10 days in Kunisaki. A personal account of this beautiful and serene region of Japan

Stuart, a resident of New York, visits us regularly in Kunisaki. He kindly wrote the following after a recent visit (he has been back since).

My first encounter with Kunisaki was in late 2010 when I booked a walking holiday with Walk Japan - “The Kunisaki Trek” scheduled for April 2011. Shortly after the terrible tsunami of March 2011, Walk Japan was compelled to cancel their walking holidays and refund everyone’s money, but I very much wanted to visit Kunisaki and with the help of Walk Japan’s Paul Christie I journeyed to this little known region independently.

The author, left, mucking in with Paul, right, making a adobe earth heat-resistant wall for Koumori-tei's wood burning stove.

From the moment I arrived at Usa Station, I was captivated by the enchantment of Kunisaki.  I have returned each November and April since my first visit, to work on the Walk Japan Community Project, to help a local farming family, to walk in the splendid countryside and to visit with the wonderful people of Walk Japan at their extraordinary office at Koumori-tei.  

Following a recent visit in November 2012, I decided to write this brief report because I wanted to share the wonder of this place and to encourage others to visit and support the local community.  Rather than describe a chronological series of events during my 10 days in Kunisaki, I prefer to give a few highlights of my visit starting with the Walk Japan Community Project (the Project).

Details of the Project, its aims and achievements, can be found on the Walk Japan website, suffice to say there is always work to be done. Previously I have helped clear land of tree stumps and rocks in order to return the land to cultivation, and during this trip we moved a fence to protect the planned forest garden from deer and wild boar. We also planted the first fruit trees and harvested Yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit.

The author clearing paths and building stone walls in Kunisaki.

Time was also spent with the a local farming family helping to prepare for the next “planting” of Shiitake mushrooms. Grown in one metre lengths of kunugi, a Japanese oak tree, the mushrooms take 3 years to mature and are very labour intensive. We spent time cutting down the oak trees (grown specifically for this purpose) and clearing last season’s oak lengths to prepare for the spring “planting”. All the work takes place in the forest where the mushrooms are grown in dark, damp places.

Part of the time I stayed with Mario, a tour leader with Walk Japan, who lives in Kunisaki in an old house formerly occupied by a priest from the nearby temple. This house is very large and very rustic (it was leaning over before Mario began renovation) and has some very attractive terraced land that needs clearing and restoring. Additional help on the land was welcomed by Mario, but there is much to do. The rest of the time I stayed at my favourite ryokan - the Fukinotou Inn - right next to the peaceful Fuki-ji (temple) - and spent many happy hours reading in the quiet of my room.

Walking is always part of the Kunisaki experience and on this trip I visited Kitsuki City, the local tea plantation (just up the road from the Fukinotou Inn) and the magnificent temple at Futago-ji, where there was a spectacular display of autumn foliage. So far I have found one new unspoilt valley each time I have visited Kunisaki and this visit was no exception as I explored the valley behind Walk Japan’s office and found a small lake and deep forest leading to who knows where.

In addition to the wonderful scenery and environment of Kunisaki, the people there make visitors very welcome and warm feelings permeate one’s soul. I recommend Kunisaki – for physical activity, for meditation, for aesthetic pleasure or just for the warm feelings.