Alena Eckelmann

@alena.eckelmann

Founder of Kii Monogatari, my story and the story of the Kii Peninsula of Japan. Originally from East Germany, I came to Tokyo, via Berlin and London, in 2005. In summer 2011 I moved by choice to remote Kumano in the south of the Kii Peninsula where I live, work and play now, and explore every day.

The whole of the Kii Peninsula is a Healing Hub for me with its abundance of forest, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, the ocean, friendly rural communities and sacred places. This is where nature meets spirituality, and tradition meets sustainability, the new paradigm for travel post-pandemic.

My deep interest is in Japanese nature & spirituality. I love being in nature, in the forest and in the mountains, and I love spending time at temples and shrines. I am building my life and my work around these two passions.

I am a Licensed Forest Therapy (Shinrin Therapy) Guide and a Licensed Kumano Kodo and Koyasan Guide. I am also a Licensed Retreat Facilitator and I am planning retreats on the Kii Peninsula.

Last but not least, I have been the Japan Travel Partner for Wakayama and Yamagata since the conception of the platform in 2011! These two prefectures are close to my heart because they are the centers of Shugendo, a spiritual tradition of mountain ascetism. I am a Shugendo Practitioner for over ten years now and received Tokudo in 2016 at a Shugendo temple on Yoshinoyama.

Please kindly connect via my Facebook Page Kii Monogatari.

Take care, keep well, stay safe!

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Activities

Forest Therapy

Forest Therapy has gained popularity internationally in recent years as a recognized health management practice. The roots of ..

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Culture

Shukunegi Village

Shukunegi Village. A fishermen's village lost in time

Niigata 1

Culture

Ginzan Onsen in Winter

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

Yamagata 3 10

Culture

Kitsumoto Jinja - The "Mandarin" Shrine

The Shinto God of Mandarins is worshipped at Kitsumoto Shrine located in Kainan City. This is near the mikan orchards of Arida,..

Wakayama 3 4

Accommodation

Meeting Friends at the ANSA Okinawa Resort

yesterday

ANSA Okinawa Resort is a hotel in Uruma City, Okinawa, where locals and visitors meet. Come here for workation, for a family outing..

Okinawa 2 1

Transportation

Road Trip to Kimino

3 days ago

Surprises on a road trip to the secluded Kimino area in the north of Wakayama Prefecture: a rural scenery with empty roads, less..

Wakayama 3 6

Activities

Oishi Kogen, a "Highlight Highland" in Autumn

3 days ago

All you need to know about Oishi Kogen Highland and its large field of pampas grass in the north of Wakayama Prefecture. This is..

Wakayama 3 3

Culture

The Seven Wonders of Tainaisan Shrine

A shrine in the forest of Iwate has more to offer than the usual shrine buildings and torii gates. Here you find a massive rock,..

Iwate 4 2

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Alena's Japan

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Beauty & Spa

The Healing Powers of Yunomine Onsen

Alena Eckelmann

Wakayama 1 2

Accommodation

Shukubo Temple Lodging at Mount Haguro

Alena Eckelmann

Stay at a temple overnight and try Shojin Ryori, a vegetarian cuisine eaten by Buddhist monks, at Dewa Sanzan in Yamagata Prefecture..

Yamagata 1 1

Culture

Dewa Sanzan Sacred Mountain

Alena Eckelmann

Mountain worship, such as that performed in Yamagata's Dewa Sanzan, has a long tradition in Japan, a country that is 70% covered..

Yamagata 1 1

Activities

Mount Haguro’s Avenue of Centuries-old Cedar Trees

Alena Eckelmann

Yamagata 1

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