It seems like every other person I know is flying off to Japan. There are many reasons for this, but I think you can credit the strong US dollar as the leading reason for this surge in interest. Some friends plan on going for the spring cherry blossom season, while others are there now for the legendary powder skiing on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, where the nickname Japanuary is used to underline the island’s deep powder snow. Kyoto’s classic culture and architecture is also a major draw, as is the buzz of the country’s sprawling and joyously overstimulating capital, Tokyo.

For those who want to savor every moment and every step in this country, a walking tour is the way to go. You can walk in the footsteps of pilgrims or head out on wilderness nature trails that miraculously exist on an island chain that’s smaller than the state of California but contains 124.5 million people. Any walk can be an encounter with the intriguing culture, from food markets and Zen gardens to temples and tea houses. Given that travel in Japan can be challenging, especially due to the language, consider taking one of these guided tours.

MT Sobek

MT Sobek offers several trips in Japan, including a Japan Northern Honshu Lakes & Mountains Hiking Tour. A walk through the “Spiritual Landscapes from Tokyo & Nikko to Mount Hakkoda,” this itinerary explores Northern Honshu’s revered mountain destinations, filled with tradition, sandwiched between tours of contemporary Tokyo and the historic city of Nikko. Walkers go from Nikko National Park’s UNESCO-listed temples to the volcanic Hakkoda Mountains and Dewa Sanzan, home to sacred mountains, and to Shugendo’s holiest shrines. It’s a mix of walking along lakes and mountain streams, and then soaking away your cares at an onsen, a natural hot springs, with overnights in traditional ryokans. This 13-day trip is rated level 3 (out of 5) and the cost is $10,395 (land-only, based on double occupancy, as are all trips mentioned here).

Walk Japan

A leader in off-the-beaten-path tours of Japan, Walk Japan focuses solely on Japan and offers more than three dozen itineraries throughout the country, both guided and self-guided. They might be best known for pioneering a contemporary walk on the classic Nakasendo Way. Another one of their classic walks is The Tokaido Trail. This seven-day tour starts in Tokyo and finishes in Yuya Onsen, with accommodation in Japanese hotels and inns, both ryokan and minshukus, the latter typically run by local families. Rated level 3 (out of 6), Walk Japan’s calls the Tokaido “the greatest of Japan’s ancient highways.” It’s a journey through the heart of Japan’s history, culture and society. The Tokaido Road played “a significant role in the development of the nation that every Japanese person knows of it.” Tokaido means “Eastern Sea Road” and was chosen as the name for the world’s first bullet train. Once the primary transportation route through Japan, the Tokaido is literally a walk in the footsteps of emperors, samurais and shoguns. The seven-day walk is 400,000 Japan Yen, about $2,642 per person.

Backroads

Backroads offers an eight-day Japan Walking & Hiking Tour, which runs from the Japan Alps to Kyoto, packing in temples, historic mountain villages and Kamikochi National Park, one of the country’s most celebrated landscapes. It’s a chance to see Japan’s Northern Alps and stay in luxury ryokans. A walk highlight is exploring the Utsueshijuhatsu Falls trail. The trip includes a private sake tasting and brewery tour, soaking in onsen, and forest bathing in an old growth Japanese cedar forest. Walkers can explore the 17th- and 18th-century merchants’ houses and shops in Takayama’s old quarter and take a scenic journey to Kyoto aboard a bullet train. This trip is a mixture of luxury ryokans, such as Miyama Ouan, and luxurious western properties like Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto. The eight day trip is rated levels 1-3 (out of 5) and is priced from $9,699 per person.

Oku Japan

Oku Japan offers a range of self-guided and guided tours. Among the latter is Temples and Trails of Shikoku, which has an itinerary that includes the sacred Mount Kōya and walking on The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Trail, which has existed for more than 1,200 years and is still a living pilgrimage route, with pilgrims dressed in white. The full trail encircles Shikoku, Japan’s fourth-largest island, and connects 88 Buddhist temples, covering more than 600 miles. On the Oku Japan trip, walkers explore chosen sections of the trail. They also visit the Hirome Market in Kōchi, take an onsen bath at the historic Dōgo Onsen, and visit castles in Kōchi and Matsuyama. The 13-day trip is rated intermediate, and the cost is $5,175.

Wilderness Travels

The Japan: Temples, Treasures, and Teahouses walk from Wilderness Travels begins in Matsue on the northwest coast of the country, exploring the city’s 400-year-old feudal castle and the samurai houses around it. The trip’s itinerary includes Kinosaki Onsen, a traditional hot springs town that exudes the culture of old Japan. There is an exploration of the gardens and temples of Kyoto, and then a walk in Takayama in the Japan Alps, at a seasonal festival that celebrates the arrival of cherry blossoms in spring and the colorful fall foliage in autumn. It’s a trip punctuated with artisan visits, onsen baths, and culinary exploration. Rated Level 2 (out of 5), the trip is 14 days and is priced from $10,995 per person.



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