A True Gem of Japanese Countryside in the South

Ohsumi Health & Wellness Retreat

HOME

ABOUT

PROGRAM

SCHEDULE

RATES

TESTIMONIAL

FAQ

GALLERY

VIDEOS

CONTACT

HOME

Grow

Welcome to Japan's true gem in the south

Plant

å²¸è¯æµ·å²¸ã®çºãï¼ä¸ç´ãªã¾ã¼ãåè£å°ï¼.jpg

Come embrace its natural beauty and healing power

Garden Guru

Enjoy its culture, history and tradition

Organic

The Rice-Paddy God, special to our region.jpg

Plenty to see, feel, touch, and get inspired

Welcome to Ohsumi!

Sakura flower
The Pacific Ocean
Sunset view
Waterfall named "Purity"
Tomato
Fish
Pumpkin
Scarecrow
Bamboo
Rainbow over the rice field
Quiet life at seaside village
Playing on the beach

If you are interested in exploring and experiencing somewhat "unfamiliar" parts of Japan, well, we think you've come to the right place!Those "unfamiliar" parts of Japan are our "inaka," countryside or rural Japan, which has not so far been promoted to the outside world. Yet, as you will discover when you come here, it is a place of many-faceted attractions, including a beautiful landscape, plenty of nature's gifts, lots of healthy and tasty food and products, colorful and interesting cultural events and festivals, and many more.The best of all, we believe our "inaka" has got full of things that will contribute to the health of the world, including yours. The health and healing powers of our nature will help you regain your inner strength and a better mind-body balance while enjoying many aspects of our rural and traditional life.Our retreat is probably the first in Japan to welcome guests from abroad, and utilize local resources to give them unique and interesting experiences.We are open all year around, so you can choose any time to visit us, whether it is the cherry blossom season in early spring, rice planting time in spring, freshly green season of early summer, spectacular fireworks season of summer, rice harvesting time in summer, magnificent coloring of the mountain season in the fall. We've got plenty of interesting things for you to see, touch, taste, and feel.So contact us and let us help you find the best time and best activities for you to enjoy fully the rural and traditional Japan!
ABOUT
The view of the Pacific Ocean on the way to Hetsuka.jpg

The view of the Pacific Ocean on the way to Hetsuka.jpg

ABOUT

Ohsumi Health & Wellness Retreat was founded by Osamu (Sam) Aridome, native of Koyama Town (now part of Kimotsuki Town), and is a product of his long search for his bliss and mission in life.After having spent many years abroad, including the U.S., the U. K., and China, as journalist, photographer, and entrepreneur, Aridome had several occasions to re-visit and re-examine his native town a few years ago due to his mother's illness.He says that it was probably the very first time that he took a very close look at what his hometown really looked like since leaving the town.What he found, to his surprise, was a place full of natural beauties, life-enhancing products, rich history and traditions, and foremost good-hearted people.Well, that was the good side of the story. But that was not all.Like many other small towns and communities throughout Japan, he discovered that his town was on the verge of natural extinction due to rapid aging of the population as well as decreasing financial support from the central government.Most of the locals worry about their future but seem to have little hope, not knowing how to revitalize their communities. That is why Aridome thought his knowledge and experiences might be of some use.He had a strong feeling that once the region is opened to the outside world, it would attract peoples from around the globe who are interested in healthy diets and lifestyle, and in learning about Japan's rich history, tradition, and culture. Foremost, he believed that they would find Ohsumi an excellent place to get exposed to nature's health-enhancing and healing powers.With strong faith in the region's many-fold potentials, he decided to introduce Ohsumi to the outside world as one of "Japan's undiscovered treasures" and contribute to the health of the world through this venue.By so doing, he believed that he could create a win-win formula for everyone involved: while the participants from overseas in the program will benefit from the region's abundant resources, the natives will also gain in terms of its tangible benefits, including a financial one.So he came back to his native town in the spring of 2007 to start working on this pioneering project while at the same time giving lectures or rather "pep talks" to the locals about the region's potential appeal to the outside world.Aridome believes that Ohsumi and its surrounding areas have a potential to become Japan's foremost health & healing land in probably the same way as Tuscany in Italy and Provence in France are. It's still a long way, he knows, but it's got essentially the same ingredients to make it attractive to the outside world.Therefore, our ultimate mission is: Let us help you help our community! Which means that by helping you get in touch with our natural and human resources and benefit from them, we are actually helping our community through your participation.So please come and experience the powers of Ohsumi, and in so doing, please help our community. We guarantee that it would become an experience of a lifetime for all of you!
PROGRAM

