Japan’s wellness tourism: from Kumano Pilgrimage to Okinawa’s EM resorts

These days, traveling is much more than checking popular destinations out, eating local food, and shopping for souvenirs. It has become about seeking contentment and happiness through self-discovery. Wellness tourism, which promotes health and well-being through holistic physical, mental, or spiritual activities, is increasingly popular. Hotels offer yoga and meditation classes, and many cities provide rental bicycles for tourists to explore at their own pace.

In Japan, wellness tourism involves forest bathing, zen practices, onsen hot springs, and many more nature-based, historical, and cultural experiences. Here are some top-rated wellness tourism destinations across the country.

World Heritage Kumano Pilgrimage

Kumano Kodo is a network of pilgrimage trails in the Kii Peninsula south of Osaka. It is one of the only two World Heritage pilgrimage routes (the other being Spain’s Camino de Santiago) and has been used for over 1,000 years. Kumano Club is an all-inclusive resort with guest rooms made of Kumano pine trees, ancient hot springs that have been around for 700 years, and guided trekking along the pilgrimage. Guests can also sign up for eco-tours, pottery making, spa sessions, yoga and stand-up paddleboarding, stargazing, and more.

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Nature meets history in Nagano

Nagano, home of Japan’s Alps, is known for its scenic mountains. Located in the center of Japan’s main island, it was once a place where travelers passed through on foot and horseback, and some of these paths remain intact. One of the inns, where the lord of the area used to stay on his way to meet the Shogun in Tokyo, has been restored as a wellness destination. Satoyama Villa Honjin offers a wellness overnight plan that is individually customized. Guests start the morning with meditation at a nearby temple, take in macrobiotic food made of local produce, enjoy spa treatments, and electronic bicycle excursions.

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EM Technology in Okinawa

“Effective Microorganisms (EM) technology,” developed by Professor Teruo Higa, uses beneficial bacteria like lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and fermenting fungi to enrich soil and purify water. EM Wellness Resort Costa Vista Okinawa Hotel & Spa, built from the ruins of the old Okinawa Hilton towards the end of the U.S. occupation, embodies this concept. EM products were used in the construction process to minimize the use of synthetic chemicals, to grow produce served in the hotel restaurant, and for body treatment and baths in the spa. The hotel also offers cooking lessons on fermentation, where guests can make pickles, soy sauce, and miso by hand.

These are only a few examples, and there are many more. Ending the year and starting fresh with these self-investment trips will be a treat.