Ideas for walkers
3 nights
Take some time out and reset your body and soul in the middle of the Kumano region.
Day 1
Take the Kuroshio train to Kii-Tanabe Station. If you arrive on the 13:36 or 14:31 train, you’ll be met at the station for your shuttle up to Ryunohara Hatago. We’ll stop at the supermarket so that you can get some groceries for your lunches here. The ride from the station to the Hatago takes about 70 minutes.
Check in at Ryunohara Hatago. You’ll get a welcome drink and a tour of the house. If you booked dinner, that will be served at the main house a short walk downstairs. Dinner is served at 6pm, 6:30pm or 7pm, as per your request.
Day 2
Take a walk into the forest for a spot of meditation, and meet the goats. Breakfast is served at 8am, 8:30am, 9am, or 9:30am as per your request. We serve breakfast on the engawa (open veranda) in the spring to autumn, and will arm you with chicken feed to distract the chickens. If you prefer to sit indoors away from the marauding chickens, just let us know!
After breakfast you might want to help us out in the vegetable garden, water the rice saplings (May), help with the rice transplant (first week of June and last week of June), or with the rice harvest (late September). You could also take a short 45-minute walk or a longer 100-minute walk around the area with the help of this map.
Make your own lunch, supplemented with vegetables and eggs made here in Ryunohara (while stocks last). The Hatago is stocked with Ryunohara-grown rice.
Spend the afternoon reading in the Hatago, main house, or take one of the books in the Hatago library down to the river. Alternatively, participate in waterfall meditation at a waterfall a 30-minute drive away (paid option, ¥6,000/group), or make tea with Lee if it’s late April-mid-May (paid option: ¥7,000/person, 1 participant minimum).
You might want to take a dip in Ryujin Onsen’s silky-smooth waters, famous for healing skin dry from the winter air, or burnt in the summer sun. We can give you a complimentary ride there. Tickets for the onsen are ¥800 per person, and the scrubbing towel costs ¥200.
Day 3
If you’re travelling as a group of 3 or 4, take Mr Okuno’s Washi Paper Workshop (¥7,000/person, minimum of 3 participants), or Negi-chan’s Dyeing Workshop (¥8,000, minimum of 3 participants).
Alternatively, go for a hike! Lee will take you to 6 secluded waterfalls and for tea outdoors on a Tour of Hyakkenzan Nature Reserve (¥30,000/group).
Or… Spend the day by the Hidakagawa River. Take one or both of our stand-up paddle boards (SUPs) down to the river, and float down the river. There’s never a better time to make yourself a sandwich and have lunch on the rocks. Portable gas stove, kettle, and cups available for loan if you’d like to make tea or coffee.
Day 4
Bid goodbye to the chickens and goats after breakfast. Check out time is 10am. We’ll drive you to Kii-Tanabe Station for your ride onwards to your next destination.
