Newsletter: Autumn 2024
25th Oct 2024
New Tour
Onsen Gastronomy: Noto
We are very pleased to announce the Onsen Gastronomy: Noto tour, which takes us to a peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Situated on Japan's northern coast and surrounded by the Sea of Japan, this is a gorgeous region and we had long wanted to provide tours here, but were finally spurred into action for a very poignant reason, a call for help.
Noto has long drawn visitors eager for its attractive countryside, local cuisine, onsen hot springs and fine crafts epitomised by Wajima lacquerware. However, on New Year’s Day 2024 life here suddenly came to all but a grinding halt when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck a few kilometres offshore, rattling the whole peninsula. The damage was severe leaving hundreds of buildings collapsed in on themselves or toppled over, roads made impassable by landslips, essential services such as water and electricity supplies severed, and hospitals left unusable. Immediately, images of the aftermath brought Noto to world attention.
Although progress has been made in addressing the damage, the recovery will still take many years to complete, which, in the meantime, is leaving the locals in a state of semi-limbo. The call to help came from a local, multi-agency activist group asking us to visit mid-summer to see what we could do. The urgency for action was quickly apparent and, seeing the great potential amongst the disruption, we have worked quickly to create this five-day onsen gastronomy tour.
Kaho, a Walk Japan colleague, who hails from Noto and experienced the earthquake first-hand while at home celebrating the new year with her family, has been central to the tour’s development. Her vigour and forward-looking spirit reflects the wider community’s determination to rebuild their lives and once again welcome visitors as soon as possible to the peninsula. Whilst the aftermath is in part necessarily an unavoidable element of the tour, the emphasis is very much on the positive; the spirited, resilient and welcoming locals, their society, food and craft, the wonderful accommodation and restaurants that have reopened but need guests more than ever, enjoyable walking, and, of course, the reviving and healing properties of onsen hot spring bathing.
For further details please see our website or contact us.
Visiting Professorship
Recently, Paul, our CEO, began his tenure in earnest as Visiting Professor at the Ritsumeikan University Business School (Japanese only) when thirteen students studying for MBAs on the institution’s Tourism Management program plus senior academic staff visited us on the Kunisaki Peninsula. Over three days of intensive study led by Paul, the students delved into Walk Japan's success in pioneering walking tours in Japan, the company’s operation, working environment and the philosophy that underpins that, and engagement with locals throughout Japan especially through our Community Project.
But it was not all desk work. We also went on a half-day guided walk up hill and down dale in the beautiful surrounding countryside to drop in on Koumori-tei, one of our local offices, and Etchan, our great friend and supporter in the neighbourhood. To provide a thorough experience for the students, Paul drafted in Mihoko Christie, his wife and the Representative Managing Director of our Japanese company, The Japan Travel Company, and Mario Anton, one of Walk Japan’s veteran Tour Leaders.
Throughout, the students were very inquisitive and engaged in a wide ranging dialogue, which also provided us with the opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved to date and how we can grow our business over the years to come.
Each evening, everyone decamped to a restaurant for dinner before joining Paul in one of his favourite activities to round a night off, singing karaoke!
We are looking forward to the results of the students' studies and research due at the end of September.
Community Project Update
Our Community Project has several core elements that help infuse a rural area on the Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture with vitality and provide it with a viable future. These include farming, forestry, the restoration of degraded natural environments, care of public parks, and the provision of employment. It also includes the restoration of akiya disused properties as homes, offices, classrooms, and visitor accommodation.
Japan is awash with disused buildings; mainly the result of the nation’s declining population. We were early to realise the opportunities, but now many others, both Japanese and non-Japanese, are following suit including fellow staff at Walk Japan.
In our June 2021 newsletter, we introduced some of our colleagues’ akiya projects. Recently, we checked in on some of them and their progress. Additionally, we learned about an unused property recently bought by another colleague and his plans for its transformation.
Mario
In late 2021, Mario and his wife, Sari, completed their home, a substantial rural property in Kunisaki, which they had transformed over the previous 12 months. They then set their sights on a disused lumber mill a short distance away to create Momokusa, a cafe they opened in autumn 2023.
Momokusa, which translates as ‘many, diverse and varied’, quickly gained popularity for its lunches, cakes and herbal cordials using only organically-grown and locally-sourced ingredients. Visitors also seek out Sari’s SUIGEN brand of handcrafted botanical products, which includes aromatic mists and teas, that are available here.
A wall of glass distinguishes Momokusa from afar and allows the interior to be bathed in a serene natural light. It also frames grandstand views of the beautiful surrounding countryside for those within.
Ben
Ben and his wife used the pandemic to focus on completing the renovation of their 100 year-old rural property in Nagasaki Prefecture. They were especially delighted with the installation of a wood burning stove to help see them comfortably through the winter months. Since then, a large portion of their time and effort has gone into reclaiming the traditional Japanese garden surrounding their home from its semi-abandoned wild state. They have recreated its orginal design, and added a vegetable patch and compost heap.
With a lot of the hard graft over, Ben is now indulging his passions for making and restoring furniture, collecting antiques, making pottery using clay sourced from their garden, and cooking.
His efforts have turned a house into a home, where Ben works remotely for Walk Japan while his wife holds ikebana flower arranging and sado tea ceremony classes.
Andrew
After moving to Kunisaki from Kagoshima in 2023, Andrew set about searching for his own akiya on the peninsula.
In spring 2024, he found what he was looking for; an old farmhouse in faded but good condition, surrounded by paddy fields in a quiet rural valley.
Renovations start on the house in autumn 2024, which once completed, will be followed by the work on the adjacent barn to turn it into guest accommodation. Andrew’s plans also include the restoration of the property’s traditional rock garden and the addition of a vegetable plot.
His efforts will provide another focal point of interest to complement Momokusa (See Mario above) and a craft bakery, which has been established in a disused school building. Both are within a short walking distance and together will further stimulate revival in the locality.
In the World's Press
Luxury Travel
Travel writer Jocelyn Pride beautifully describes her culinary adventure with us on the Onsen Gastronomy: Oita & Kumamoto tour.
SMH
The Sydney Morning Herald featured our Self-Guided Basho Wayfarer in its bucket list of the world’s 10 greatest adventure holidays.
Organic Spa
Lisa Loverro chats with our CEO, Paul Christie, about pilgrimages, walking tours and the increasing popularity of both.
Robb Report
Our Nakasendo Way was highlighted in the Robb Report’s list of 17 Luxe Travel Destinations inspired by best selling literature.
Walk Japan on Tour Near You
Soon Walk Japan will be on the road again, on Tour Near You. In December 2024, we are visiting Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New Zealand and several Australian cities and will be delighted to meet anyone who has booked a tour with us, is considering doing so, or is just inquisitive about our company and our tours. Of course, we will also be very happy to meet anyone who has joined us previously on tour.
Please click the button below to book your appointment with us. If you cannot find a suitable time, please contact us and we will do our best to meet you.
