Adrien Peilleron
My name is Adrien from France. I have been living in Japan for close to ten years, mostly in the Kansai area (around Osaka and Kyoto) with my family (my wife and two children).
I have always been fascinated by the Japanese culture since young age, mostly through video games and Japanese cinema. After learning Japanese at the university in France and Japan, I made the big jump and start living in Kyoto with a working holiday visa. Now ten years later, Japan has still so much to offer and many many things for me to keep discovering and sharing with fellow travelers.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Hikesin off the beaten trails of rural Japan.
To name a few:
- The Kumano Kodo Pigrimage
- The Nakasendo Trail
- The Michinoku Trail
- The Shikoku "Ohenro" 88 Temples Pilgrimage"
How did you get involved in travel?
"My passion for Japan is something that I wish to share with the travelers from abroad and that naturally brought me to work in tourism as a local travel specialist in Japan.
I currently work at OKU Japan, where we offer Guided and Self guided walking tours in "off the beaten" trails, working hand to hand with the local communities to promote these lesser known destinations in rural Japan."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"Walking the Kumano Kodo is an adventure that I wish everyone to experience.
More than a simple trail, it is a pilgrimage that extends to three different prefectures (Wakayama, Nara and Mie) in the southern part of the Kansai region.
Located in the moutainous area of the Kii Peninsula, the Kumano Kodo is said to be the craddle of Japan mythology, where it all started thousands of years ago with the primal Gods shaping the sky, the sea and tha land of the archipelago.
The walks from village to village in the misty moutains of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage is atmospheric, serene, challenging and extremely rewarding! Meeting with the locals, staying in traditional Japanese accommodation, enjoying the delicous cuisine of the region, bathing in natural hotsprings, exploring the Grand Shrines where the Gods of the mountain are worshipped. It is a fascinating journey in the Japanese mythoology with awe inspiring nature."
