Villages to Sacred Peaks / Explore the Heart of the Japan alps

In the mountainous regions of Japan, since ancient times, the mountains near villages where people live, cut timber, and use the land for gathering and hunting have been called “satoyama,” and the mountains far away, which people cannot easily approach, are called “okuyama,” and have been revered as sacred places where the gods reside.

For Japanese people, the origin of their spirituality, or in other words, the origin of their faith, can be traced back to the mountains themselves, the rocks, water, and trees in the mountains, which have been worshipped as the gods of the eight million. Norikura-dake, located in the southern part of the North Alps, was a sacred mountain that was worshipped as a deity in the human settlements of Takayama and Matsumoto long ago.

The first leg of “The Japan Alps Tour” will be centered on Norikura-dake, and will take visitors from the villages to the mountains and into the backcountry to see the cultural and natural sights that are representative of Japan. This is an adventure tour along the Kita Alps Traverse Route between Matsumoto and Takayama, which is now attracting worldwide attention.
Norikura is a popular tourist area that is home to alpine flora and numerous wild animals.

Model Itinerary

Day 1
Takayama：Enjoy the quaint town at the foot of the Japan Alps.
Day 2
Meditation in Hida Senko-ji temple followed by
a deep venture into Okuyama of the Japan Alps.
Day 3
The Goraiko viewing tour.
Hiking in the Japan Alps to Mt. Norikura Ken-gami.
And observing the RAICHO @ Norikura Tatami-daira.
Decend to Matsumoto

Day 1

We will guide you through the traditional old streets of Takayama.

You will find human village life and culture in the mountainous region of Japan in an area where the streets themselves are like a museum.

In the evening, you will taste the traditional cuisine of the area and hear stories from the locals about the traditions of Takayama and the Japanese spirituality that leads to Norikura.

Takayama is the home of Wagyu brand Hida beef. The Japanese style steak with Hoba miso is excellent.

Vegan vegetarian cuisine(Shojin-kaiseki-ryori ) is recommended for vegans.

Accommodations include traditional Japanese machiya-style villas or ryokan (Japanese-style inns) with hot spring baths.

Mountain of Worship,
Bird of the Gods

Day 2

Reset yourself in meditation @Senko-ji Temple

In Japan, purification is performed before entering the mountains. We reset and purify ourselves through meditation. We then go to the Norikura mountains with a fresh mind and a new spirit.
The temple high priest will lead the meditation for everyone on the tour.

The Method of the Clinical Meditation

Senkoji Temple in Hida Province is an ancient temple that was opened as a place of prayer for ancient beliefs by Ryomen-Sukuna, a powerful Hida family in the reign of Emperor Nintoku 1,600 years ago, and was built as a Buddhist temple about 1,200 years ago by Prince Shinnyo (one of the ten great disciples of Kobo Daishi).

Senko-ji Temple is famous as the temple where monk and Buddhist sculptor
Enku, a Buddhist monk and sculptor of Buddhist statues, stayed at for a long time during the Edo period (1603-1868).
Enku is said to have carved 120,000 Buddhist statues during his lifetime, and Senko-ji Temple is also home to many of Enku’s sculptures, which are open to the public. A temple official will give an explanation of the temple.

Early in the morning, the resident priest will perform KAJI-KITO, the blessing prayer for the safety of the Norikura mountain trek and for an encounter with Raicho.

After experiencing meditation and prayer at Senkoji Temple, we will finally head for Mt. Norikura by cab and take a special road to Tatamidaira at an altitude of 2,700 meters.

Japanese Mountain Hut Lodging Experience

Tonight’s lodging is at Norikura Hakuunso, a mountain hut at 2,700 meters elevation. It will be an unforgettable night with a spectacular view.

Day 3

The morning of the third day begins with the Goraiko（ sunrise view from the top of the mountain ) over the sea of clouds in the Japan Alps.

Hiking in the Japan Alps You can enjoy nature in all four seasons.

We drove to Tatami-daira, the base of the Norikura mountains, and from there hiked for about two or three hours to Ken-gamine, the highest peak of the Norikura mountains in the Japan Alps, at an elevation of 3026 meters. If the weather is fine, you will be able to see a far-reaching view of the Japan Alps.

On the summit of the mountain, the ancient Norikura faith mountain deity is enshrined.

The highlight of the trip will be a tour in search of Raicho amidst the spectacular scenery of the Japan Alps. If you are lucky enough to encounter the Rock Ptarmigan：Raicho, you will feel a strong desire to protect this natural treasure yourself.

History and Conservation of the
Japanese Rock Ptarmigan

The ultimate goal of this trip is to pay a visit to Matsumoto Castle.
We will guide you to Matsumoto Castle and other hidden places in the castle town.