Mindful Japan Tours provides guided walks and mindful experiences in Nagano Prefecture, the mountainous heart of the country. We work to connect travelers with the local ecology, spiritual traditions, and cultural heritage of the landscapes we pass through, while helping support the practitioners and communities we partner with along the way.

Often called the roof of Japan and easily accessible from Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, Nagano is ideally located for leaving the crowded urban sites behind.

All tours are private, customizable, and offer an immersive experience that bridges the ancient and the modern.

Whether you want to walk historic trails in the mountains, sit in the silence of a rural temple, explore an ancient tradition, or make your own pilgrimage through one of Nagano’s sacred landscapes, our tours are designed to help you experience the heart of Japan.

I’ve lived in Nagano Prefecture for over two decades and have led walking tours here since 2017. Until recently, these were mostly through regional tourist organizations. In early 2025, I launched Mindful Japan Tours to directly help travelers explore this beautiful part of the country I call home.

I’m an avid traveler myself, both internationally and throughout Japan. This, the cross-cultural outlook of my anthropology studies, experience with Japan’s spiritual traditions, and long familiarity with the local culture all inform my tours. Inspiration and perspective also comes from my Japan-related writing, which ranges from travel essays to a novel.

I’m currently based in Matsumoto, where I live with my wife and 3-year-old daughter, Hana. Prior to that, I spent seven years in Otaki Village, at the foot of sacred Mt. Ontake, and over a decade in the Suwa area. I’m one of the few non-Japanese people to have taken part in Onbashira, the region’s famous pillar riding festival.

I love helping travelers explore the Nagano countryside, and I look forward to meeting you and walking the trails here together.