Oku Japan — Local services in Kyoto

I’m an American that although familiar with some aspects of Japanese culture, speak very little Japanese. I’d never been to Japan but spent a couple of weeks in rural Ibaraki Perfecture before traveling to Osaka to meet my wife and three friends for a walk along the Kumono Korda Pilgrimage Trail. I used OkuJapan and Jack Eves to set up the trip. One other important note is we started the hike a few days after a massive typhoon hit Tokyo and eastern Japan and while we were hiking a second typhoon arrived. Nevertheless, it was a spectacular hike with amazing food and accommodations. I highly recommend OkuJapan for foreigners considering this trip.

Generally, knowing little Japanese was not a hindrance. A few phrases, particularly “Arigato!” go a long way and show that you are trying. Google translate also helps considerably and English is commonly, if not universally understood.

We chose a trip of eleven nights and ten days on both the Nakahechi and Kohechi trails, but shorter options are available. OkuJapan rates the hikes as “Challenging”, their most difficult rating. I concur with this not because the trails are technical but when they say it will take 6 hours to complete, it will take at least that. Furthermore we hiked in October and the sun set between 5:00 and 5:30 so we had to complete the walk in the allotted time. One evening we had some issues and came in late using headlamps. Fortunately the Inn where we were staying was concerned, called OkuJapan who in turn contacted me on the trail. The owners of the Inn then drove out to meet us on the road saving us considerable time and distance in the dark. Another issue was the wet conditions we encountered following and during a typhoon. In certain areas the trail consists of cobble stones and they could be very slippery requiring much care and slow going.

For the most part the accommodations were in traditional Japanese Inns called ryokans. They all had communal hot spring baths called onsens. If you are not familiar with Japanese onset etiquette, relax and read up on it before you go. Once you get comfortable with them they are very relaxing after a long day of hiking.

The accommodations OkuJapan secured were all wonderful. There were a few western-style hotels but for the most part we stayed in the aforementioned ryokans. These had futons for beds and most had small buckwheat pillows. I found them very comfortable but my wife was not a fan of the pillows, a first world problem.

The ryokans provided dinners, breakfasts, and a bento box lunch. Beverages were extra. The food was AMAZING!!! It usually consisted of several courses of small dishes, heavy on fish and soy. It was far from your typical American sushi bar, although sushi and sashimi were part of most meals. The meals started good and consistently got better! One dinner consisted of thirteen courses!

A few things to keep in mind. Although the trip is rated as challenging, it is almost always possible to shorten the length of the walks. Indeed if you can manage the Japanese bus system where English is broadcast after Japanese on all routes, you can even avoid the days that OkuJapan does not list shorter options. There were two days we chose not to walk during typhoon rains, including the day from Koguchi to Nachi-San and then on to Kii Katsura and the potentially most difficult day between Miuraguchi and Nosegawa. In both cases we managed to find buses with connections and avoided a $300 taxi ride!

Most ryokans, train, and even buses have wi-if. However it is possible to rent a small router from Japan Wireless and perhaps others that give you wi-if access on most, but not all of the trail. This can be very helpful if you are using mapping apps or wish to make phone calls etc over wi-if avoiding international phone plans and associated charges.

Although we had exceptionally wet weather no matter when you go, bring good rain gear, including rain pants, a pack cover, and a collapsible umbrella. Better to have and not need than need...

I recently embarked on a much-anticipated journey through the Shikoku Pilgrimage with OKU Japan, only to find myself frustrated, disappointed, and feeling utterly ripped off. What should have been a seamless and enriching experience turned into a puzzling ordeal.

Misleading Itineraries To begin with, OKU Japan's itineraries were not only inaccurate but also baffling. They promised a smooth journey through the cultural richness of Shikoku, yet at numerous locations where taxis would have been a sensible, much-needed option, none were provided. Considering the astronomical fees OKU charges, this omission felt like nothing less than a blatant oversight.

Hidden Costs Abound We were blindsided by the endless hidden costs during the trip. When you're shelling out premium prices, there should be transparency in what you're paying for. Instead, OKU seemed to delight in surprise charges that only compounded our frustration. A bit of honesty upfront would have gone a long way in maintaining customer trust.

Dismal Packed Lunches The packed lunches provided were nothing short of an insult. Boiled rice and pickles were our sustenance during a trip we expected to be gourmet. At this price point, an improvement in the culinary offerings is not just desirable—it's essential.

Transportation Woes And the disaster continued with our transportation. We found ourselves stranded at a bus stand for more than 3 hours beyond the scheduled departure time, with no sign of a bus. The guidebook arrogantly advised that if the bus was missed, we should call their Kyoto office to arrange a cab. Ironically, the book failed to include any contact number for the so-called Kyoto office. This left us helpless, without any means of coordinating our journey or making alternative arrangements.

Delayed Responses I experienced considerable delays in communication during the booking process, which was quite frustrating. Despite contacting on weekdays without public holidays, responses were consistently delayed. Every email query took at least 10 days to receive a reply, often with explanations about closures for weekends and public holidays which felt more like an excuse than a legitimate issue. While I appreciate their courtesy in thanking me for my patience, the consistent delays impacted my overall experience negatively.

Final Thoughts OKU Japan has much to learn about truly serving its customers. Their complete disregard for providing accurate information, transparent costs, proper meals, and reliable transportation is inexcusably lousy for travelers paying premium rates. The pilgrimage may be sacred, but I was left feeling anything but enlightened.

I cannot, in good faith, recommend OKU Japan to anyone seeking a genuine, hassle-free experience in Japan. If you're considering booking a trip with them, I advise you to look elsewhere. Save yourself the aggravation and spend your money with a company that values your journey as...

Traveled in April 2023. Beautiful area with mostly nice overnight lodgings.The company assigned a less than capable guide- very little English, no ability to organize or lead a group...I can go on and on (she even lost a person) and we were 8 adults!!! She pretty much put a cloud on the experience. It is doable without a guide. The worst part is the company never responded when the email was send on the second day reporting the guide's performance. No apologies, no acknowledgement, in fact, they never sent a post trip evaluation request though we were told it would be coming. We ended up hiring private guides when we got to Kyoto. I would have preferred to leave the tour and take a self-guided,tour or travel alone but my husband felt otherwise. In general, this company and its follow-up/ommunication is to be considered. Japan is an easy country to negotiate- many fabulous guides and tours through Viator and Trip Advisor. Think twice before committing to this company..Your tour is dependent on your guide and they blew it big time here.

Edited 10/4/23- this is in response to the company feedback provided in which my behavior was the cause of my displeasure. I just returned from a group tour with Boundless Journeys. It was amazing… beside accommodations and food, THE GUIDE was incredible. Unlike Oku’s guide- he was organized, all activities and possible glitches were discussed daily. He knew his walking path and never got lost. He never lost his guests as he waited, he did not zoom ahead like the energizer bunny and expect all to be at the journeys end. He did not take a small percentage of his group and treat them differently. He spoke about the culture of the region with knowledge, not using Google or wasting time talking only about themselves Oku Japans accommodations were not great, but a good guide would inform prior to walking g into a mold infested dump. I may not have been my best self on this tour, but this was a costly trip and should have at least had a guide that knew more than 100 words of English/ knew how to use Google translate and actually GUIDED. The company should be avoided as they stopped being accountable the moment your trip begins. Their response was unprofessional and they never communicated with me (not even a survey post trip) to see how things could have...