All year round, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
Nasushiobara station
Nasu, Ootawara, Ouchi-juku
Please Ask
3-Days, 2-Nights
From just over an hour from Tokyo, trade skyscrapers for mountain air, hidden temples, and steaming hot springs. Ride Experience Inc. designed this three-day itinerary for travelers who want to experience Nasu’s nature and culture at its most authentic, meditative, and flavorful form.
Three choices of excellent onsen ryokans in Nasu.
Lunch and Dinner provided
Your journey begins with a relaxed ride aboard the Shinkansen, followed by a welcoming greeting from our guides upon your arrival.
We will help you settle into Kurobane, the historic castle town where Japan’s most famous haiku poet, Matsuo Basho, stayed the longest during his celebrated travels. You will learn his story at a dedicated museum, then walk the sites where he composed his timeless haiku, before continuing to Unganji Temple, a beautiful Zen retreat of red bridges and clear streams.
Conclude your day checking in to a traditional ryokan complete with a soothing onsen.
You trace Basho’s steps where poems were born, then feel the stillness that links Zen and haiku.
Same ryokan as day one
Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided
Day two begins at Sessho-seki, the legendary “Killing Stone,” and the nearby ancient Onsen Shrine and hot spring, setting a dramatic and mythic tone for the morning. Following the footsteps of Basho, we’ll travel his historic route across the picturesque satoyama landscapes along the Oshu Highway.
In the village of Ashino, pause to reflect beneath the Yugyo Yanagi willow, a famous site of poetic inspiration, and try your hand at composing your own haiku.
For lunch we’ll enjoy traditional soba noodles served in a charming farmhouse, then visit a local organic sake brewery for an exclusive tasting.
We’ll conclude the day as you return to the quiet comfort of your ryokan.
Satoyama scenery and living legend meet on quiet paths that invite reflection and verse.
Breakfast provided
We’ll depart the ryokan at 9:00 AM to begin the final day’s journey.
First we’ll set out to walk a section of the historic, 17th-century Oshu Highway, experiencing the very route Basho travelled north offering beautiful views.
The journey continues to Ouchi-juku, a remarkably preserved Edo-period post town famous for its rows of traditional thatched houses and broad earthen streets. Here, you’ll enjoy lunch at your leisure, with a unique opportunity to engage in conversations with local residents.
In the afternoon, we will drive you back to Nasushiobara Station to say farewell.
Handpicked options for nature, culture, food, and wellness.
