Hiking the Kumano Kodo
The Kumano Kodo is an ancient pilgrimage trail network that spans across Japan’s Kii peninsula. For over 1,000 years, emperors, monks, samurai and pilgrims have walked these mountainous paths. Far away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo or Osaka, the pilgrimage is a great way to experience a different side of Japan.
We decided to take the Nakahechi Route, or the Imperial Route. This one is the most popular and filled with the most shrines, sacred sites, and the most beautiful parts of the forest. We hiked it in the middle of September. This time of year in Japan is hot and humid, but the rice fields and the forests are buzzing with summer’s vitality. The majority of the trail is shaded, so thankfully we were able to stay out of the sun for the most part.
Disclaimer: Our pilgrimage was about 53 miles long and took us four days and four nights to complete. We had to be back in Tokyo for a family reunion, so we didn’t have any wiggle room in our itinerary. That being said, we would not recommend doing it in this short of a time-frame. We felt a bit rushed and had no rest days. If we could go back, we would probably do it in a six day, six night stretch.
Disclaimer #2: The biggest logistical hurdle of the Kumano Kodo is accommodation. There are several options for guesthouses along the route, and all of them require you reserve a room well in advance. This process is complicated by the fact that few of these guesthouses have an online presence, and fewer still speak English.
Most foreign pilgrims go through the official Kumano Kodo website. They act as an intermediary between you and the guesthouses. They will help arrange your stays, meals and luggage transfers. This website is a great resource if you are planning your trip at least 30 days in advance. Last-minute bookings are not accepted.
The other option is to DIY it. It’s possible to save a bit of money this way, and this path offers more flexibility. But you have to speak Japanese, or know someone who does. Thankfully my mom does! And she helped us out with bookings by calling the properties directly and making arrangements. Thanks, mom :)
So, without further ado, here is our itinerary (take it with a grain of salt).
Day 0 - Tanabe
Tanabe is the launching point. It is a small coastal town that’s a two hour train ride south of Osaka. Right next to the Kii-Tanabe Station, is the Kumano Kodo Tourist Information Center. Here you can pick up maps, the stamp booklet, and the bus schedule. The staff speaks perfect English, and is happy to answer questions about the Kumano Kodo.
Adjacent to the station is a 7-11. We stocked up on snacks and also had our hardshell suitcases shipped to our hotel at the end of the trail, via a company called Yamato Transport. At a 7-11? I know. Japanese convenience stores are on a whole other level. The staff were incredibly helpful and filled out the forms in Japanese for us. All you need to know is your hotel’s address and what time you want them to drop it off. Two suitcases cost us around $22.
We also withdrew cash from the ATM here. The majority of the guesthouses, cafes, and small snack stations along the Kumano Kodo are cash-only. ATMs are very scarce along the trail. Thankfully, Japan is incredibly safe or we would’ve felt weird hiking in the middle of nowhere with that much money in our pockets.
We spent the night at Ichie Cafe in Tanabe, a traditional guesthouse attached to a small cafe. It was just a 10 minute walk from the station and they surprised us with Japanese cakes to take on the hike :)
Day 1 - Takijiri > Chikatsuyu
We started early and caught the 6:50am bus from the station to Takijiri, the official start point of the pilgrimage. The bus took about 40 minutes and we paid in cash (they don’t accept Pasmo/Suica cards on any of the buses along this route). There is a machine at the front of the bus that can make change for ¥1,000 bills, but otherwise you have to pay the driver in exact change. I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to paying cash on public transportation, for some reason. So I made sure to pay extra attention to this.
Takijiri is little more than a roadside rest stop. There is a small snack shop, public restrooms, and a second official Kumano Kodo Information Center, which opens at 9:00am. For those starting the hike early, it will be closed. The Takijiri-oji shrine, across the street from the information center, is where the first stamp box is and where the trail officially starts.
