Eastern Promises
With vaccines set to be our ticket out of the pandemic, it’s time to plan a great escape. Seek out adventure and a touch of Zen in Japan’s remote forests
Think of Japan and you’ll likely picture the polite chaos of Tokyo – the teeming crossroads and backstreets of Shibuya, where the sky flickers with neon signs. Alongside New York, the Japanese capital is one of the most beguiling cities in the world: newcomers are infatuated almost as soon as they step off the plane. With the reorganised Tokyo Olympics on the horizon, millions of people liberated from lockdowns around the world are expected to visit. But there is, of course, far more to Japan than its capital.
The 13,000 or so people who live on Yakushima, an island off the southern coast of the mainland, like to joke that it rains there 35 days a month. But its heavy rainfall makes it one the greenest, lushest parts of the country.
“Forest bathing” – the practice of immersing yourself in greenery
– is proven to root out stress, boost creativity, lower blood pressure and bolster your immune system. But the bushes of your local park are more finger bowl than bath. In Japan, the process is called shinrin yoku, and a tour with Yakushima Nature Activity Center (ynac.com) around the high-altitude forests, a Unesco World Heritage site since 1980, offers true escape. Marvel at the permanence of Jomon Sugi, a 7,000-year-old tree, and you’ll feel the transient stresses of modern life falling away.
Then, take this reinvigorating sense of calm from green to deep blue. Yakushima’s surrounding beaches host the largest nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles in the North Pacific. Yakushima Diving Service (mori-umi.net) provides snorkelling and dive tours out to local reefs and prides itself on the island’s biodiversity and clean waters.
After drying off, you’ll need a place to stay. For that, we recommend Sankara. On a picturesque hill overlooking the East China Sea, it’s a hotel made up of spacious, individual villas that showcase Yakushima’s peace and quiet. There’s an awe-inspiring pool, backed by a mountain and facing the sea (perfect fusui!), as well as a spa and two excellent restaurants – one of which has a beautiful open kitchen reminiscent of the best traditional kaiseki dinner spots in Tokyo.
“Stare at a 7,000-year-old tree and let the stress of modern life fall away”
Take it up a notch
Alternatively, take an hour-long bullettrain journey north out of Tokyo to the small mountain town of Karuizawa. Situated at the foot of an active volcano,
Mount Asama, the region’s sloping hills have turned it into one of Japan’s leading ski destinations. The Asama 2,000 resort uses snow machines to ensure perfect powder, and its signature panoramic route is plotted with flags for the most skilled skiers to chase down a shot of adrenalin and testosterone.
Nature-lovers can also search for black bears in the surrounding woods. This delicate cohabitation between man and beast is managed by the team at Picchio (wildlife-picchio.com), an award-winning local wildlife research centre. Visitors can track down bears under Picchio’s careful guidance and also go out on night tours in search of monkeys or flying squirrels.
Picchio is located next to the Hoshinoya Hotel (hoshinoya.com), which is unquestionably one of the jewels in Japan’s luxury travel crown. You’ll stay in one of the sprawling complexes of old-school ryokans – or Japanese inns – that are built around the Yukawa River, the ever-babbling backdrop to your stay. It’s also the site of two hot springs, where guests are encouraged to bathe (sans clothes
– just a heads up, Brits).
Hoshinoya also boasts a restaurant serving an imaginative menu of fine Japanese dishes, including sashimi, steamed vegetables and a whole roasted onion that is far more delicious than it might sound. Let the staff guide you through. Then get back out there for some more bear-spotting. The 100m final can wait.