Nine Days OF walking in wonder
on the ancient pilgrimage routes of the kumano kodo
oct 19 to 27, 2021
[0] Mon oct 18: Welcome dinner
Overnight in osaka (kix)
This is an optional dinner for those of us staying in Osaka KIX International Airport for the night. We will meet in the hotel lobby for a welcome dinner in the area and you will have a chance to meet the other members of the group, as well as to get oriented for the pilgrimage.
Meals: Dinner in local area (not included)
Accommodation: Western style business hotel (not included)
[1] tue oct 19: Crossing the threshold
transfer to kii-tanabe- hike from takijiri-oji to takahara-Overnight at takahara
After transferring our luggage (optional), we’ll leave KIX International Airport on a local train bound for Kii-Tanabe where we will join with Alena, our local guide. Kii-Tanabe is the historic and present day gateway to Kumano. From there, we’ll take a local bus to Takijiri-oji, our first oji shrine on this pilgrimage. After visiting the Pilgrimage Center for further orientation and an historical persperctive of the pilgrimage, we start our first day of walking: the trip to Takahara - also called kiri-no-sato or “mist village” since it’s often blanketed in fog, is short but very steep, and a real challenge for a pilgrim’s first day.
[Oji are the subsidiary shrines of the Kumano Grand Shrines that line the Kumano Kodo to protect and guide pilgrims. These shrines house the child deities of Kumano, and serve as places of worship and rest, and for 21st century pilgrims oji are the spots where we can stamp our Kumano Kodo passports.]
Hike: Nakahechi trail- Takijiri-oji to Takahara-
Distance: 4km/2.5mi- Time: 2 to 3 hours- Elevation: gain 430m/1,410 feet, loss 200m/656 feet
Meals:
- Breakfast: at Osaka KIX International Airport hotel (not included)
- Lunch: in Kii-Tanabe
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Guesthouse / futon on tatami mat
[2] wed oct 20: Making the Way by Walking
hike to chikatsuyu-oji- Overnight at chikatsuyu
After breakfast at the guesthouse, we are on the trail again for a long uphill to the remains of Uwadawa-jaya teahouse, one of the many teahouses that lined the pilgrimage route, traditionally offering places of rest as well as centers of exchange between the locals and the pilgrims. It is the highest point of this section of the trail at about 2,000 feet. From there, the trail steeply descends, sometimes with switchbacks, to the village of Chikatsuyu, situated at the center of the Kumano Nakahechi route, right by the Hiki-gawa river. Chikatsuyu-oji is one of the oldest oji shrines on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route.
Hike: Nakahechi trail- Takahara to Chikatsuyu
Distance: 9.4 km/6 miles- Time: about 7 hours- Elevation: gain 830m/2,722 feet, loss 650m/2,132 feet
Meals:
- Breakfast: at accommodation
- Lunch: lunch box on the trail
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Guesthouse / futon on tatami mat
[3] thu oct 21: Making the Way by Walking
hike to hongu Taisha- overnight at kawayu onsen
We’ll start early on the trail, and head for Kobiro-toge where we’ll take a local bus to Hosshinmon-oji. A major typhoon in 2011 caused a large crack in the mountain in this portion of the Nakahechi trail, and while a semi-permanent detour was created to avoid the area of instability, we will choose to avoid the area altogether, and instead continue on by bus to rejoin the trail at a later oji, Hossinmon-oji. From Hosshinmon-oji to Hongu Taisha, the hike is a beautiful and gentle descent among cedars. We then reach the first of the three major shrines on our pilgrimage: Hongu Taisha. All the Kumano pilgrimage routes radiate from this austere Grand Shrine whose Torii gate we will get a peek of, from a scenic lookout point on the trail. After visiting the site, we will transfer by local bus to our accommodation at Kawayu Onsen, a village on the Kumano-gawa river, famous for its naturally emerging hot springs and outdoors onsen.
Hike: Nakahechi trail-
Chikatsuyu to Kobiro-toge- Distance: 7km/4.5mi- Time: 3 hours- Elevation: gain 984m/300 feet, loss 100m/300 feet
Hosshinmon-oji to Hongu Taisha- Distance 7.5km/4.75mi - Time: 3 hours- Elevation: gain 190m/625 feet, loss 460m/1,510 feet
Meals:
- Breakfast: at accommodation
- Lunch: bento box for trail
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Ryokan with Onsen / futon on tatami mat
[An Onsen is a Japanese cultural icon. The term refers to a hot spring and all of its facilities. Japanese baths are the ultimate place to relax after a long day of walking.]
[4] fri oct 22: Letting go
rest day or hike/visit yunomine onsen and hongu- overnight at kawayu onsen
Today you have a choice of staying at the accommodation at Kawayu-Onsen or visiting Yunomine Onsen, a village with a history of over 1,800 years that was the site of hot water purification linked to the Kumano Pilgrimage due to its hot springs. If visiting Yunomine Onsen is your choice for the day, the Dainichi-goe route is a short but relatively steep trail over Mount Dainichi that links Hongu Taisha with Yunomine Onsen, through a forested area mainly of cedars and cypresses. So today, we will return to Hongu by local bus. After visiting the Heritage Center and, for those of us who have also walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, after receiving our Dual Pilgrim Completion status, we’ll walk to Yunomine Onsen, starting at the giant Torii gate that symbolizes Hongu. At the end of our day, we’ll transfer back to Kawayu Onsen by local bus to enjoy the hot springs and dinner at our ryokan.
[It’s interesting to note that the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage has been officially paired with the Camino de Santiago. A “Dual Pilgrim” program is administered by the tourism offices in both Tanabe City and in Santiago de Compostela. The dual pilgrim credential features the logos of both routes - the scallop shell for Spain and the three-legged raven or Yatagarasu for Japan. These two routes are the only pilgrimage routes currently designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.]
