the campus HIDEHIRA KAIDO–an Ancient Gold Trail–
YAMABUSHI “TOHAI” RETREAT
物語 / story
Walking is Praying
Some five thousand years ago,
the Jōmon people found the presence of the gods within nature itself.
Seeking a rich life lived in harmony with the natural world,
they opened an ancient path through the mountains of Michinoku.
In the Heian period, when the Ōshū Fujiwara clan flourished,
this path became the lifeline of Hiraizumi’s golden culture.
With a prayer for a peaceful and equal world,
an ideal realm meant to shine light upon the age
was given form through gold—
embodied in Chūson-ji Temple’s Konjikidō.
In honor of the third ruler, Hidehira Fujiwara,
the road came to be known as the “Hidehira Kaidō”.
From the medieval era onward,
the path was quietly guarded by the Yamabushi,
mountain ascetics of Shugendō.
Rooted in ancient nature worship,
they revered untouched wilderness as the ultimate Buddhist realm,
while transforming the blessings of the mountains into sustenance for human life as miners.
Thus, the ancient road was preserved in silence,
generation after generation.
And now,
in an age when natural disasters and conflicts echo across the world,
and we find ourselves increasingly distant from nature,
this path calls to us once more.
Rather than climbing mountains merely for pleasure,
the yamabushi teach us “Tōhai”—
to ascend in order to encounter the gods.
By walking this “Path of Prayer” with that spirit,
we are invited to rediscover a distinctly Japanese way of seeing nature,
and to begin a journey inward, toward the self.
Your own “unchanging value”—your personal gold—
surely resides within you.
Guided by the yamabushi of today,
reconnect with nature, with the culture, history, and prayers born from it,
and step onto the “Golden Path” that binds them all.
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HIDEHIRA KAIDO －an Ancient Gold Trail－
旅の栞 / tour plan
YAMABUSHI “TOHAI” RETREAT
is a fully customizable, made to order journey,designed to match each guest is physical ability and schedule.
The experience is guided by a professional interpreter nature guide, ensuring both deep cultural insight and
a comfortable pace throughout the journey.
Below, we present a model itinerary as a reference to help you envision and plan your own unique journey.
＊Please note that the sample itinerary combines hiking with travel by e-bike and vehicle.
DAY1 To Behold
We begin this prayerful journey along the Golden Path by first taking time to quietly behold the greater whole of the “sacred realm” we are about to enter — and at the same time, to look gently inward at ourselves as we stand at the threshold of the journey.
Schedule
Meet at JR Kitakami Station === Transfer to campus (Lunch Break) === Kunimiyama Trekking and Cycling
=== Check-in at hotel (campus) Free time ～ Dinner. Evening study session after dinner
stay: the campus https://the-campus.jp/
DAY2 To Touch
Today, we step into the spiritual heart of the Hidehira Kaido. Boarding the beloved local Kitakami Line, we travel deeper into the mountains—toward sacred places protected and passed down by generations of Yamabushi. Here, belief is no longer something to observe from afar. It is something to touch, to feel, and to carry within the body.
Schedule
Depart Hotel === Visit Tamonin Izawa Residence=== Day 2: Trail Hiking – Section 1
… Lunch Break … Trail Hiking – Section 2=== Check-in at Hotel (Kitchen Kai) Dinner and targazing session after dinner.
stay：Jōmon no Tani — Kitchen Kai https://kitchen-kai.com/
DAY3 To Seek
Today, we turn our thoughts to the stories of gold—the very substance that gave rise to the name “The Gold Trail.”
By visiting the remains of the mines that supported Hiraizumi’s golden culture, and by searching for gold with our own hands, this day becomes not only a journey into history,but also a quiet moment to ask ourselves: What is the gold we seek in our own lives?
Schedule
Depart Hotel === The Gold Cycling – Section 1 (Visit Ana Yakushi Nyorai Temple and Gold Panning Experience)=== The Gold Trekking … Lunch Break …=== The Gold Cycling – Section 2 === Check-in at Hotel (Nebiraki Inn)
stay：Nebiraki Inn https://www.nebiraki.com/
DAY4 To Attune
Crossing the Ōu Mountains, we journey into Akita Prefecture—the western gateway of the ancient route.
As we walk through the deep forests traced by the old road, we move through primeval beech woodlands, the very source of life in these mountains. By attuning body and mind to this living forest and receiving its energy with all our senses, we visit the Western Satomiya, the sacred counterpart to the Eastern shrine encountered on Day 2.
Schedule
Depart Hotel=== Day 4: Trail Hiking – Section 1 … Lunch Break … Day 4: Trail Hiking – Section 2 === Check-in at Hotel (Yamado)
stay：YAMADO Retreat https://yamado.co.jp/
DAY5 To Purify
On the final day, we receive the energy bestowed by the mountains through four days of pilgrimage and make it our own.
Through quiet reflection and purification of body and mind, we prepare to return to everyday life—renewed, grounded, and transformed.
Schedule
Depart Hotel=== Trip Reflection Session … Lunch (at your own expense) …
=== Onsen Culture Experience: Sand Bath === Tour ends at JR Kitakami Line Hotto-Yuda Station
The End of the Journey, and a New Beginning
After purifying body and mind in the sand bath, return to everyday life as your renewed self.
May the energy gained through these five days of pilgrimage continue to illuminate your days ahead as your own inner “gold.”
＊Tour concludes at: Hotto-Yuda Station
Place：Konjikidō (Golden Hall) at Chūson-ji Temple
While the tour itself concludes here, we highly recommend visiting Chūson-ji Temple’s Konjikidō after returning by the Kitakami Line to the journey’s starting point, the campus. By standing before the Golden Hall, you can more deeply feel the Hiraizumigolden culture once sustained by the very “Golden Road” you have walked.
At the campus, a variety of additional programs and experiences are also available for those wishing to extend their stay. Please feel free to inquire for further details.