The Other Japan

Sometimes, a walk through rural Japan may include almost as many encounters with vending machines and power lines as a stroll through central Tokyo. Unsullied landscape is rare, and few urban Japanese, let alone foreigners, would know where to find it. That's where Walk Japan (walkjapan.com) steps in.

Founded by an English professor of public policy and a Canadian professor of Japanese — both with decades of experience in Japan — Walk Japan specializes in guided hikes through the country's [an error occurred while processing this directive] remaining pristine wilderness. The company's newest tour is the seven-day, six-night Kunisaki trip, which follows the ancient pilgrimage routes of Shugendo monks — practitioners of a form of Buddhism that came to Japan from China more than 1,000 years ago. The hike begins in the foothills of Mount Futago on Kyushu, Japan 's largest southerly island, then traverses the peak of Mount Yufudake and the Nakayama Senkyo ridge. Visits to artists' studios and various temples are included.

The quiet stars of the show, though, are Walk Japan 's bilingual guides. Besides knowing the innkeepers and many locals along the trail well enough to ask about the latest family news or village gossip, each guide is a mine of general knowledge about the country. After-dinner chats can easily swoop from discussions of feudalism to an analysis of contemporary demographics. It's a lesson in Japanese studies that you won't find in any lecture theater, with some rigorous exercise to boot.