New York, NY -  August 22, 2024 - Walk Japan, the pioneer of off-the-beaten-track walking tours across Japan, has announced the first departure of the company's long-awaited Onsen Gastronomy: Snowy Aizu Tour. After a long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are pleased to run their first scheduled tour in the 2024/2025 northern hemisphere winter. The fully guided, easy snowshoeing tour leads guests through rural Aizu over five days and four nights, beginning in Aizu-Wakamatsu and concluding in Inawashiro.

Aizu, situated in the westernmost part of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan's Tohoku Region, is renowned for its history, culture, and natural beauty, as well as its well-preserved traditional townscapes. The tour commences with a visit to Aizu-Wakamatsu, a castle town nestled within the bounds of Mount Bandai, featuring ancient architecture and the historic Wakamatsu Castle, predating the 18th century and dating back to Japan's Edo period. As travelers continue on their journey, they traverse snow-covered rural landscapes, surrounded by picturesque mountains and valleys, quaint villages, and serene rivers enveloped in blankets of deep, white snow. Each night, they will find respite in the warm embrace of onsen, Japan's traditional hot spring baths, at the various Japanese inns along the route. The tour culminates in Urabandai, a collection of cobalt blue lakes that reflect the towering Mount Bandai.

An essential facet of Walk Japan's Onsen Gastronomy tours, onsen are among Japan's most celebrated attractions, beloved by both locals and international visitors. A long-standing tradition in Japanese culture, onsen represent a unique and ancient art form, treasured for their therapeutic and rejuvenating qualities. In addition to the hot springs, the gastronomic experiences on this specialty tour are just as crucial to the overall journey as the walking itself. Guests are encouraged to savor the region's culinary delights, which locals attribute to sustaining generations through Aizu's long winters. Aizu is particularly recognized for its high-quality rice, which not only graces the tables, but also serves as the foundation for some of Japan's finest sake—an enticing and delicious offering on the tour guests may indulge in, if they choose.

Images can be found here. More information on Walk Japan can be found here.

About Walk Japan:

Established in 1992, Walk Japan is an independently owned and managed walking tour company that enlightens and enriches its guests on walking tours through many less-traveled regions of Japan from Hokkaido in the nation's far north to Okinawa in its far south. Walk Japan's pioneering tours evolved from study trips run by two Hong Kong University academics and since then, Walk Japan's Tour Leaders have guided many tens of thousands of people from around the world through Japan's natural beauty, history, society and culture that is otherwise often difficult to access and fully appreciate.