We will start our hike from a secluded hamlet in the mountains. The trail follows a stream bed strewn with boulders accumulated over millennia as the mountains above tumble down. Scattered about like a giant’s playpen these megaliths will make you feel strangely small as the scale of your surroundings dwarf you. Your expert guide stops to point out something clinging to the crag. In this landscape of giants it takes a moment to focus on the tiny flower. As your eyes finally zero in, you are enchanted by the intricate beauty of a miniature orchid. As the journey continues, your guide reveals the secret history carved into the canyon walls. Fine lines and striations on the craggy rock faces offer proof that these mountaintop boulders were once part of an ancient seabed. Armed with this knowledge, your surroundings become even more profound as you contemplate the unfathomable eons required to shape this dramatic landscape.

Refreshed, you continue to the end of your hike. As you come out of the woods you find a teahouse on the side of the stream. Stepping inside, a toasty aroma of roasting tea reaches your nose. With gentle instruction you will roast your own tea! Tea roasted, sit by a window overlooking the flowing water and enjoy a sip. Next try a bite of ‘Irimochi,’ a traditional sweet made with tea. All too soon our day together is coming to an end. Take this moment to savor it!