Clear your mind with a zen meditation experience. Located in a quiet residential area, Sotokuji is a "temple that lives in the community". The friendly head priest will warmly welcome you. Zen meditation can help calm your mind and body, release you from stress and worries, and aid self-reflection.
With wasabi fields located just outside the city, wasabi is a very familiar food for the local population. Participants are granted special permission walk among the manicured, spring fed gravel beds, usually only accessible to farmers. Here you can harvest the freshest wasabi possible. (Each group will receive a souvenir wasabi root!)
A local flavor that can only be experienced here, genuine freshly harvested wasabi has a sweet and spicy taste that pairs exceptionally with locally prepared soba noodles and Shinshu-salmon sashimi.
Tour Price
Seiryu-no-Sato gastronomy tour & zen meditation experience at a 'temple that lives in the community'.
- per person
- 99,800 yen (tax included)
*Participants must be at leat 18 years of age.
Plan Details
| Included Experiences | Zen meditation experience, Sutra copying experience, Soba noodle making experience, Wasabi field visit, Wasabi harvesting experience, Shinshu Salmon farm visit, Shinshu Salmon Tasting |
|---|
| Dates | Year Round |
|---|---|
| Unavailable Dates | Saturdays, Sundays & National Holidays |
| Included in the Tour Price | Accommodation (1 night), English Speaking Guide, Insurance, Hotel transfers, Breakfast (x1), Lunch (x2), Dinner (x1), Zen meditation experience, Sutra copying experience. Day 2: Soba noodle making experience, Bicycle rental, Wasabi harvesting experience (one member per group can harvest a single wasabi root), Shinshu salmon tasting |
| Minimum Participants | 2 people |
| Maximum Participants | 10 people |
| Operating Company | OGS Local Trip (Office Global Support) |
| Licensed tour conductor | None (tours are led by unaccredited, English-speaking guides) |
| Start Time | 11:00 |
| Duration | 2 days |
| Reservation Deadline | 7 days before tour |
| Payment Method | Cash Payment in person / Credit Card (online booking site) |
Tour Itinery
| Day 1 | 10:30 Hotaka Station ……… 11:00 Sotokuji Temple zen meditation experience ……… 12:00 Vegetarian lunch ……… (on foot) ※By car if raining. |
|---|---|
| Day 2 | Breakfast at hotel. 9:20 ……… (on foot) ※By car if raining. |
Meeting Place
Hotaka Station (JR Oito Line)
Please Note
・All activities will be held rain or shine（By car if raining.）
・Please consider appropriate clothing to enter the wasabi field and harvest wasabi.
・Waterproof boots will be provided for entering the wasabi field.
Cancellation Fee
- 2-7 days before the tour
- 30％
- Day before tour
- 50％
- Day of Tour
- 100％
Company Responsible for Planning & Implementation
Office Global Support Co., Ltd.
Regional Travel Agency (Nagano Prefecture Governor Registered Travel Agency Region No. 644)
1838 Hotaka Kashiwabara, Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture
Contact: 0263-55-0205
Reservations
Plan Contents
Zen Meditation Experience
Zen Meditation Experience
Zen meditation at this "temple that lives in the community" has the effect of calming one's mind. Zazen is a profound practice with varying techniques among different Buddhist sects. At Sotokuji temple, guests sit cross-legged, "come to peace with their current feelings" and "become nothing". Help your mind, tired from the grind of everyday life, find a natural, comfortable place.
Wasabi Field Tour
Nagano prefecture is one of the largest producers of wasabi in Japan, and over 90% of that is grown in Azumino. The area has an abundance of springs fed by meltwater from the peaks of the Northern Alps. Because it flows underground before welling up to the surface, the spring water remains at a constant 13 degrees, all year round. Walk among the gravel beds, usually off limits to the public, while listening to the stories of the wasabi farmers.
Experience making your own soba noodles under the guidance of a local expert.
Experience making your own soba noodles under the guidance of a local expert.
When it comes to Shinshu cuisine, soba noodles come immediately to mind. These buckwheat noodles are prepared using plenty of Azumino's fresh water. After boiling, the noodles are firmed in cold water to produce their distinctive texture. They taste even better when you make them yourself!
Shinshu Salmon; reared with care.
Have you heard of Shinshu Salmon, a delicacy that can only be enjoyed in the Shinshu region? Like the wasabi it is often eaten with, Shinshu Salmon are raised in the area's clean spring water, under the care and attention of local farmers. The meaty red flesh is mellow and flavorful.
Shinshu Salmon Sashimi; packed with flavor.