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Our program's mission is very simple: help you experience all sorts of "goodies" available in Ohsumi so that you can gain a healthier body and soul, and get to know about our part of Japan, particularly its rural culture and tradition, while you are here.For that to happen, we provide a flexible program in accordance with your interests and needs, though accomplishing everything you want to do in such a short period of time is just impossible.Here are some of the choices that you can make:1. Nature-bathe and meditate in our beautiful and soul-soothing environment.2. Taste the finest locally-produced foods and drinks, including organically-grown vegetables, fresh fish, nationally-known "shochu" (distilled spirit) and special meat products, spa water, different kinds of herb tea, special vinegar products, and many others.3. Participate in the host of filed trips and activities to enhance your health, heal your soul, and satisfy your cultural and intellectual curiosity.4. Learn about Japan - bits of its language, history, society, way of life, philosophy, religion, tradition, culture - through our lectures on those subjects, including watching some of the classics among Japanese movies (by Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, etc.).5. Relax and heal your tired body at our spa and through different types of massage.6. Interact with local people and culture for fun and learning (i.e. a school visit may be arranged so that you'll have an opportunity to interact with our students).And of course, you will have some quiet days for yourself, too. Just immerse yourself in our environment and get the most of it in your own way and at your own pace.By being in a different kind of natural and cultural setting, we hope that you'll have an opportunity to reflect upon the planet earth, the world, the environment, and your life from a new perspective.

OUR CUISINE

Ohsumi is one of Kagoshima's, in fact, Japan's agricultural heartlands, well-known for its healthy and tasty products.So, coming to Ohsumi means that you will have a chance to take in to your body all those "goodies" which will be excellent for your health.Needless to say, we will provide you with ample opportunities to taste and enjoy local specialties at different locations and settings. After all, the food contains the essence of our culture and is its manifestation. We guarantee that you will be amazed by our rich culinary culture and actually enjoy it to the fullest through our program.Some of them may appear strange, even not edible, but what appears is often deceiving. We recommend you to be brave and try them out. You will discover the power of our local foods and may actually get to like them in the end.Japanese food is not just Sushi and Sashimi (raw fish).We will show you that Japan has got much more to offer to the world and we are pretty sure that you are gonna love it!

OUR ACCOMMODATION

Whether you have a comfortable stay or not will depend on where you stay.We know that very well.Even though we do not have our own facilities, Ohsumi is very lucky to have a number of excellent accommodations throughout the region. Many of them have their own spa facilities. In fact, we'd like to accommodate you at different facilities in different locations during your stay to maximize your level of satisfaction.You may be staying at a place in the mountains or near the ocean. In both cases, Ohsumi's beautiful landscape is wide open for you to enjoy and appreciate.

FIELD TRIPS

Ohsumi and its surrounding areas such as Kagoshima city and Kirishima have got so much to see and experience. That is why we organize the following field trips so that you will have a chance to get acquainted with and enjoy our landscape, history, culture, and products. (*These trips shall be arranged by local tour operators.) Theme 1: NatureYou will visit Ohsumi's and Kagoshima's scenic spots, including the majestic Mt. Sakurajima, Kagoshima Bay, Mt. Kirishima, Hetsuka Beach, and many others.Theme2: HistoryKagoshima (formerly "Satsuma") played a vital role in Japan's transformation to a modern state in Meiji Era. You'll have a day trip to Kagoshima city to see some of its legacies and remnants.Theme3: CultureYou will visit places where you can see and have a better understanding of our local culture, including a pottery-making village and Kirishima Art village. We may also make arrangements so that you can get to know some local artists. You may actually have a chance to get involved in some local cultural events such as dance festivals and/or cherry blossom viewing festivals depending on the season.Theme 4: SpaThroughout Kagoshima, we have plenty of excellent spas. You will visit some of them, and get to know the spa culture among the Japanese. You'll also be staying at a special spa resort in the Kirishima mountains where you can enjoy its full beauty and serenity.Theme 5: Local ProductsOhsumi has got many distinctive local products, including our famous "shochu" alcoholic beverage, spa water, special "black brand" products like black brand beef and pork, black-brand vinegar, among others. You will visit some of their production facilities so that you can get to know about those products: how they are made, their culture and tradition (Of course, you will have a chance to bite and taste them!)Note: Depending on your interest and length of your stay, we shall select the ones you like among the above.
SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

