The Kumano Koda is a pilgrim trail on the Kii peninsula on the southeast coast of Honshu island. It is a UNESCO world heritage site similar to the Camino in Spain. There are three main routes, one of which is the Nakahechi imperial route. This is the most popular and the one we are attempting on this four-day walking adventure.
Day 1 : We set off from Kii-Tanabe on a 40 minute bus journey to Takijiri which is the start of the trek. We’ve left our cases behind and we’re in our boots with minor hangovers and our packed lunch in our day backpacks:
There’s a steep climb which more or less goes on all day but lots of beautiful scenery to see along the way:
There are a number of look out points over the mountains and it really is spectacular.
It’s hot and very humid with minimal downhill and lots and lots of uphill.
This little fella was actually nowhere near any water… strange!
Lots of little temples and statues along the way…
One of the things I was a little anxious about before setting off was the possibility of getting lost but on this trail I think it’s near impossible. It is so well signposted – they have markers every 500 metres and not only regular”Kumano Kodo” signposts but wherever there’s a chance of taking a wrong path they have “not Kumano Kodo” signposts. Fantastic!
We walk through Takahara and onwards to Chikatsuyu where most people end today’s walking.
We have a bit extra to get to our accommodation and we continue on to a place called Tsugizakura-oji. In total we clock up 19km and it’s been a tough walk so we’re delighted to get to our ryokan and get washed up and into the robes provided.
Our ryokan is called Minshuku Nonaka Sanso and it’s a small family run ryokan with shared bathrooms (that’s fast becoming the standard) and set meals with yes, you’ve guessed it, futons on the floor and a rice pillow! The lady of the house gets very excited when I turn up for dinner in my recently purchased kimono and insists on getting a photo with me! Dinner tonight is one of the better set meals we’ve had and we can buy beer so yet again we are happy out!
Day 2 : Today we walk 13km from Hosshinmon-oji to Yunomine-oji. On the way we pass one of the grand shrines on the pilgrimage – Kumano Hongu Taisha:
We also see the largest tori gate in Japan, first from a distance and then close up as we go through the town of Hongu:
There’s not as much climbing as yesterday but it’s still undulating. We’re happy with the shorter walking day and the views continue to please:
I’m fascinated by the tree roots that we are walking over:
At certain points along the route we pick up stamps:
Tonight we stay at Ryokan Adumaya which is one of the main traditional inns in Yunomine Onsen, a hot spring village. We can smell the sulphur as we arrive into town and are looking forward to our onsen bath. We are not disappointed as we have an indoor and outdoor and once we get used to the heat (they’re so hot), the relaxing (naked!) soak is delightful!
Post bath and in our robes, tonights dinner is served in our room. There are a lot of courses and overall it’s really good. This place is my favorite so far.
Day 3 : Ukegawa to Koguchi approximately 14km. We set off on more uphill paths through trees:
We pass through a small area of private homes and a lot of them leave food to buy in small stalls at the end of their properties. You can pick up some fruit or a power bar and leave some money.
At 660 metres the following lookout is known as the 3,600 peaks of the Kumano but it really just means many peaks – it’s not supposed to be an exact number:
And we see more evidence of the recent typhoon with a number of trees down on our path
It’s so lush and green everywhere you look, and it’s so peaceful. We have chats and some giggles along the way but also a lot of quiet time just enjoying the sounds of our surroundings. Although we’ve met some people along the trail it’s very quiet and feels like we have the trail to ourselves.
Tonight we stay at Koguchi Shizen no le which was previously a school and you can tell from the corridors and dining hall. It’s not our favorite meal of the trip but we manage to fill up somewhat (mostly on rice and soy sauce). Tonight’s a laundry night and definitely the night the second bottle of smuggled red wine is coming out!
Day 4 : Kogushi to Naschi, the end of the pilgrimage.
Well unfortunately today we are unable to walk. The last part of yesterday’s walk involved some very slippery steps and a couple of falls so we’re opting for the bus to the end of the pilgrim trail. It’s a rainy day and the mountains are full of cloud so a lot of people have opted not to walk. We arrive at Naschi shrine and climb hundreds of steps to explore the many shrines and temples.
The grand shrine:
The money shot is the five tier pagoda with the gushing Naschi waterfall beside it. The clouds were rolling in so we were lucky to capture a shot, as a few minutes later you couldn’t see the waterfall at all
We get closer to Naschi falls, the biggest waterfalls in Japan:
Tonight’s ryokan is actually a hotel resort (still ryokan style) but a lot fancier and spacious and we have our own bathroom with a shower – woo hoo!! It’s called Hotel Nakanoshima and it’s on a private island that we take a ferry to. It’s gorgeous! We have two rooms – one with a table for taking tea and another where the futons will be laid out later and we’ve a view out to the water which is just lovely.
There are a number of onsens on the property both indoor and outdoor and we try a couple before getting into our robes for dinner. This is a view of the outdoor onsen from the top floor of the hotel (taken early morning when no one was in there otherwise I’d have been in trouble!):
Tonight’s dinner is a bit of a challenge as the waitress doesn’t seem to have any English and she insists on talking to us very loudly in Japanese as we try to communicate and answer her questions. It’s a bit embarrassing but very funny. Eventually we manage to get wine, water and chose a selection of tempura. Again there’s a lot of courses served including salad, sashimi, hot pot, tempura, beef tepanyaki, tofu, lots of different pickles and bits of fish and sashimi lobster… which is still moving when brought to our table.
After dinner we have a little wander around the hotel and find a karaoke room but all is quiet. Check out our nice robes though:
Next morning we start the day with a walk around the island. There’s some very nice views out to the water:
Then after a quick not so “western” breakfast, we bid farewell and get the ferry back to Katsura town for our four hour train journey to Osaka.
The Kumano Kodo has been a wonderful experience and we’re all pleased we’ve done it.
odohertyelaine 