Getting to Okumikawa
Find us between Tokyo and Nagoya, just off the Tokaido Shinkansen, with one of Japan's best countryside rail lines to reach the mountains. From Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka roughly 2-4 hours by train. We recommend at least 2 nights in the hot springs of Yuyaonsen village when you visit.
Our guided tours
It's easy to miss the fine details that turn a holiday into an experience without a local guide.
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Custom guided tour
Learn moreOur flexible custom guided tours can give you the best of our area has to offer, tailored to what you want to see. This is our most popular type of tour.
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Explore Sacred Mt. Horaiji Guided Tour
Learn moreThis half day hiking tour explores the best of our local sacred mountain without needing a car. Scale the 1,425 stone steps and experience its rich nature and cultural history.
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Atera Countryside Life Guided Tour
Learn moreSpend half a day with us in our famously beautiful village, where you can experience a real slice of countryside life that you can’t get at any tourist spot, with gohei mochi making and a green tea ceremony. A rare chance to spend time in a mountain village!
Experiences and workshops
Okumikawa has experiences for those looking for something special and full of local character.
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Local tea farm tour with tasting session
Learn moreMeet a friendly local tea farmer and taste a range of Japanese tea on this exclusive experience at a working tea farm.
This experience includes a tour around a tea field and the machinery for producing tea, followed by a tasting session. Try the flavours possible from Japanese tea leaves and become a bit of an expert! There's also the opportunity to buy tea directly from the farmer.
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Mountain monk (Yamabushi) horn experience
Learn moreMake your own bamboo horn and try a real conch shell horn on this unique experience with mountain monks at the base of Mt. Horaiji.
This is a great experience to add to a custom tour of Mt. Horaiji to really get into its culture.
This experience is available only when some of the Yamabushi are available, so it's best to book well in advance.
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Simple+ sericite soap making workshops
Booking requestMake your own soap using local ingredients in a beautiful valley of Toei town! Sericite is a unique mineral used in high-end cosmetics, and the only mine in Japan is in Toei.
Sericite helps to make soap very smooth and effective for cleaning your face. It's also said to help make skin more smooth and feel more bright.
Price from ¥5,000 per guest.
Model Itineraries
Get a head start on planning your trip to Okumikawa with these flexible model itineraries.
Each model itinerary is a sample that you can adjust as you need, with guided tours, experiences, accommodation, food, and attractions that you can swap out as you like.
Attractions and events
We have hidden gems and incredible events that are made even more special on a tour.
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Yuyaonsen Hanamatsuri - a perfect introduction to this unique mountain ceremony
Learn moreHanamatsuri has history going back over 700 years, and only happens in the area deep in the mountains of Okumikawa, Hanamatsuri is a National Significant Intangible Folk Culture Asset rich in cultural and spiritualhistory.
This ceremony is a perfect way to experience Hanamatsuri for the first time and get to know deep mountain spirituality.
Event dates: Each Saturday in February (cancelled when raining)
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Mt. Horaiji Dengaku - a historic and very local prayer ceremony
Request for a tourDengaku ceremonies around Japan pray to Gods for harvest, luck, and many other things. Each dengaku is special and has its own atmosphere depending on the locals and the history.
The Mt. Horaiji Dengaku is a Designated Cultural Asset, with origins from 800+ years ago, and many dances and ceremonies performed by locals. Will you be lucky and catch the arrow fired at the mountain?
Event date: 3rd Jan each year
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Shitaragahara Battlefield and museum
Request for a tourAfter Nagashino Castle was besieged, the call for help from Torii Suneemon brought the three most important samurai in Japan's history to this battlefield where they decimated a powerful and feared army in the first 'modern' battle in Japan's history, with the use of new tactics.
On the site of the battlefield you can see recreations of the cavalry-blocking fences, and feel the scale of the battle.
Food and drink
Enjoy our local flavours and local hospitality while you're on a tour.
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"Meat Craftsman" Kadoya Spoon
Request for a tourA true gem of the area, this restaurant's friendly owner/chef takes his selection of meat and dishes very seriously. The food at this restaurant is so good it has changed our standards forever.
The chef loves to focus on local ingredients and it really makes each dish special! He also loves to use deer and wild boar in seasonal dishes - a must try.
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Kasasugi Restaurant
Request for a tourThis classic restaurant on the main temple street at Mt. Horaiji serves amazing meals big and small, with local specialities and seasonal dishes. It's the perfect spot for lunch on a leisurely day around Mt. Horaiji.
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Horaikan Cafe
Request for a tourThis cafe is like time travel to the 1920's in Japan, where Japanese tradition was blending with Western styles. The building is like a museum, filled with amazing antiques.
Their siphon coffee is their speciality, with great deserts to match, all served on incredibly intricate vintage ceramics.
Accommodation
Enjoy the quiet atmosphere and incredible nature from one of the inns or guesthouses in Okumikawa on a package tour.
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Hazu Ki Ryokan
Request for a tourRight on the river in Yuyaonsen next to Mt. Horaiji, Hazu Ki is a luxury ryokan serving unique Chinese medicinal herb meals. Mt. Horaiji was known for these herbs, making this a fitting place to enjoy the great food and hot spring baths by the river. Incredible atmospheric rooms and great service.
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Hisago Ryokan
Request for a tourHisago in Yuyaonsen is right on the river, and the private outdoor bath is great for people who aren't too keen on public onsen baths. Simple and traditional, family run. The traditional style food at Hisago is incredible, but some breakfast-only or no meal plans may be available.
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Hoo! Hoo! Guesthouse
Request for a tourA popular guesthouse with a modern feel at Yuyaonsen, right on the river. The private baths here are the favourite of some of our guests. Hoo! Hoo! is great if you're looking for something more flexible, you can even rent a BBQ.
