Are you looking to immerse yourself in nature? Hoping to escape city life and travel to a rural area where you can learn something new? Or maybe you just want to harvest fresh Japanese lettuce and get some hands-on farming experience in the Japanese countryside? If so, then I have the perfect adventure for you: Wakayama’s beautiful Susami City, one of the best hidden nature destinations in Japan!
I’m back with yet another adventure for my fellow nature lovers and Japan travel enthusiasts. You may remember some of my previous experiences from these articles:
*Escape Into The Forest: Morou Art Forest in Nara!
*Fun in the Orange Prefecture: Come Play in Wakayama City!
So today, I’m incredibly excited to bring you this new nature tour and share my experience immersing myself in the deep countryside of Japan, connecting with locals, and exploring the heart of Wakayama’s natural beauty.
As some of you may know, I currently live between two prefectures, and Susami is located in one of them. Shockingly, even though I’ve been in Wakayama for a while, I had never heard of Susami City before this tour. So imagine my surprise when I discovered how amazing this small rural town truly is.
Let me share my experience and hopefully inspire you to visit this breathtaking nature getaway in Japan.
I took the train from Osaka all the way to Susami. It takes a few hours on the Kuroshio Limited Express, so please check your train schedule carefully — this is rural Japan, and trains are not as frequent as in Osaka or Tokyo.
Unfortunately, I missed the hiking start time, but I heard it was absolutely stunning. The hike takes place around the lesser-known Ohechi area, part of the sacred Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails, which lead to famous shrines in Shingu and Nachi.
People travel from all over Japan — and the world — to hike Kumano Kodo, so you already know this is something you do NOT want to miss if you love nature, hiking, Japanese history, or UNESCO World Heritage sites.
I arrived just in time for lunch and enjoyed a delicious bento while sitting on the beach. Eating Japanese food with the sea breeze and sunshine felt like a magical anime moment. Simple, peaceful, perfect.
We visited a beautiful local temple where a Buddhist monk taught us how to quiet the mind through traditional zazen meditation. And yes — the monk did hit us lightly on the back with a wooden stick! It doesn’t hurt at all; it’s meant to help you keep proper posture. I actually found it surprisingly relaxing.
Next, we practiced sutra copying, a peaceful cultural activity that helps calm your thoughts. Afterward, the monk prayed over our sutras, and we burned a bit of incense to make a wish.
No matter your religious background, anyone can enjoy this mindful, grounding experience.
As a bonus, we hiked to a viewpoint with a torii gate overlooking the sunset. One of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever witnessed in rural Japan.
We all headed to the beach area and enjoyed a fun yakiniku BBQ dinner together. It was a beautiful blend of cultures — locals, foreigners, travelers, students — all bonding over good food, laughter, and the sound of the waves.
After dinner, we enjoyed a traditional Lion Dance (Shishimai), a unique performance deeply rooted in Japanese culture. At the end, you can even let the lion “bite” your head for good luck!
Yes, I did it. Yes, I’m expecting good luck all year.
Around 8:00 p.m., we checked into the Marriott Hotel. The hotel overlooks the ocean, and most of us headed straight to the onsen to relax and watch the stars shimmer over the coastline.
10/10. Highly recommend the hot spring.
This was one of the most unique experiences of the trip. Susami is home to one of the few remaining traditional incense watermills in Japan, run by the youngest watermill owner in the country.
We learned about the history of incense in Japan and how important it was — and still is — in Japanese culture.
Have you ever made incense before? Because I hadn’t.
This experience was so fun and surprisingly relaxing. You can create different shapes of incense to give as a souvenir or keep for yourself. Mine came out adorable.
I’d been wanting to go fishing for YEARS, so getting to fish in one of my favorite prefectures felt like a dream. I loved fishing back in America, so being able to celebrate with everyone as we caught fish together was incredibly exciting.
Susami has some of the cleanest waters in Japan, and the fish here are unbelievably fresh.
We ended Day 2 with a fun exchange party with locals. We ate fresh fish, local lettuce, and other delicious Wakayama specialties.
This was one of the best opportunities to talk to Japanese locals in a relaxed, friendly environment — perfect if you’re trying to improve your Japanese communication skills.
We visited a lettuce farm in the early morning, where breakfast was prepared by a well-known local lettuce farmer and his mother — true, warm Japanese countryside hospitality.
After breakfast, we planted new lettuce seedlings and harvested grown lettuce destined for supermarkets. Getting to learn about Japanese agriculture and actually contribute to the farm made me feel connected to the local community.
The lettuce ojii-chan was so kind, patient, and excited to teach foreigners about his work. He welcomed us like family.
Overall, this tour is perfect for everyone — families, solo travelers, couples, or groups. There were kids who enjoyed the experience just as much as the adults.
If you love:
*Japanese nature
*Rural sightseeing
*Slow travel
*Learning about Japanese culture
*Connecting with locals
*Outdoor activities
*Eco-tourism in Japan
*Wakayama travel
*Hidden gems outside Tokyo and Osaka
*…this tour is absolutely for you.
I truly hope more people discover this wonderful tour and enjoy it as much as I did. Huge shoutout to Todd and Garden-san for organizing everything, translating for the foreign travelers, and making sure everyone felt welcome.
You can find information about this tour and many other custom Japanese nature tours here.
They offer personal tours for solo travelers, couples, families, and groups — perfect for anyone looking for memorable, meaningful adventures in Japan.
Stay happy, safe, and excited to spend time in nature! See you in the next article 💚🌿✨
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