Partners Information: SATOYAMA RUN in HIDA TAKAYAMA 2018

Sato means ‘homeland’ and yama means ‘mountain’. In the mountain villages of Takayama, locals live in harmony with nature. In the Satoyama Run in Hida Takayama, you can run through the beautiful countryside surrounded by the Japanese Alps! 

This October, I was lucky enough to spend 3 days on Yakushima, a small, circular island 135km south of Kagoshima city. Before going, I’d heard about some of the island’s more famous attractions, like the Shiratani Unsuikyo Gorge (made famous by the Studio Ghibli animated film, ‘Princess Mononoke’) and Jomon Sugi (an ancient cedar tree). 

Partners Information: Rice planting in beautiful rounded rice field!Rice planting season is coming. In Japan, only two rounded rice fields remain and one can be found in Takayama. These special rice fields were historically significant to the Shinto religion. View the rare spectacle of rice-planting in a rounded rice field!

Partners Information: From late May to early June, Eastern Hokkaido is blanketed in pink with beautiful shibazakura (pink moss). Take a day tour from Sapporo to see the shibazakura, blooming alongside tulips!

Partners Information: Enjoy a leisurely cycle through the Japanese countryside and admire the beauty of national parkland.Shinanomachi, a rural town of northern Nagano prefecture, offers rental bicycles and lots of summer activities such as camping, hiking, and water sports.