Forest Bathing in Temple and Enjoy onsen with healing power

We had a wonderful time with our guide, Aki. The forest and temple where he brought us were not full of people so we were really able to soak in and feel the peace and beauty of it. The combination of towering cedar and cypress trees, the waterfalls and zen gardens, the ancient statues and traditional temples as well as the stories and culture Aki shared really made the trip magical. Afterwards, the Japanese traditional meal was delicious. Finally the onsen, sitting in nature in the thermal pools, was heaven. Very highly recommend it!

Absolutely wonderful — 5 stars. Our autumn forest-bathing hike to the serene temple in Odawara was unforgettable. Aki, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable about the local flora and temple history, and balanced informative stories with peaceful moments of silence. He was professional, very accommodating (even bringing snacks for everyone), and took stunning photos that truly highlighted the vibrant fall colors and the temple’s quiet beauty. I highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Odawara in autumn — it felt restorative, well-organized, and beautifully documented.

Just a wonderful time with our guide, Akihiro (https://coconutshikejapan.com/) who took us to a beautiful temple Saijo-ji (https://daiyuuzan.or.jp/) about 30 mins from Odawara station in Hakone. We went on a 2k walk up a gentle slope to the temple, and even though it was a holiday, the walk and temple were not crowded, only a few other people. And the leaves were in peak season with brilliant bursts of color. We felt like we were pilgrims walking up the path, isolated in a forest, and then reaching the temple with its beautiful colors and substantial buildings. Definitely worth the walk! Forest Bathing - this is a term for just inhaling the nature and trees along the trail to refresh the body and soul - it works! We appreciated the leaves and lack of crowds when we went to Kyoto two days later - where we decided not to go to some temples because of the crowds Akihiro is an experienced guide, who grew up in Hakone often just miles from our hike and also has over 20 years guiding travelers into hikes and camping. He served us coffee and snacks at the top. We learned about the forest, the trail and the temple on our way up the mountain. His English skills are excellent and he was a good companion on the walk explaining nuances of the forest and the temple's history. Finally, he took pictures of us on our walk which reflected his skill as a photographer (later uploaded to us on Google Drive). Our hike culminated in a discrete tea house "Jinoma" at the foot of the trails, serving a vegetarian meal and tea and sweets. What a magical end to the temple visit! Definitely one of the highlights of our 2 week Japan visit. Beauty, leaves like fire against a green background, and a true sense of Buddhist tranquility.

I visited in October and joined Akihiro for a “forest bath” hike near Odawara—it was everything I hoped for! The other participants canceled, so it became a private tour, which made the peaceful, scenic hike even better. Akihiro’s knowledge of the area and history was excellent, lunch at a local teahouse was delicious, and ending the day with a relaxing onsen soak was absolute bliss. A perfect escape from the city—highly recommend!

Amazing experience! Our teenage boys loved it and want to do this again. Aki is phenomenal and really took care of us. What a great experience!!

This was an interesting, visually stunning and relaxing day. Akihiro our guide was very knowledgeable, explaining cultural context for the Temple, and the Onsen we visited. Highly recommended.

The day was perfect for a nice walk up towards a very famous temple, forest, bathing, good exercise, beautiful temple shrines and buildings made of Cedar and Cypress wood. Ending with the delicious lunch at a local tea house.

We had a fantastic time on our forest bath. Akihiro is very knowledgeable and great at telling the stories of the rich history of Hakone. My wife and I saw many beautiful scenes and got great pictures taken of us! We absolutely loved the entire experience. If you’re staying near Hakone (we were in Odawara and it’s a short train ride away) I fully recommend this. Thank you Mr. Akihiro for the great day!

We had a very pleasant gentle climb through the light dappled forest of cedar and cypress. We visited a working zen Buddhist temple set in beautiful gardens, and then had lunch followed by a relaxing soak in the onsen. Aki was a very informative host and took good care of us, even providing chocolates and a selection of hot drinks including green tea and lattes. Highly recommended.

The hike was incredible with gorgeous scenery. Our tour guide had a great knowledge of the area and the temple we were visiting. It was easy to keep pace, and our tour guide didn't push us to do anything we would find difficult. The tour guide was extremely friendly and easy to get along with as well.