The first portion of the hike is a bit challenging with a lot of elevation gain. To be honest, we underestimated how many mountains the entire Nakahechi Route takes you over. The trail seemed like it was intentionally designed to summit each mountain for optimal pain. Sweat was coming from places we didn’t even know existed. It was fantastic.
The trail is marked every 500 meters or so by wooden Kumano Kodo signs that pointed us in the right direction. There are also shrines dotted along the path intermittently, some with accompanying signs which share anecdotes from previous (ancient) pilgrims. It was a really neat way to feel immersed in the history of the pilgrimage.
The highlight of the day was definitely the birthing rock. It is rite of passage for pilgrims to squeeze themselves through a tiny hole at the end of a small cave. They say good luck is bestowed on every pilgrims who chooses to do so. For us, it was a nice reminder to lose a couple pounds.
A few miles in, we passed through a small town called Takahara. There is a small observation area that overlooks the mountains, a hipster coffee cart, and a Japanese Obasan (granny) selling homemade mochi. Many pilgrims end their first day of trekking here. Looking back, we would’ve opted for this option if we had more time.
Several mountains and 10 miles later we reached the town of Chikatsuyu. Our generous host picked us up and drove us to his secluded guesthouse on the river which runs through Chikatsuyu. Our night at Manmaru Inn was one our favorites. The hosts were lovely people who prepared us a delicious traditional Japanese meal, sat with us, and shared several glasses of their favorite Shochu (rice alcohol) with us. That last part was maybe not the best idea, on our end. Even though we didn’t speak the same language, it was still a lot of fun trying to communicate and tell stories with one another.
The guesthouse also had a communal onsen room that overlooks the river. The perfect remedy for our sore muscles.
Day 2 - Chikatsuyu > Yunomine Onsen
This day was daunting. According to several sources, it would be the longest single-day stretch. Anywhere from 14 to 22 miles, depending on what source you’re looking at. Our host woke up early with us, cooked us fresh river fish for breakfast, and then dropped us off at the trailhead with two bento box lunches. This guy was an absolute champion.
Starting early was a great idea. The air was crisp. The sweltering humidity of the Japanese summer hadn’t set in yet.
Early on we passed the Old Trail Cafe, a small three seat cafe near Tsugizakura-Oji Temple. It is owned by a man from Bordeaux France, along with his Japanese Wife. We spent too long here, sipping flat whites and eating his freshly made croissants. Dennis was a fun guy to swap stories and jokes with. He shared many funny and interesting anecdotes about rural village politics, as well as some insight into the experience of being a foreign transplant in Japan.
A large section of the day’s trail was on paved roads. Landslides brought on by the 2011 tsunami destroyed large swathes of the trail in this area. The resulting detour took us through many small, quiet Japanese villages. The above picture is one local’s creatively-designed fountain - complete with cool drinks for sale via honesty box.
Several hours later, we made it to Yunomine Onsen town, Japan’s oldest hot spring town. For over 1,800 years, people have been going to Yunomine for the healing waters and to purify themselves before making the trek to the Kumano Hongu Taisha, an important temple.
We stayed at J-Hoppers Hostel, a well-run capsule hotel. Our booking included dinner and access to their private onsens (the best one is the onsen room on the left-hand side. It is the only one that is outdoors).
If we had more time, we would’ve stayed an extra day here as well. It is basically the halfway point, and taking the day to give our legs a rest would have set us up nicely for the final two days of the hike.
Day 3 - Yunomine Onsen > Koguchi
We started the next day by boiling eggs in the public onsen near the center of town. Some people will also book a time slot into the oldest onsen in the area or go to the public bathhouse, but we were happy with the one at our hostel.
Afterwards, it was a short trek to Oyunohara, the world’s largest torii gate. Of course, we took our typical tourist photos here (and did Tia for scale).
The most surprising part of the Kumano Kodo is how quiet it is. We saw the same handful of hikers throughout the whole trek, and big attractions such as Oyunohara were virtually empty (great for taking pictures).
