Alena Eckelmann

@alena.eckelmann

Celebrating my 10th year anniversary in Japan in May 2018, the country that I call home now. I lived in crazy Tokyo for 6 years and since 2011 I call the Kii Peninsula (Kumano, Koyasan and Yoshinoyama) my home.

I have visited all 47 prefectures of Japan and for the last 4 years I have worked as a guide for foreign visitors.

My special interest is in Japanese nature and spirituality. I love spending time in the forest and mountains and I love visiting temples and shrines.

I am also a licensed guide for the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails and for Koyasan, the Buddhist monastery, in addition to being a practitioner and guide for Shinrin Yoku (Forest Therapy).

In recent years I have taken visitors to walk the Kumano Kodo trails, the Nakasendo trail, the 88 temple pilgrimage trail around Shikoku Island and to Dewa Sanzan, the three sacred mountains in Yamagata Prefecture.

If you look for nature and spirituality in your trip to Japan, then Wakayama, Nara and Yamagata Prefectures are ideal places to get started!

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Food

Ponshukan – Sake Heaven

At the Ponshukan in Yuzawa, you can wait for your train while drinking vending-machine sake and bathing in an onsen where the hotspring..

Niigata 3 1

Culture

Sakai Knife in the Making

There are 75 families members of the Sakai blade-making guild. Their workshops are located in a local neighborhood in the “old..

Osaka 2 1

Beauty & Spa

Zao Snow Monster Festival

The Zao Snow Monsters rival Nagano's Snow Monkeys in popularity and they are one of Japan's winter attractions not to be..

Yamagata 1

Culture

Ginzan Onsen in Winter

Taisho era-style Ginzan Onsen in Yamagata Prefecture let's you travel back in time

Yamagata 9

Culture

Fujiwara Capital and Palace Ruins

An ancient capital spread out over an area of over 20 square kilometres, guarded by three sacred mountains called Fujiwara-kyo..

Nara 2

Culture

Ruins of Moto-Yakushi Temple

Located in a quiet suburb and surrounded by paddy fields and gardens lays the healing place of an imperial couple: Emperor Tenmu..

Nara 2

Culture

Ofusa Kannon Temple

A gem of a temple, located in a quiet suburb of Kashihara City, invites worshippers to linger. This is the Ofusa Kannon Temple,..

Nara 1

Culture

Introducing Historic Imai-cho

A living town with 500 Edo Period merchant houses is Kashihara City’s best kept secret! If you like the machiya of Kyoto and t..

Nara 60 3

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