Starbathing with Deneb in Aomori

Aomori, a northern region on Honshu, the largest of Japan’s main islands, is an area rich in history and wild landscapes off the beaten track. Japanese people themselves go there very little outside of the period during which the Nebuta festival takes place, in early August. However, its natural treasures that have remained intact make its nocturnal skyscape one of the best-preserved in Japan. It’s here that Deneb decided to organise trips on which tourists can look at the stars.

Deneb, taken from the name of a star in the Cygnus constellation, is a travel agency from the LaPaz Group, experts in tourism based around heritage conservation, sustainable development, and innovation. ‘We only offer trips to destinations with which we have forged profound connections’, explains founder Ludovic Laine. This is the case with Japan, where Satoko Nagahara, head of the local Deneb office, is committed to deepening relationships with the local actors in tourism.

Sharpening the senses

Satoko Nagahara also discovered a 1000-year-old onsen in Towada in Aomori prefecture, and the Tsuta Onsen Ryokan where visitors can stay to enjoy the benefits of the springs. Situated in the Towada-Hachimantai National Park, the hotel is nestled in a beech forest and close to the Shirakami Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s the ideal place to observe the sky, being far from any light pollution, and where Deneb offers what the agency calls ‘starbathing’, because the meditative experience plunges the participants into a state of intense relaxation. The residents of Towada are very sensitive to nature, and one of them is even capable of finding his way in the mountains in complete darkness. Deneb hired this resident as a guide and he leads hikes in the dark that last roughly one hour, allowing walkers to sharpen their senses and learn more about the local flora and fauna.

Enhancing and preserving heritage

Deneb’s trips are, above all, learning experiences. A self-proclaimed protector of the night sky, the group makes a point of sharing its expertise on the subject with travellers, who are taught by the guides to decipher the constellations. But the team also communicates with the residents of regions like Towada that do not always have the means of enhancing their heritage.

‘We don’t know Japan’, Deneb’s website modestly points out, in homage to a master potter, a living national treasure, who said he only understood the fascinating character of his art at the end of his life. This will also be the key to understanding the Japanese spirit that Deneb will provide through another experience, this time in the Ura-bandai region in Fukushima Prefecture, the matrix of the country’s resilience.

More information about the experiences offered by Deneb can be found on their website.