After paying our respects and getting our fortune at the Kumano Hongu Taisha, we had an amazing lunch (and some cheeky beers) here. If anyone asks, I will blame the heavy lunch weighing us down, but it was at this point that we admitted defeat and took the bus the rest of the way to Koguchi. We went back and forth on this decision, but we knew physically the next day was going to be the hardest one of the whole pilgrimage. With over 4,000 feet in total elevation gain, we needed our legs to be well rested. We spoke with other travelers that day, and learned that taking the bus along the route is actually a pretty common thing to do (which helped our egos).
We ended the day at Shizen-no-ie. It is a larger guesthouse that has traditional Japanese rooms, dinner, and a communal onsen.
Day 4 - Koguchi > kuamno Nachi Taisha
This was the final day, and elevation wise, the most difficult. The trail would cover around 15 miles of mountainous paths. We began the day by raiding a vending machine of its Pocari Sweat stores. We read that there would only be one other water stop on the trail this day. At 7:30am, we set off.
The silver lining was that the hardest, most strenuous part of the trail was at the beginning. After that, the two other mountain passes seemed a lot less daunting (this was just a mental trick to stay motivated).
This day was arguably the most beautiful. The trail winds through towering trees. We even glimpsed monkeys swinging through the canopy at one point. Moss and ferns cover every surface. It felt like we stepped directly into a Ghibli film. We half expected to spot tree spirits clicking away in the branches above.
After scaling the first mountain (the incline really is no joke), the rest of hike went smoothly. The pass that winds down the mountain is affectionately named ‘the body breaking slope.’ It is a little tough on the knees, but was not as treacherous or as difficult as we had imagined. The only real hiccup of the day came when we arrived at the rest stop that was supposed to have drinks. There were two vending machines here. One broken, and the other only offering coffee. So we covered the final 2/3rds of the day’s trek buzzing on caffeine.
At last, we arrived at the Kumano Nachi Shrine complex. Another important shrine on the pilgrimage. As we came down the hill, we could see the red pagoda towering above the forest, with Nachi Falls crashing in the background. It was a sight that I will admit made one of us a bit teary-eyed (me). It truly is as stunning as the pictures make it look.
We arrived at the complex pretty late, so we unfortunately did not have that much time to explore it. However, it was still a great place to end the pilgrimage, and made all of the miles worth it. If we could go back, I would spend the next day exploring this shrine along with Hayatama Taisha, the final Kumano shrine.
The last bus to Nachi Station, or Kii-Katsura Station, left at 5:35pm. We just managed to catch it. We stayed the night at Jiyujiya Hostel and feasted on the finest food and beer, straight from Lawson :)
How much Does the kumano Kodo cost?
Here is a daily breakdown of how much we spent:
Day 1 Takijiri > Chikatsuyu:
Bus tickets to trail: ($13)
Water: ($6)
Mochi Snack ($2.5)
ManMaru Inn + 3 meals ($163)
Day 2 Chikatsuyu > Hongu:
Water: ($3.5)
Old Trail Cafe: ($11.5)
J-Hoppers Hostel ($77)
Towels for shower: ($1.5)
Beers: ($9)
Dessert: ($1.5)
Day 3 Hongu > Koguchi:
Breakfast Ramen+Curry @ Hostel: ($5.5)
Onsen Eggs: ($1.5)
Water: ($2)
Shrine Fortune ($2)
Splurge Lunch w/ Beers: ($30)
Bus to Koguchi: ($12)
Shizen-No-Ie Guesthouse + 3 meals: ($130)
A/C for Room: ($0.5)
Day 4 Koguchi > Nachi:
Water: ($6)
A Ton of Vending Machine Coffees: ($6)
Water: ($2.5)
Bus to Katsura ($8.50)
Jiyujiya Hostel: ($71)
Giant Lawson’s Dinner + Beer ($20)
Trip Total: $586 for two people ($146.50/day)
Ok, that is all! Thanks for reading :)
-Tia 