Mountain spirits, quiet forests, restful hot springs, and deeply respected fields and lakes. Our Reverence trip to Japan is not a checklist of sights to see, but rather a gentle invitation to be truly present.
With our trips, we aim to spark your sense of wonder by offering the gift of presence. The adventures we seek prioritize wellbeing at every level. We move slowly to savor the quality that is in the food, nature, people, and their way of living.
To share more would give away some of the most important elements of this trip, and we’d rather you to join and experience it yourself. But after three days, we finally broke our silence and celebrated our Yamabushi training with an abundant and delicious feast that the Yamabushi provided for us. As we ate, we shared about our experience and got to know each other on a deeper level. Having skipped past any chance for small talk, diving right in after this spiritually-charged experience led us closer to the core of one another.
After traveling with us to Japan on the Reverence trip, Nicole discussed the “life-changing travel magic” that she experienced during the experience:
“This experience felt life-changing. The way the tour was organized provided the building blocks for me to understand Japan (and myself) in a way that was encouraging but also a bit challenging. I appreciate the extreme thoughtfulness with which the journey was designed. It felt spacious, focused, and fun.“
When we were in Japan, we asked our hosts, what does reverence for nature mean to you?
Takeharo Kato Yamabushi replied:
“We, the Haguro Yamabushi, perceive nature as follows. We imbue this understanding into our daily prayers, making it a part of our everyday lives. It is something that supports our existence, bringing us blessings. At the same time, it is something that threatens our existence, taking lives away. It is where we ourselves, as well as the spirits of our ancestors, return. We are part of nature itself. In essence, we perceive nature as something beyond human wisdom, and as we practice our ascetic disciplines, we seek to open ourselves to this transcendent existence. In our daily prayers, we pray for:
The peace and tranquility of the divine beings beyond human wisdom
Peace and harmony throughout the world
The orderly progression of the wind and rain
A bountiful harvest
The joy and happiness of all people
A world without war
And also,
The peaceful repose of those who have lost their lives in natural disasters, and the swift recovery of affected regions
Our prayers reflect our reverence towards nature.”
We are returning to Japan for another exploration of Reverence in October 2026. There are many beautiful experiences we have woven into this trip, and we’ve only given you a glimpse of it here. Please join us for further explorations of spirituality in nature, mindfulness, onsen baths, hikes in protected forests, and of course the most beautifully prepared Japanese meals prepared from the local abundance of our hosts and their communities. To learn more and reserve your spot, send an email to info@hinokitravels.com