Hike: Dainichi-goe trail - Hongu to Yunomine Onsen
Distance: 2.2km/1.5mi- Time: 2 hours- Elevation: gain 250m/820 feet, loss 190m/625 feet
Meals:
- Breakfast: at accommodation
- Lunch: either on trail, in Hongu or at accommodation (not included)
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Ryokan with Onsen / futon on tatami mat
[5] sat oct 23: Embracing the Unknown
hike to koguchi- OVERNIGHT AT koguchi
The Kogumotori-goe trail is the first day of a two-day walk from the Hongu area to Kumano Nachi Taisha, the second Grand Shrine on our pilgrimage route. It is a climb and descent over a pass, mostly in forested mountains. Koguchi is a small settlement with a river running through it. Our accommodation for the night is a traditional facility with stone outdoor hot spring baths (Kumotori Onsen), tucked into the lush mountains, on the beautiful Takata river, a 30 minutes bus ride away from Koguchi.
Hike: Kogumotori-goe trail
Distance: 13km/8mi- Time: 6 hours- Elevation: gain 670m/2,200 feet, loss 690m/2,250 feet
Meals:
- Breakfast: at accommodation
- Lunch: on trail
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Onsen Facility / futon on tatami mat
[6] Sun oct 24: leaning into discomfort with grace and acceptance
Hike to Nachi- OVERNIGHT AT Nachi
On the second day of our two-day walk to Nachi-san, we take the Ogumotori-goe trail, one of the toughest sections of the Nakahechi route. The mid-section of the walk which climbs almost 2,500 feet in elevation over 3 miles is called Dogiri-zaka which can be translated by “body-breaking slope”. For hundreds of years pilgrims have labored up and down this seemingly endless slope. This is the day, you will thank yourself for remembering to bring your hiking poles. From the pass, the vastness of the Pacific Ocean can be seen on a clear day. The hike ends with a descent on stone steps arriving at the Nachi-san sanctuary, with a view of the spectacular Nachi-no-Otaki waterfalls, the tallest waterfall in Japan. Fortunately, our accommodation is right in Nachi-san so no more walking after arriving at the second Grand Shrine of Nachi Taki.
Hike: Ogumotori-goe trail
Distance: 14.2km/9mi- Time: 9 hours- Elevation: gain 1 260m/4,150 feet, loss 930m/3,000 feet
Meals:
- Breakfast: at accommodation
- Lunch: bento box for the trail
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Minshuku/ futon on tatami mat
[Minshuku are similar to Ryokan but family-run and with less formal service. Rooms are more simply-furnished and guests typically lay out their own futons.]
[7] mon oct 25: Beginning Again
visit NACHI TAKI- OVERNIGHT AT Kii-katsuura
Nachi-san, the second Grand Shrine of Kumano, is a spiritual compound built on a mountainside facing the Nachi-no-Otaki waterfall, a sacred cascade descending from the mountains, as if connecting this world with the spiritual cosmos. We’ll start the day with a buddhist service at the main temple, and take our time visiting this amazing site of worship. When it’s time to leave for the day, we’ll walk down the Daimon-zaka trail, an impressive cobblestone staircase (600m long with 267 stairs), lined with centuries old trees that runs from Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine sanctuary to the valley bottom, where we will catch a bus to transfer to Kii-Katsura, our destination for the night. Kii-Katsura is a lovely coastal town known for its hot springs (which you can enjoy free in the street -foot bath) and for its local tuna.
Hike: Daimon-zaka trail
Distance 0.5km/0.3mi- Time: less than1 hour- Elevation: loss of 267 stairs
Meals:
- Breakfast: at accommodation
- Lunch: at a local restaurant
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Ryokan with Onsen / futon on tatami mat
[8] tue oct 26: Beginning Again
Visit Hayatama Shrine- OVERNIGHT AT KII-katsuura
This morning, a short train ride will take us from Kii-Katsuura Station to Miwasaki Station. The Koya-zaka trail was traversed by pilgrims on their way from Shingu to Nachi. Miwasaki used to be a base for whaling and is still a fishing port. There are reminders along the Koya-zaka trail of the whaling tradition. There is the “whale Lookout” and the “Harpooner’s Stone Shrine”, both of which are registered as part of the UNESCO Heritage. As we walk toward Shingu, we will get great views of the Ojigahama Coast as we make our way to the Kumano Hayatama Taisha, the third of the Kumano Grand Shrines, dedicated to the God of Healing.
After lunch we will be walking the backstreets of Shingu to Kamikura Shrine. This shrine sits on a cliff and a flight of steep stone steps lead up to the shrine. It is said that this is the location where the Kumano deities descended first. It has been a location of worship since ancient times. Nowadays you are rewarded for walking up the steep steps with a view of Shingu City and the ocean beyond.
Hike: Koya-zaka Trail
Distance 1.5km/1mi- Time: about1hour - Elevation: no significant gain or loss
Meals:
- Breakfast: at accommodation
- Lunch: at a local restaurant or on trail
- Dinner: at accommodation
Accommodation: Ryokan with Onsen / futon on tatami mat
[9] wed oct 27: Coming Home
goodbye Breakfast- depart for kix- tanabe tourism office
This morning, we’ll celebrate our time together at breakfast and say goodbye. On our way back to KIX via train, we’ll have time, if needed, to stop at Tanabe’s tourism office to receive a Kumano Kodo certification of completion (if we did not already get one at Hongu on Day 4).
Hike: No walking today as this is our departure day
Meals:
- Breakfast: goodbye breakfast at accommodation
- Lunch: (not included)