Mountain Spirits Tohoku

The Michinoku Coast was our third trip with Oku Japan. The routes, plans and accommodations are excellent on this trip as well as the others and if you do this hiking tour ask to stay an extra day at Jodogahama Park Hotel the setting is fabulous as are the accommodations.

Oku Japan exceeded our expectations for our 5-day Kumano Kodo hike with efficient organization and communication from start to finish Logistics were flawless, with timely delivery of maps, tickets, and seamless luggage transfers. Accommodations were unique and exceptional, notably Sakura no sono for exceptional hosts and delicious food and Hotel Urashima with stunning Pacific views. The Kumano Kodo trail itself was breathtakingly beautiful and tranquil. However, our third day turned out adventurous by heavy rain and flash floods. When we reached out to Oku Japan's emergency support team they responded promptly and efficiently, arranging for a taxi to pick us up and ensuring our safety. Throughout our journey, we were struck by Japan's remarkable efficiency, honesty, and helpfulness. Language barriers were easily overcome with Google Translate, making our experience even smoother. Overall, Oku Japan's expertise and dedication made our Kumano Kodo adventure truly unforgettable. We highly recommend their services to anyone seeking an exceptional Japanese hiking experience.

We booked our self-guided Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trip Oku Japan. The experience was top notch from beginning to end. The information packet was thorough and helpful, and details regarding trains and local buses (timetables, pricing, etc) were consistently accurate. Each and every accommodation was unique, charming, and welcoming. When there was an issue checking into our final hotel, the local office was quick to respond and the problem was solved within the hour (it was also a Sunday, so extra points). We weren’t expecting this to be a gourmet food tour of the region, but it was that as well! On top of it all, we found the price very reasonable for everything that is included. We had a wonderful experience thanks to Oku Japan, and would certainly travel with them again.

first time doing a solo trip and signed up with Oku for the experience. email responses before the tour were really fast. the tour was great, bringing me to spots with I really enjoyed exploring! the directions provided were mostly accurate and helped me a lot in navigating my way. transport arrangements were made for some spots which are hard to get to. As a solo traveler, I had to pay supplements (which was expected). I also opted to do luggage forwarding and no issues at all! the accommodations chosen were clean, comfortable, food (especially dinner) was wonderful! Will definitely sign up for other tours offered by Oku!

We completed the 7 day Michinoku Coastal walk with Oku in September and we had a wonderful experience from the initial inquiry to completion of the walk. Oku provide an exceptional service and support, they handled our complex dietary requirements (coeliac & pescatarian) without difficulty. The walk itself was fantastic, a great variety of walking conditions through small towns and amazing scenery. The accommodation ranged from small family run Minshukus to luxury hotels, every day was an adventure, highly recommended.

We did a 6 day self-guided tour of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail with Oku Japan. The booking experience was seemless; the employee we were dealing with was exceptionally helpful and informative. The materials that we received for the tour were excellent and contained all of the information that we needed. We definitely got the sense that Oku Japan would have gone out of their way to help us if we encountered any issues on our route. The trail itself was beautiful and we loved every minute of it!

We were hiking parts of the Kumano Kodō (Kiiji & Nakahechi route) in December 2023 and booked a self-guided tour through Oku Japan. This was an excellent decision. They are reliable experts in off-the-beaten-tracks and pioneered the idea of self-guided hikes in Japan. In particular we liked that Oku Japan works with local communities, so we experienced true Japanese hospitality. A big thank you for a fantastic experience of the ancient Kumano Kodō – especially to Alessia!

We had a fantastic trip on the Nakasendo 5-day self guided tour. The accommodations were superb. Great meals. All the trains were arranged which made it so easy. We just needed to show up and start hiking. We even saw a bear, monkey, some nice snakes and a goat/antelope. The forest was beautiful and the rural towns fantastic. The small agricultural plots were particularly wonderful to see.

We absolutely loved all aspects of the Oku tour. We selected the self-guided Nakasendo trail 5 day tour and it was fabulous. Oku set us up for success and incredible memories. We especially appreciated their advance support and answering all of our questions.

Our self guided walk on the Kumano Kodo was a great success and only involved two rainy days. The directions were generally accurate (with occasional ambiguity) and the B&Bs were all adequate and in some cases much more than adequate. It was a very pleasant introduction to Japanese culture and food - most of which was delicious and beautifully presented. The Hotel in Osaka was perfectly positioned (Marriott Courtyard at Shing Osaka Station). I think the grading of the walk was quite difficult, especially the last day, with ascents and descents over 800m - as it was also pouring with rain we chose to omit that day due to the danger of slipping and injuring ourselves on the downward journey. There were also leeches - which perhaps should have been mentioned in the notes. The Urashima Hotel in Kii-Katsuura was quite bizarre - a James Bond Peninsula for mass tourism - but an amazing experience on our last night ! The Takkyubin service was superb as was the advice and help we received in the OKU office in Chikatsuyu. We will certainly think of returning to Japan with OKU - and will recommend OKU to our friends. Thank you .