Beyond the Table in Japan with Jody Vassallo
Twelve nights from Tokyo to Kyushu with cookbook author Jody Vassallo, eating, bathing and travelling through the Japan she loves.
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BEYOND THE TABLE
NIGHTS
12
MAX GROUP
6
ACCOMMODATION
ATTENDEES
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PHYSICAL RATING
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PRICE FROM
AUD
$9,850
EXPERIENCE DATES
20 Oct - 1 Nov 27
Six guests. Twelve nights. One cookbook author who has spent two decades learning how Japan eats.
Beyond the Table in Japan is a small-group food journey hosted by Jody Vassallo, author of more than 40 cookbooks and a food stylist, Ayurvedic practitioner and yoga teacher who has been returning to Japan for years. The route runs from the back streets of Tokyo to the mountain onsens of Gunma and Nagano, through Kanazawa, Takayama and Kyoto, across the Seto Inland Sea by overnight ferry, and into the geothermal kitchens of Beppu and the pottery villages of Kyushu.
Along the way there are soba and temple cooking classes, a bike ride through the villages around Nozawa, a river boat through Arashiyama, a morning market in Takayama, an Osaka food tour and a yakitori counter run by someone who has been grilling for 50 years. Jody chooses the small places: the tiny restaurants, the seasonal ryokan meals, the producers and markets that are difficult to find on your own. Because the group never goes above six, those places can say yes.
Key retreat highlights
Soak, slow down and feast at Takaragawa Onsen - bathe in the mountain hot springs before settling in for a traditional ryokan-style meal.
Taste the hot springs of Beppu - wander this onsen town and discover the inventive cuisine cooked with its natural geothermal heat.
Ride into the mountains of Nozawa - cycle through mountain scenery, traditional villages and quiet country roads, stopping for local food and village life.
Eat where the locals eat - slip into tiny, hidden restaurants and discover the cooking of Japanese men and women who have spent 50 years or more perfecting their craft.
Follow the flavours of Japan - regional specialities, seasonal ingredients, local markets, neighbourhood eateries and the rituals that surround Japanese food.
Share the table - travel slowly, eat generously and make new connections over some memorable meals.
Included in your retreat
Twelve nights of food, onsens and slow travel, with the logistics handled by WEGroup Global.
Twelve Nights in Ryokan and Hotels, Single Room
Accommodation is chosen for the character of each place. The journey includes traditional Japanese ryokan and onsen stays alongside comfortable hotels, starting at a Japanese guest house in Tokyo's Yanaka Ginza. Every guest has a single room.
Eleven Breakfasts, Five Lunches and Four Group Dinners
Traditional Japanese breakfasts, a sushi lunch in Kanazawa, a Buddhist lunch in Usuki, a group dinner in Nozawa and a night at a yakitori counter. Other meals are left free so you can follow your own appetite.
Cooking Classes and Yoga with Jody
Two cooking sessions and two yoga sessions across the journey, including soba making in the mountains and cooking with the hot springs in Beppu. Jody leads the yoga, with an optional extra session on the road.
Onsen Bathing Through the Mountains and Kyushu
Takaragawa, one of Japan's most photographed outdoor rotenburo, the village baths of Nozawa, Maguse Onsen in the mountains and the steam town of Beppu.
Guided Experiences and Excursions
A guided city highlight tour, a bike tour through the villages around Nozawa, the Hozugawa river boat through Arashiyama, an Osaka food tour, the Kannawa foot-steam walk, the Miyagawa morning market and a soy sauce factory and pottery village in Usuki.
Rail and Ferry Travel Inside Japan
Train travel between destinations and the overnight ferry from Osaka to Beppu. Luggage forwarding is arranged where possible, so you travel with a daypack rather than a suitcase on moving days.
A Local Japanese Guide Alongside Jody
Jody hosts the whole journey and a local Japanese guide travels with the group, so language and logistics are taken care of.
Gallery
Retreat Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo
Arrive into Tokyo and check in from 3:00pm at a Japanese guest house in Yanaka Ginza, one of the last old-Tokyo neighbourhoods. The afternoon is for tea houses, small shops and a slow wander. At 6:00pm the group walks the neighbourhood together and sits down to the first dinner.
Day 2: Mountains and Takaragawa Onsen
A yoga session before check-out, a casual breakfast at the station and the train to Jomo Kogen. Lunch in Minakami, then the bus to Takaragawa Onsen, one of Japan's most famous outdoor rotenburo. The afternoon is free for bathing before a ryokan dinner.
Day 3: Soba and the Village
A Japanese breakfast, then a morning dip and a soba cooking class. The afternoon is a village walk, and the group eats together in Nozawa.
Day 4, 5, & 6: Cycling the Nozawa Villages, Kanazawa, Takayama
Yoga with Jody, a morning onsen and time in the village. In the middle of the day the group rides a guided bike tour through the local villages, with an outdoor onsen along the way, including Maguse Onsen in the mountains. Dinner is at a yakitori restaurant in Nozawa.
Kenrokuen Gardens and gold leaf ice cream, a sushi lunch, then on to Kanazawa. The afternoon is free in the old neighbourhoods.
Breakfast, then the journey to Takayama with a village walk outdoors, and an evening at a spa hotel in town.
Day 7 & 8: Market Morning, Cooking Class, Kyoto
The riverside Miyagawa morning market, a cooking class, then the train to Kyoto and check in at Arashiyama.
A morning walk through the bamboo forest, then Kyoto on foot: the geisha district, dango and the quieter neighbourhoods, with time for treats and shopping.
Day 9: River Boat, Osaka, Overnight Ferry
The Hozugawa river boat journey, an Osaka food tour in the middle of the day, then the overnight ferry across the Seto Inland Sea towards Beppu.
Day 10: Cooking with the Hot Springs in Beppu
Arrive in Beppu. A cooking class using the geothermal steam, then the Kannawa walking tour with onsen and a foot steam.
Day 11, 12, & 13: Usuki, Kunisaki, Departure
A traditional breakfast, then a soy sauce factory tour, ginger senbei and a pottery village, with a Buddhist lunch in Usuki. The afternoon is free.
Travel by road to Kunisaki with an old town walk, and the last night of the journey together.
Breakfast, then departure from Fukuoka Airport.
Customer Reviews
See what some of Jody's customers are saying
I highly recommend Jody's sessions to anyone
"It truly was the best holiday I've ever had and I rave about the food, the scenery, the adventures and the conversations, the sharing and the people we met - all thanks to Jody putting together such a memorable tour. "
Susie Richards | Australia
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this journey for?
Travellers who love food, culture and slow travel, and who want a different side of Japan than the usual tourist route. Jody's guests are mostly women aged 40 and over, and many have never been to Japan before.
How many people will be travelling?
Six guests, plus Jody and a local Japanese guide. The small group is what makes the tiny restaurants, the ryokan and the cooking classes possible.
How much walking is involved?
A moderate amount, every day. Cities, markets, villages and railway stations, with stairs and uneven ground in some places. There is also yoga and a bike ride in Nozawa. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.
Do I need to speak Japanese?
No. Jody travels with the group the whole way, along with a local Japanese guide.
Book your spot today!
Prices are in Australian Dollars. A non-refundable deposit confirms your place, with full payment due 22 June 2027. Bookings close 13 August 2027, or earlier once all six places are taken.
From
To
Price from
22 June 2027
13 August 2027
$9,850
AUD