We are basically open all year around. So, if you want to come down to the south of Japan, please let us know about your plan. We'll do our best to meet your needs.Here is a rough sketch of how our region is like by month. The more + it has, the more we recoomend..January + Though we are located in the south, it does get cold from time to time, but the lowest temperature rarely goes below zero.February * Probably the coldest month .March ++ The temperature goes up, and you begin to see renewed activities in nature. We may have a short rainy season during this month, though.April +++ One of the most colorful times in Japan due to Sakura, cherry blossoms. It is a special month for us Japanese, so if you want to feel Japanese sensitivity and .ideas about nature and life in general, this is it.May ++++ Right temperature, right climate make the month of May one of the best times to visit Japan. With lots of new greens all over, you will definitely feel refreshed and recharged. The latter part, however, may not be so ideal since it could fall into the rainy season.June + Not such a good time to be in Japan due to the rainy season.July ++ The rainy season lasts until the middle, sometimes the latter part of this month. After that, we are officially in summer. August +++ The weather is usually fine, but the heat and humidity may become stifling for those coming from North Ameria or Europe. But that is part of life in Japan. Despite that, there are lots of activities, including festivals and fireworks, that you can enjoy and sometimes join.September +++ Another good month to be here. Temperature goes down, the weather is usually fine, the humidity is down. October ++++ Again, this is a good time to visit Japan. You may see the coloring of our montains, and soak yourself in an outdoor hot spring surrounded by nature.November ++++ Like October, the fall is one of the best times to be here.December +++ The temperature goes down, but until mid-December it is not too cold. A good time to visit hot springs or spas.
è¾ºå¡æµ·å²¸ãæãï¼é«ç´ãªã¾ã¼ãåè£å°ï¼.jpg

RATES

Our rates vary depending on the number of guests. One person : 7500 Yen (roughly $100 or 70 Euros) per day + 10,000 Yen (roughtly $130 or 90 Euros) for accommodation and meals per day 2-3 persons: 7000 Yen per person per day + 10,000 Yen per person for accommodation and meals per day4-6 persons: 6500 Yen per person per day + 10,000 Yen per person for accommodation and meals per dayFor a group of 7 or more persons, please inquire for details.Note: For special activities like field trips, there may be extra charges. The exchange rates used here are: $1=77 Yen and 1 Euro =110 Yen.

TESTIMONIAL

Testimonial

Come and judge for yourself!Ever since my participation in the Olympic Games in Tokyo back in 1964, I fell in love with Japan: its people, its culture, its sights and its food. During my business trips in the seventies and eighties I got to see more of Japan, including the hot springs in Hakone and Shikoku Island as well as Okinawa Island. But it was my friend and founder of this wonderful retreat, Osamu Aridome, who told me of the beauty of his hometown located on the south-eastern tip of Kyushu Island. During my eight-day stay in the region, I had a chance to visit many different places and learn about the hitherto-little-known part of Japan, thanks to his helpful as well as educational guidance.Quite honestly, I had not expected such an enjoyable experience in a place like Ohsumi, a predominantly agrarian region, before actually visiting there. Yes, my visit to such tourist spots as Kagoshima City (lots of historical places to visit), Mt. Sakurajima (one of Japans most well know volcanoes), Mt. Kirishima and Cape Sata were all interesting. But the rest of the region, which is not on the tourist map, was also quite interesting precisely because it has been kept isolated and unknown to the ourside world for so long.I very much enjoyed seeing plenty of unspoiled nature in the countryside with bountiful wildlife, including wild boar, partridge, pheasant and monkeys that suddenly cross the road. Needless to say, both accommodations and food were also excellent.I stayed at country spas, one of which was facing the ocean and the other the mountains. Being one of the prime agricultural regions, the food was a source of sheer joy, utilizing the healthy organically-grown rice and vegetables, fresh fish, and nationally-known meat products. And, of course, when visiting this part of Japan, one must not fail to taste the famous shochu, which is a distilled alcoholic beverage made mainly of sweet potato.Id therefore say, if you want to taste the real authentic Japanese food, you should go visit countryside like Ohsumi. They may not have fancy restaurants and bars like in Tokyo or Osaka, but they sure have excellent nourishment that will please not only your stomach but also your soul!As my friend and unique interface to Japan's rural landscape, culture and tradition, Osamu showed me lovely places that are only known to the locals and allowed me to interact with them on different occasions. They were all very nice people and willing to help in any way a guest from abroad like myself.To be honest, eight days was not enough to see and experience all the beauties and serenity of the region. The more I got to see, the more I wanted to explore.That is why I intend to go back there sooner than later to further explore Ohsumis attractions and treasures.So here's my advice for those of you who are interested in finding the little-known treasures of Japan: Go join the workshop and judge for yourself!Jim Enters*Jim is a former Dutch business executive who now lives in Shanghai, China

