Tabor in Japan

In partnership with Heartland Japan

Location: Obama and Kyoto, Japan and surrounding towns; Wakasa Senior High School

Dates: June 4-15, 2026

Program Leader: Jon Sirois & Dave Wellstead

Description: Join this exciting inaugural program to Obama, Japan and our new partner school, Wakasa Senior High School. First, we will spend the weekend in Obama, the port city through which goods, culture, and technology made their way to Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital more nearly 1,000 years. Rich history is abundant in the once-bustling fishing village of Obama, where some neighborhoods date back more than 1,300 years. After local excursions to some of the "Eight Temples of Obama,” the Sotomo caves and cliffs, and the Food & Culture Muesum, we will experience two days of homestays and programming with our friends at Wakasa Senior High School, including time aboard their nautical research vessel to explore the local waters. We will also learn how they partner with local artisans and fisheries to produce products such as chopsticks and canned fish that celebrate the region’s history and promote stewardship of the ocean. Next, we will travel with experts at Heartland Japan along the Saba Kaidō (or “Mackeral Road”), the traditional route through which fish and other goods were transported to Kyoto. With a local guide, we will hike about 48 km (30 mi) over three days through scenic and peaceful countryside, resting in rural villages along the way. After three days of pastoral reflection and traditional Japanese meals, we will spend two days in Kyoto, one of Japan’s major cities and cultural centers, also known as the “City of 10,000 shrines.” Highlights in Kyoto will include the Arashiyama bamboo forest, Kinkaju “Golden” Temple, and Fushimi Inari Shrine.  

Join us to: 

• Taste sabazushi  and other seafood bounty from Obama’s port 
• Make your own lacquered chopsticks in the region that perfected the craft alongside a local expert  
• Learn how Wakasa Senior High School learns with and from the sea

What is the Saba Kaidō? 

In the days when overseas travel was done by sail, and overland travel was done on foot, there existed a network of roads linking the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara to the then bustling seaport of Obama.  

These roads later became collectively known as the Saba Kaidō, or “Mackerel Highway,” as they were used primarily for transporting salted mackerel and other seafood items harvested from the bountiful fishing grounds of the Wakasa Bay. Porters would hoist baskets of salted fish weighing as much as 40 kilos onto their backs and hurriedly relay them over a series of steep passes and narrow valleys, to arrive at Demachiyanagi market in Kyoto by the following day.  

 However, the Saba Kaidō was more than merely a highway connecting Kyoto to the sea. It connected towns to hamlets, commerce to culture, and - when the port of Obama served as a principal gateway to the Asian mainland - it connected this remote island nation to the outside world. These roads served as a conduit for ideas, beliefs, innovations, and aesthetics that would help shape Japan’s complex culture over the centuries. Buddhist statues, pottery, technology, books, and even an elephant were once transported along the old Saba Kaidō. 

Porters would hoist baskets of salted fish onto their backs and hurriedly relay them over steep passes and down into narrow valleys, to arrive at Kyoto’s Demachiyanagi market by the following day. But the Saba Kaidō was not just a one-way street! Conversely, the refined culture of the capital also made its way back through the villages and post towns that had sprouted up along the highway, and helped shape the culture of Obama in ways that are still apparent today. The town’s architecture, festivals, dialect, temples and cuisine are all reminiscent of old Kyoto. 

Nowadays, the Saba Kaidō has become a road that connects the present to the past. To walk it is to step back in time. Peel away layers of history as you go, and glimpse what it may have been like in simpler times, when the landscape was animated by myth and the only means of communication were the roads and the people who traveled them. 

The Saba Kaidō has transformed into a vibrant tourist destination, offering something for every type of traveler. Whether visitors are interested in history, natural beauty, or local cuisine, the route’s blend of attractions offers a unique experience. As a testament to this, the Saba Kaidō and Wakasa were awarded the highest rank in the Japan Heritage list of 104 destinations certified by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs as representing the unique culture and traditions of “the real Japan.” The Saba Kaidō and Wakasa comprise the only destination to have been given the Japan Heritage Premium ranking. 

