Wellbeing activities are a pretty big thing right now. Also termed \u201cwellness\u201d, it\u2019s something of an umbrella for a variety of experiences that aim to improve both mental and physical health. This can include spas, outdoor activities, yoga, and arts-based pursuits. Japan is a country with an abundance of both glorious scenery and unique cultural heritage, and the prefecture of Kumamoto on Kyushu Island is no different. Here is a selection of things to try out if you\u2019re seeking out a health kick in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Onsen are a wellness treat synonymous with Japan. They are natural hot springs that you can bathe in, with many believing that the water has unique healing properties that boost both physical and mental health. Kumamoto has a number of onsen locations across the prefecture, with many situated within ryokans \u2013 which are lodges or inns where visitors can stay and enjoy traditional cuisine and other cultural treats as well as the hot baths. One popular resort is in Kurakawa, at a height of 700 m in the Aso mountains. Here, you can find around 30 ryokans. Not sure which one to visit? Buy a hopping pass that allows access to multiple facilities!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fancy something a bit more all-encompassing? Aso Farm Land<\/a>, a leisure park within the Aso-Kuju National Park, is a one-stop shop when it comes to a wellness break. In addition to hot baths, you can find the likes of clay spas, culture-based exercise activities, animal petting, and sauna rooms. It makes for the perfect getaway to recharge yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yoga is another activity linked to wellbeing and popular across Japan. You can find classes specialising in its many different forms across Kumamoto. One of the most popular spots for yoga practice, and the site of regular outdoor classes, is Oshitoishi Hill. This location above the grasslands of the Aso Caldera, provides a glorious 360-degree panoramic view of the area. It is believed to have been a prayer site for locals in ancient times and the hill is peppered with engraved pyramid-shaped stones. Yoga workshops take place here regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kumamoto has several lovely beaches but these can sometimes get a bit crowded in the summer months. Another relaxing way to swim in the great outdoors in Kumamoto is to head to a more secluded waterway and indulge in a spot of wild swimming. Senjoukawara<\/a> is one of the best locations for this in the prefecture. It\u2019s quite hidden away, on the Kikuchi River about an hour\u2019s drive from Kumamoto City, but it gives you the chance to bathe in cool waters flowing over volcanic rock, and there are shallow pools suitable for children and non-swimmers. Meanwhile, Seiryunomori Forest in Kurokawa is ideal if you want a dip surrounded by trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A popular branch of \u201cwellness tourism\u201d in many countries and locations is immersing yourself in local cultural pursuits. Kagura is a Japanese singing and dancing performance where artists dress in traditional costumes and pray to the gods for the likes of a good harvest. Yoshihara no Iwato Kagura is distinct to the Kumamoto district of Manganji. Passed down for more than a century, it\u2019s a designated National Intangible Folk Cultural Asset often performed at shrines. If you book yourself onto a wellness weekend in Kumamoto, you may be treated to one of these charming performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Web site:<\/strong> https:\/\/www.kurokawaonsen.or.jp\/eng_new\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nkohei sasabuchi<\/a>, CC BY 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wellbeing activities are a pretty big thing right now. Also termed \u201cwellness\u201d, it\u2019s something of an umbrella for a variety of experiences that aim to improve both mental and physical health. This can include spas, outdoor activities, yoga, and arts-based pursuits. Japan is a country with an abundance of both glorious scenery and unique cultural […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":49055,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,43,59],"tags":[489,606,759,428],"class_list":["post-49054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-beauty","category-kumamoto-2","category-life-in-japan","tag-kumamoto","tag-kumamoto-activities","tag-wellbeing","tag-wellness"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49057,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49054\/revisions\/49057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Yoga<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wild Swimming<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Yoshihara no Iwato Kagura<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![kohei sasabuchi<\/a>,](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:%E3%81%99%E3%81%9A%E3%82%81_%E3%81%AC%E3%82%8B%E3%82%81_(44203203722).jpg\"){kind=link}