Arriving in Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, you will be transported to your quaint temple lodging nestled among the forested pine slopes of Mount Koya. This sacred mountain is the birthplace of the mystical Shingon Buddhism in Japan. 

Late afternoon, you will be joined by a temple monk to practice Ajikan meditation. Allow yourself to gradually enter a state of rhythmic breathing to purify your minds before concluding with a healthy dinner of Shojin Ryori, handed down through the generations with its mindful ingredient selection of seasonal vegetables and edible wild plants. 

Let us take you on a “forest bathing” experience along the scenic Kohechi trail, framed with ancient 500-year-old cedars and towering deciduous trees with colourful foliage—bright green in spring and deep red in autumn. The walk spans 7.5km from Hosshinmon Gate to Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine, taking approximately 3 hours in total. 

After an active walk along the pristine forest, slow down in the afternoon with a relaxing dip on your onsen. Blessed with alkaline thermal spring, the onsen in Kawayu is known to carry health benefits in soothing nerve pain and diabetes. 

Dive deeper into the heart of Japan’s spiritual home as you visit the country’s holiest Shinto shrine: the 2000-year-old Ise Jingu. Thereafter, you will have the opportunity for a seafood lunch with an ama on a diver’s hut. Gain priceless insights into the life of an ama, the ancient female free-divers who make their living by collecting pearls, shellfishes, sea urchins and seaweeds from the seabed.