Walking Japan's Kumano Kodo trail
With clients seeking space and outdoors post-pandemic, Japan has been highlighting natural attractions including ancient walking route the Kumano Kodo
The Unesco-listed Kumano Kodo was once a sacred pilgrimage reserved for emperors and samurai. Now accessible to anyone with sturdy footwear and a sense of adventure, it has been increasingly popular with British visitors in recent years.
“A thousand years ago pilgrimage routes developed around sacred sites in the mountains. The environment was believed to be inhabited by deities,” explains Brad Towle, international tourism promotion and development director for Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau. “Starting from the sixth century, when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, this area in the mountains became a site for training monks. Over time the nature worship, indigenous religion and Buddhism merged.”
The Kumano region lies in the south of the Kii peninsula on Honshu island. The pilgrimage route links three major shrines – Hongu Taisha, Hayatama Taisha and Nachi Taisha – which have festivals and events year-round.
“The Kumano Kodo is a collection of different kinds of trails. You’ve got stone staircases, you’ve also got dirt trails with roots on them, and you’ve got roads through the different villages,” says Towle. “It’s out of the way but it’s perfect for the intuitive, active traveller who really wants to visit and immerse themselves in Japanese culture.”
Here are some of the highlights:
EN ROUTE TO KUMANO HONGU TAISHA
Tanabe: Trains connect Tanabe to Osaka and Kyoto. Generally, walkers arrive in the city to start the Kumano Kodo at nearby Takijiri-oji. Local attractions include Ogigahama Beach and Ajikoji entertainment district.
Takijiri-oji: “Along the pilgrimage route there are lots of little shrines. They are subsidiaries of the main shrines and are dotted every two or three kilometres along the trail,” explains Towle. “Takijiri-oji is one of the main ones. On the rocks you’ve got poem monuments on which imperial pilgrims used to write.”
Chikatsuyu: “The river played an important part for pilgrims. On their way, they’d do lots of purification,” says Towle. Chikatsuyu, a village in a river valley, is a popular stop, with accommodation, shops and cafes.
Tsugizakura-oji: Towle says: “Here, you’ve got gigantic trees. You can really get a feel for Japanese spiritual origins, the nature worship, the awe of the natural environment...”
Shrine one: Kumano Hongu Taisha
From Takijiri-oji to the first main shrine is roughly a two-day walk. Important symbols here include a three-legged crow called Yatagarasu, who, Japanese mythology says, was heaven-sent to guide the first emperor across the mountains. “It’s also the crest for the football team of Japan,” Towle points out, “so at the shrines where the national soccer team has come to pray you’ll see lots of signed balls and jerseys.”
Hongu village: Kumano Hongu Heritage Center has exhibits on the region’s history and culture. You can pick up a booklet here to collect stamps along the Kumano Kodo. There’s also a signpost for the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the world’s only other Unesco-listed pilgrimage route. If you walk both you can be certified a “dual pilgrim”.
EN ROUTE TO KUMANO HAYATAMA TAISHA
Shrine two: Kumano Hayatama Taisha The second of the three Kumano grand shrines is in the coastal city of Shingu. “The original object of worship here was a big boulder called Gotobiki-iwa, right on the edge of the cliff overlooking the city. You’ve got a steep stone staircase you have to climb up, it’s quite an adventure,” says Towle.
CLOSE TO KUMANO NACHI TAISHA
Katsuura Onsen: This fishing port is famous for tuna, and there are more ryokan here with hot spring baths.
Shrine three: Kumano Nachi Taisha
The last of the three major shrines can be reached on a two-day advanced mountain trek from Hongu, or up a short tree-lined staircase if arriving by road. It’s a photogenic spot, with mountain and waterfall views. There’s a Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple here and a hollow camphor tree. Towle explains: “It’s believed to be the womb of nature so when you pass through it you can get purified and your wish will be granted.”
For further information on the region, visit tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/
BOOK IT
InsideJapan has a 14-night Pilgrims’ Paths self-guided trip incorporating the Kumano Kodo from £3,160pp (excluding international flights). It starts with Tokyo and Kyoto and features ryokan stays, hot springs and temple lodgings. It includes all transfers, some private guiding, breakfast and other meals and experiences. InsideJapan’s 14-night Honshu Hiking trip links the Kumano Kodo and Nakasendo trails. Three- to five-night Kumano Kodo modules can also be added to other trips.
• InsideJapanTours.com
TOKYO WALKS
Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau can suggest several simple walking routes within the city. These include:
∙ From Sensoji Temple to the Sky Tree, taking in food stalls, craft workshops and the river.
∙ From the wetland surrounds of Meijil Jingu shrine to the famous Shibuya Scramble road crossing via rooftop Miyashita Park and alleyways with boutiques and cafes.
∙ From whimsical Ghibli animation museum to the bars of Harmonica Yokocho, passing through Inokashira Park, which features a zoo.
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