Quiet cypress forests. Sacred waterfalls. Moss covered shrines. Otaki Village is located at the base of Mt. Ontake in Nagano prefecture, central Japan. The village has been an access point for pilgrimage on this sacred peak since ancient times. Its Ontake Pilgrimage Trail—or Ontake Kodo—is a great alternative to the Nakasendo Trail nearby in Kiso.
Otaki is far off the beaten track. It feels a planet away from the lights and bustle of cities like Tokyo and Osaka and the tourist crowds of Kyoto. The village offers a side of Japan rarely experienced by visitors, where the deeply spiritual and a gorgeous natural environment combine.
Otaki is a place to immerse yourself in otherworldly landscapes imbued with Japanese tradition and slow life way down. Those who make it this far come to mindfully rejuvenate, to commune with nature, to explore. They come for a once in a life-time adventure in a place like nowhere else on Earth.
Mt. Ontake’s current volcanic activity level is one, the lowest. See the Volcanic Activity page for more.
Photo: Takigyo (Waterfall Meditation) at Kiyotaki Falls
We’ve been sharing Otaki’s story since 2017—and now Lonely Planet agrees. Both Otaki and this site are in the latest edition.
Otaki Experience 