus）
PLAN CONTENTS
Day 1
Zenkoji Temple（O-Kaidan Tour）
Meet up at JR Nagano Station and walk through the approach to Zenkoji Temple. Zenkoji Temple is one of the few temples which accept all branches of Buddhism because of its foundation history. You can join the unique tour called as “O-Kaidan Tour” which leads you to the completely dark corridor to gain enlightenment by finding a metal key hanging on the wall just beneath the sacred image
Shukubo (Guests’ Quarters) in Zenkoji（Shakyo Experience）
Shakyo (copying Buddhist scriptures) is one of the traditional training of monks. You will try writing the letters by brush.
Shukubo (Guests’ Quarters) in Zenkoji (Dinner, Stay）
Shojin Kaiseki Cuisine, the traditional Japanese meal of plentiful local ingredients, is served as dinner. The delicate subtle flavor and the beautiful arrangement will give you a great impression. You will stay for a night at Shukubo (Guests’ Quarters) and experience the atmosphere of monks’ training.
Day 2
Zenkoji Temple (O-Asaji Morning Service)
※Only applicants will join.
“O-Asaji (Morning Service)” is a solemn Buddhist ceremony held by all monks of Zenkoji every morning at sunrise. The traditional ceremony which is one of the training of monks will bring you precious experience and good fortune.
The start time will be changed by a minute depending on the sunrise. It will start at 5：30 in July and at 6:30 at the end of Oct. It will take 70 minutes.
Togakushi Shrine & Kodo Trails -A Sacred Place of Mountain Worship
Mt. Togakushi is famous as a sacred mountain in Japan. Togakushi Shrine is located in the foot and consists of Okusha, Chusha, Hokosha, Kuzuryusha and Hinomikosha. These 5 shrines are connected with Togakushi Kodo, a trail for worshipping, which has been visited frequently by worshippers. This area is also well known as a training place of Ninja inherited for over 800 years. Discover and feel the history and tranquil atmosphere in the sacred forest. You will also be able to collect the stamps (Rubbing) with your distributed stamp book while trekking.
＜Route＞
Hokosha→Hinomikosha→Chusha→Kagami-ike Pond→Lunch→Kagami-ike Pond→Approach to Okusha→Zuishin-mon Gate→Kuzuryusha→Okusha
Lunch: Galettes Made of Buckwheat Flour
Togakushi is famous as a Soba (Buckwheat) producing area. Enjoy the local fresh flavor of Buckwheat Galettes at Donguri House in quiet forests.
この列赤文字※Vegetarian foods are available to be served. Ask in advance.
Ninja Experience
After trekking Togakushi Kodo, you will visit Togakushi Ninja House and Ninja Trick House. The Ninja activities will enable you to catch a glimpse of its unique tradition and culture.
Oumeitei Tsuji Ryokan（Dinner & Stay）
The traditional meals popular in Togakushi will be served as dinner. Togakushi Soba is one of the best 3 famous Soba in Japan. Have a great time with special meals of Soba Kaiseki Cuisine made of local buckwheat in Nagano, the spring water of Togakushi and fresh local foods.
Day 3
＜Apr.～Sep.＞Sengoku Kaido -Walk the 600-year-old Trail with the Traditional Costume
Walk the old trails called as Shio-no-michi Kaido which has a history of 600 years. You will wear the traditional costumes of Shoiko (Backpack Carrier), Wara Gasa (Straw Umbrella) and Tanni (Short Robe) which were popular at that time. Hakuba has 2 faces; one is an important traffic point in ancient times and the other is a mountain resort area currently. The next destination after walking is the resort hotel on the highland in Hakuba.
A traditional lunch box will be served as lunch.
＜Course＞
Ochikura Nature Park→Hakuba Shinden-juku→Hirakawa Shrine→Kinagashi-gawa→Hakuba Mominoki Hotel
＜Sep.～Oct.＞Rice Harvest & Clay Pot Cooking with Local Farmers
Experience the rice harvest with local farmers at the foot of the Northern Alps in Hakuba. People have been doing farming along with the changes of the snow shapes remaining on the mountains traditionally in Hakuba. Some of mountains are named after their unique snow shapes (Mt. Shirouma, Mt. Jiigatake, etc.)
You will prepare and have lunch of the rice harvested here and cooked by clay pot with local vegetables.
※Vegetarian foods are available to be served. Ask in advance.
※In case of that this event gets cancelled for rain, the lecture of the traditional rice farming in Hakuba will be provided by local farmers.
Choose Your Dinner Style
You can choose your dinner from 2 choices; Barbeque with Glamping or Course Meals of Local Foods (Hakuba Tokyu Hotel).
Local wine of Nagano Pref. will make the amazing harmony with those meals.
※Course meals can be arranged for vegetarians. Ask in advance.
Day 4
Mountain Bike Tour: Find the Agricultural Culture in Hakuba
This mountain bike tour will take you on the journey to enjoy both the great mountainscape and pastoral landscape in Hakuba. At the small museum, you will find the history of skiing and mountains of Hakuba with the old tools. (Most of the course is flat or down-slope.)
＜Route＞
Hotel→Hosono Suwa Shrine→Ski and Mountain Museum→Mimizuku-no-yu→Cycling in the beautiful landscape→Green Sport Forest→Oide-no-tsuruhashi Bridge→JR Hakuba Sta. or Hotel
Other precautions
- This tour is a private group tour. The guestrooms may be arranged at your request.
There will be no extra fees on a request of 1 room for 2 people.
(Ex. If a group of 6 people includes a family of 4 people & a family of 2 people. A room for 4 people & a room for 2 people will be prepared.) - Only applicants will participate in O-Asaji Morning Service. The start time will be changed by a minute depending on the sunrise.
※July 5：30~、End of Oct. 6：30~ - This tour does not have any age limitations. However, the participants will be required to be able to cycle 10km for 4 hours by mountain bike and to ride on a 16 inches or bigger sized mountain bike.
- Prepare your own sturdy shoes for trekking. There will be no rental shoes at the tour.
- All of the contents of this tour can be held in rain. Only in case of stormy weather which causes a warning or emergency issue, part or all of the tour will be canceled. There will be no refunds in that case.
- Bring your drinks by yourself. No drinks will be served on tour including lunchtime.
- Day 3 is planned to be “Farming Experience” in September, however, it will be changed depending on the conditions of rice fields. Ask for the tour details for confirmation in advance.
- Helmet rental for mountain biking is included in the tour fees.
- The rental mountain bikes are offered in only the wheel size of 27.5×2.20. There are no rental bikes of the large-sized frame, however, the mountain bike course will not require extreme or technical riding.
For inquiries about this tour, please contact
Planning implementation company
Nagano Tourism Organization (Officially registered by Nagano Prefecture; No. 2-436)
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