Sources: www.sabakaido-traveler.com and www.japantravel.com

Itinerary: 

 

• Day 1: Thursday, June 4 
  • Depart Tabor Academy for Boston Logan Airport (BOS). 
  • Evening flight form BOS to Kansai International Airport in Osaka (KIX) 
• Day 2: Friday, June 5 
  • Arrive KIX in afternoon 
  • Shinkansen train from Osaka; bus transfer to Obama 
  • Dinner and evening in hotel 
• Day 3: Saturday, June 6 
  • Breakfast at hotel 
  • Walking tour of Obama 
  • Miketsukuni Wakasa Obama Food & Culture Museum; lacquered chopstick making 
  • Sabazushi and other traditional dishes for lunch 
  • Boat ride to explore Sotomo cliffs and caves  
  • Dinner and evening in hotel 
• Day 4: Sunday, June 7 
  • Breakfast at hotel 
  • Experience some of “Eight Temples of Obama” 
  • Visit Saba Kaidō museum to contextualize our hike  
  • Explore Obamakatori neighborhood 
  • Afternoon matcha tea and dessert  
  • Dinner and evening in hotel  
• Day 5: Monday, June 8 
  • Breakfast at hotel 
  • Programming TBD with Wakasa Senior High School (e.g., nautical research vessel; fisheries project; tour of fish market) 
  • After-school co-curricular program 
  • Dinner and evening in homestays  
• Day 6: Tuesday, June 9 
  • Programming TBD with Wakasa Senior High School (e.g., nautical research vessel or fisheries project; tour of fish market) 
  • After-school co-curricular program 
  • Dinner and evening in homestays  
• Day 7: Wednesday, June 10 
  • Breakfast with host families 
  • Farewell to Wakasa Senior High School friends 
  • Private transport to Jinguji Temple 
  • Begin journey along the Saba Kaidō from Obama to Kutsuki (16 km) 
  • Bento box lunch in ghost hamlet of Kaminegori 
  • Traditional barbecue dinner and evening in hotel 
• Day 8: Thursday, June 11 
  • Breakfast at hotel 
  • Hike along Saba Kaidō from Kutsuki to Ohara (17 km) 
  • Bento box lunch in Ninotani 
  • Hot spring bath relaxation  
  • Dinner and evening in hotel 
• Day 9: Friday, June 12 
  • Breakfast at hotel 
  • Private transport to Kurama Temple 
  • Walk the “Path or Spiritual Training” to Kibune (2.5 km) 
  • Explore the zigzagging Tsuzuraori Sando path through the forest 
  • Visit Kauramadera Temple, home of legendary samurai, Ushiwakamaru 
  • Walk along “Tree Root Path” from Kurama to Kibune  (3 km) 
  • Visit Kifune Shrine, once worshiped as the Guardian of Water Sources 
  • Enjoy season Japanese lunch on platform over Kibune River 
  • Train to Kyoto and end of Saba Kaidō 
  • Dinner and evening in hotel 
• Day 10: Saturday, June 13 
  • Breakfast at hotel 
  • Private transport to bamboo forest of Arashiyama 
  • Visit Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site 
  • Private transport to Kikakuji “Golden” Temple 
  • Private transport to Fushimi Inari Shrine 
  • Hike to Mt. Inari through thousands of vermilion torji gates; final moments of reflection  
  • Celebratory final dinner and evening in hotel 
• Day 11: Sunday, June 14 
  • Transport from hotel to Kansai International Airport (KIX) 
  • Fly from KIX to BOS 

Please note: All itineraries are subject to change and modification as challenges and opportunities arise; substitutions will be considered carefully and embrace the spirit of the original plan. 

Requirements: A passport valid for 6 months after the conclusion of the program; certain countries may require a visa for entry. Students must have passed the Tabor swim test in order to participate in water-based activities. This program requires sustained physical activity (walking) for 4-6 hours per day for the three days hiking along the Saba Kaidō. Students must be in good academic and community life standing to participate. Students will be covered by school trip and travelers’ insurance that covers emergency care and evacuation, although they must also have personal health insurance. Students are expected to participate in all pre- and post-travel (March programs only) orientation and reflection sessions. They will create a learning artifact to share with the Tabor community after their travel experience.