After more than a decade of working with the local community, in 2019 Oku Japan became the first and only tour operator to open a branch office in the Nakasendo post-town of Tsumago.
While there is a plethora of rules connected to Japanese cuisine, the truth of the matter is that they have become quite relaxed over the years as foreign cuisine started to mix with mainstream culture.
The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, and the Kumano Kodo, are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites because of their cultural and historical significance. In fact, these two pilgrimage routes are the only ones with UNESCO status in the world.
The white-clad figures that pop up frequently during a search about the famous Shikoku 88 pilgrimage have an official name. They are called Ohenro. It is not an exclusive term - anyone can become one when walking the trail.
In March and April, cherry blossom mania begins - forecasts as to when and where the blooms will appear first and when they will peak make the morning weather reports. Sakura -flavored items make their way into restaurant menus, coffee shops, and supermarkets.
The bridge to Okunoin serves as a boundary between worlds, and the cedar trees lining the path seem to open a barrier that welcomes you into the spirit world.
I don’t consider myself a particularly religious person following any specific devout path and surprisingly, such feelings are shared with a lot of Japanese people as well.
Japan is a country that is very friendly towards solo travellers. Historically, people walked trails by themselves as wandering merchants, ronin (‘masterless samurai’) or religious pilgrims.
While there are other notable towns along this legendary route, one of the most memorable aspects of a visit to this area is the human connection made with the local residents.
