Day 1: Osaka

From the airport we will travel to our first stay, a traditional Japanese ‘ryokan’ inn. Situated in the centre of Osaka, you will be able to explore the famous Dotombori shopping strip and see modern sights such as the Glico Man and the Kanidoraku crab. Osaka is known as ‘Japan’s Kitchen’ so the range of food available won’t disappoint you, from hearty ramen to octopus from the street stalls.

After a traditional Japanese breakfast served in your rooms at the inn, we will spend the day seeing what Osaka has to offer. First on our stop is the famous Shitennoji temple, the oldest state temple in Japan. Founded in 593 by Prince Shotoku, in includes a 5-storey pagoda, turtle pond and the garden of Gokuraku-jodo, which represents the Buddhist paradise. From there we will travel to see Osaka’s Castle. After viewing the museum inside, we will enjoy the cherry blossoms in the park before getting a scenic boat ride back to Dotombori. In the evening we will visit the Umeda Sky Building Observatory for a view over the Osaka skyline.

Accomodation: Hotel Ichiei - traditional Ryokan hotel / similar.

From Osaka we will take a beautiful train journey through the mountains to Koyasan, the headquarters of Shingon Buddhism and a World Heritage site, where we will be lodging at a temple. During the afternoon we will tour Oku-no-In, the mausoleum of Kukai, lit by thousands of lanterns where it said that Kukai is meditating eternally. In the evening vegetarian dinner will be provided by the temple in a traditional hall.

The morning of day 4 will be devoted to the first session of the Reiki Master’s course in a temple hall. Following lunch, we will visit Kongobuji Temple – the sprawling yet atmospheric headquarters of Shingon with a stone garden to rival Kyoto’s. Green tea and sweets will be served here. We will also see the Garan, a temple complex designed by Kukai.

The second session of the Reiki Master’s course will be run in the morning of day 5, and in the afternoon we will get the train on to Kyoto for the next part of our journey.

Accomodation: Shojoshin-in Temple or similar temple lodging / similar.

In Kyoto we will be staying in a temple and in the morning we will have a tour of the temple followed by a meditation class. We will be served traditional Japanese tea and sweets. Then in the afternoon we will see some of Japan’s most famous sights, including the Golden Pavilion and the stone garden at Ryoanji Temple.

Day 7 in Kyoto will begin with the third session of Reiki in the morning. The afternoon will be filled with visits to famous sites such as the Fushimi Inari Shrine with hundreds of red gates, seen in the Film ‘Memoirs of A Geisha’. In the evening we will visit Gion, Kyoto’s renowned Geisha district, and if we’re lucky we may even spot one!

The last Reiki Masters’ session will be held in the morning and in the afternoon we will take a walk through the Philosopher’s Walk to see the cherry blossoms.

On our last day in Japan we will visit Mount Kurama, the birthplace of Reiki. This is where Dr. Usui meditated for 21 days and received the Reiki healing energy. We will hike up to the top for our final meditation, and on the way back down enjoy an outside bath at the local hot spring ‘onsen’.

Accommodation: Shunkoin Temple Guest House or similar temple lodging / similar.

On day 10 we will return to Osaka to fly back home.