FAQ

Q: How can I get to Ohsumi?There are several different ways to get here. One would be to fly to Tokyo first, then transfer to a domestic flight to reach Kagoshima. From the airport, it takes about two hours to reach Kimotsuki Town.There are two international flights from Kagoshima airport. One is with Seoul, South Korea, and the other is Shanghai, China. You could fly to either city, then change to the direct flight to Kagoshima.Q: How long should I spend to enjoy my stay in Ohsumi?Well, it depends on what you want to do and experience, but generally speaking, 4-5 days to one week should be OK. If you can spend more time, then we would recommend two weeks if you like.Q: What's the weather like?We are located in the southern tip of Kyushu Island, therefore it rarely snows here. The lowest temperature would be around 4, 5 degrees celsius during the winter. In summer, it gets to 32, 33 degrees with relatively high humidity. We have two rainy seasons: a short one in March, and a long one in June (it could begin in late May and could last until mid-July). We'd say these rainy months are not so good time to visit.Q: Do shops accept a credit card?At major stores and shops, they do, but when it comes to small local shops, they don't. But you could probably use ATM machines at local banks and post offices and get Japanese Yen in cash to pay for your purchase at those stores.Q: What about insurance?We strongly recommend that you cover yourself with an international travel insurance.
GALLERY

Frog
Feijoa fruit flower
Plum
Friendly cat
Trunk of a big old tree
Japanese swordsmanship
Big sakura tree
1300-year old tree
Bamboo forest
100% natural water
At the Imperial Burial Ground
Rose garden
Havesting rice
Rare snow view
Quiet seaside village

As you can see in these images, Ohsumi has got many different colors and tastes that can not possibly be captured by photos alone.The best way is of course for you to come visit our place to fully enjoy our rural attractions. Needless to say, please bring your own camera to capture the moments in which you are inspired by our landscape, people, or whatever. There will be tons of such moments while you are here.
VIDEOS

Colors of Nature: Well, It's Mostly Gold Right Now - Japanese Countryside
Walking into Gods' Domain - Japanese Countryside
Serene and Pristine - Japanese Countryside
Japanese Swordsmanship: Jigenryu 自顕流―Japanese Countryside
In Search of the Waterfall of Purity - Japanese Countryside
Japanese Countryside - The Art of Rice Planting
Japanese Countryside - Driving around in our neighborhood
Japanese countryside - Driving the Sakura Road

Colors of Nature: Well, It's Mostly Gold Right Now - Japanese Countryside
Walking into Gods' Domain - Japanese Countryside
Serene and Pristine - Japanese Countryside
Japanese Swordsmanship: Jigenryu 自顕流―Japanese Countryside
In Search of the Waterfall of Purity - Japanese Countryside
Japanese Countryside - The Art of Rice Planting
Japanese Countryside - Driving around in our neighborhood
Japanese countryside - Driving the Sakura Road

CONTACT

Ohsumi Health & Wellness Retreat

Kimotsuki Town, Kagoshima Japan

Follow us:
Twitter Facebook

This Website was created usingWix.com Start