To experience authentic Japan and see and experience the untold mystical stories, you need to first get off the beaten path, and second, you need to know the right people to get you there.  My team and I are all locals who have been exploring authentic Japan for over 25 years and know where these hidden and unseen ancient ceremonies and festivals take place even though they are hidden from 99% of the population.  Annually, we offer two separate photography tours in autumn through the beautiful, exotic orient known as Japan.  Our routes will take us cross-country from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan and back, covering over 2,000 km where we will experience not only the most breathtaking autumn scenes but also the most authentic ancient Japanese ceremonies way, way off the beaten path in places such as the Nagano highlands, 30 minutes from Ueda city which is also home to Zen Buddhism.  Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 525, when the monarch of the Korean kingdom of Baekje sent a mission to Japan with gifts, including sacred scrolls depicting the Buddha, several ritual objects, and sacred texts.  Every year in autumn, there are sacred ceremonies that have been held since their inception in 525, and the Shinto priests and Zen Buddhist monks are some of the most down to earth, spiritually insightful people on the planet.  Some of these ceremonies may appear heathen, as the priests burn exotic herbs and incense, but of all the ceremonies, the harvest festivals burn brighter than those of the spring similar to the fiery reds, oranges, and yellows of the perfect autumn leaves on the trees spread throughout Japan, but the most stunning of all the trees is the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum).