Seinoza
Walk into the life you want
Guided Pilgrimages on Japan's Kumano Kodo Iseji
For people seeking space to walk, reflect, and connect.
You’ve arrived at a threshold.
It might be a beginning. Or, perhaps, an ending. Or maybe you just need to come up for air.
Built around the simple ritual of walking day after day, pilgrimage offers us the space to be with what’s happening now, so that what comes next might emerge.
Upcoming Kumano Kodo Walks
Oct 31 - Nov 9, 2026
Ise-ji Pilgrimage Trail
Ise Peninsula, Japan
10 days · 7 walking days · Up to 8 pilgrims · Avg 11 mi / 18 km per day · Meet in Tokyo
Join Kal and Drew as they return to the Kumano Kodo Ise-ji in November 2026. Bring the year to a close with seven days of intentional walking across the Kii Peninsula.
An experience where the walking is the work, and the work is walking.
What happens when you move through the world with intention?
What do you notice about your environment? The people you move with? Yourself?
We walk with attention — to the landscape, to each other, and to what’s happening within. Along the way, we create space for solitude and conversation, reflection and ritual. And how the experience moves you? That’s up to you.
You don’t need to be a seasoned hiker or a spiritual seeker — just willing to walk in wonder and see what emerges.
And so, we walk.
Days follow a simple rhythm: we leave early after breakfast, tracing a river along the valley floor, or the coast as it shimmers under a rising sun.
The smell of Japanese cedar is never far away, inviting us deep into the forest and up over mountain passes.
Underfoot, ancient stone paths carry us, as they have pilgrims for a thousand years.
Shrines invite us to take a moment. So do the tiny cafés, where a coffee, a snack, or simply a welcoming smile can recharge a weary walker.
Come evening, we’ll share a meal together. Sometimes it’s a side of tuna, simply grilled over an open straw fire. Another night might offer a traditional kaiseki meal of the freshest seasonal produce.
Before long, the bath will call to ease weary muscles. And after that, bed, for perhaps the deepest sleep you’ve had in a good, long while.
We take care of the details, so you can turn up and walk.
Some challenges are meaningful. Others are just a distraction. We look after the latter so that you can enjoy the former.
No worrying about how to navigate Shinagawa Station, where you’re going to sleep, how you’re going to order dinner, or whether your luggage made it to the next inn.
We arrange your accommodation, luggage forwarding, meals, and the logistics of moving from place to place.
Leave all of that with us.
All that’s left is to gather, walk, connect, and reflect.
The journey starts before you arrive in Tokyo.
Before you depart:
We’ll help you prepare, with a comprehensive briefing pack, support as you get trail-fit, and group calls to answer any outstanding questions.
While we’re together:
In Tokyo, we explore simple practices for listening more deeply, speaking more openly, and building genuine connection through conversation.
Each day, we gather to reflect and share. Along the trail, there’s time to walk together and time to walk alone.
After you return home:
Once you’re home, we come together again to reflect on the experience and what you’re carrying forward.
And, of course, the connections you’ve made along the way are yours to continue.
Your hosts
Seinoza — Japanese for “a place of stars” — is the creation of Kal Crowder and Drew Smith. It’s born of their love of pilgrimage and their desire to create containers in which deep connection can unfold.
Kal’s background is in the space between the stars. As a satellite systems engineer, they make sure the satellites above us stay connected to one another, and to us here on earth. Their attention to detail and logistical smarts undergird our operations.
Drew is a coach and facilitator who arrived at his calling by way of two debilitating burnouts, drug addiction, and divorce. He now supports others in finding the clarity, discernment, and connection that open the path to authentic leadership in business and in life.
Both have completed multiple thru-hikes or pilgrimages. Over many years, they’ve also dedicated themselves to various forms of personal and group development work and training that have inspired and informed their offering here.
Working together, their walks offer a space for connection, curiosity, and exploration to emerge in the beautiful surroundings of rural Japan.
Read more about our calling here.