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ExcursionKiso Yojo in Winter

2 days/1 nightPrivate Wellness Journey

Experience Narai-juku’s Seasonal Tradition of Rejuvenation

In the deep cold of winter, Narai-juku rests silent beside the river. Snow caps its rows of wooden shops and homes. The scent of the forest, the source of the valley’s healing herbs, fills the crisp morning air. From somewhere nearby, Buddhist chanting echoes in the stillness.

Winter is a time of rest, when people return to the rhythms of nature and reconnect with who we are.

Kiso Yojo in Winter is a private wellness journey that invites you to experience yojo, an ancient practice of restorative care that lives on in Kiso tradition. This knowledge still helps people here live healthy, joyful lives. While exploring historic Narai-juku and nearby Kiso Valley sites with an English-speaking guide, you’ll meet local caretakers passing the tradition of yojo along to the next generation.

Kiso’s culinary culture and traditional medicine, both gifts of the surrounding mountains, are at the heart of yojo. At Hino Seiyaku, an herbal medicine shop, you’ll learn about time-honored remedies in local life, as well as the importance of sacred Mt. Ontake in their creation.

The cuisine we eat in this season, including preserved delicacies and wild game, reflects the region’s harsh winter conditions. In the evening, you’ll enjoy a hearth-side dinner of seasonal Kiso fare. This menu was developed exclusively for this tour by Zaiyu Hasegawa of Den, which was named Asia’s Best Restaurant in 2022.

We look forward to welcoming you to Kiso in winter so you can experience the rejuvenation of our local yojo tradition for yourself.

Bask in the silence
of the winter mountains

A trip to return
to yourself

Receiving life,
thanking nature

Open yourself to
the gifts of the land

Heated stones
warming
your palms

Inhale the scent
of the mountains

One cup
to soothe you
to the core

Meet locals living
close to nature

Sacred Mt. Ontake
peeks through the clouds

Sip hot tea prepared
on the spot
from Kiso herbs

Age-old wisdom:
food culture and
traditional medicine

Warm yourself by
the traditional hearth

The sound
of wild game
sizzling over the coals

Silent but for the crunch
of footsteps on the snow

Buddhist chanting
stirs the pre-dawn air

Bask in the silence
of the winter mountains

A trip to return
to yourself

Receiving life,
thanking nature

Open yourself to
the gifts of the land

Heated stones
warming
your palms

Inhale the scent
of the mountains

One cup
to soothe you
to the core

Meet locals living
close to nature

Sacred Mt. Ontake
peeks through the clouds

Sip hot tea prepared
on the spot
from Kiso herbs

Age-old wisdom:
food culture and
traditional medicine

Warm yourself by
the traditional hearth

The sound
of wild game
sizzling over the coals

Silent but for the crunch
of footsteps on the snow

Buddhist chanting
stirs the pre-dawn air

Information

Number of participants

2–4 guests | Private tour, exclusively for your group
Access

Includes private car transfer from Hakuba or Matsumoto.

An English-speaking guide will accompany you.
Tour price

Varies according to where you leave from, number of participants, and details of your stay at BYAKU Narai.
Inquiries

Please contact us for availability on your preferred dates, accommodation options, pricing, and other details. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.
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