Bare Essentials

On a walking tour in Japan, CHRIS DWYER experiences hot springs and slow food.

AS WE WEND our way from the station in Nakatsu, 120km east of Fukuoka on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, it quickly becomes clear that my week with Walk Japan has one critical element: Being naked among strangers.

For a Brit, this prospect is absolutely terrifying. We just don’t do public nudity, but my fellow participants seem to take it in their stride, particularly a German couple for whom this is clearly the most normal thing imaginable.

To be clear, the clothes-free element of the week arises because our walks through the breathtaking Kyushu countryside end each evening at an onsen, a Japanese hot-springs bath. Walk Japan’s guided tours across the country, varying in levels of difficulty, all feature particular cultural elements; my week in early autumn on the Oita Hot Spring Trail includes the onsen in addition to hyperlocal cuisine — the main reason I’d signed up.

In the endless metropolitan spread of Tokyo, it’s easy to forget that Japan is more than 70 percent mountains, making it perfect for walking and hiking. Our trip is to take us from Nakatsu to Beppu, the onsen epicentre of Japan, second only to Yosemite National Park globally in the concentration of hot springs, with a mind-boggling 2,800 spread across town.

But before we reach Beppu, our group’s meeting point at Fukuoka station affords the chance to spend a day in this city, which is particularly renowned for its yatai, or outdoor food stalls. More than 120 of them line the streets and canals, offering delicious, home-cooked food to between eight and 12 diners, huddled on benches surrounding the food-preparation area.