Kumano Kodo pilgrimage hike and autumn leaves viewing in Japan 2016 – Trip Overview

After a successful trip to Japan to walk the Nakasendo Trail in late spring 2016 with some good friends, we set our sights on walking the more challenging Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route in the Kii Peninsula. We had already planned to visit Japan in autumn to experience the famous and magnificent autumn foliage around Kyoto and adding in a week’s hike in the mountainous Kii Peninsula in November was not a bad idea.

Weather-wise, November is a good time to hike the ancient route through the forests and mountains. In summer, the weather would be wet, hot and humid. Who needs more of that when I experience such weather daily in my home country. The weather forecasted for November is dry and cool and we may even get a chance to see some colourful autumn foliage along the journey.

What is Kumano Kodo?

For thousands of years, emperors, aristocrats, common folks have made the pilgrimage trek across the Kii Peninsula to Kumano. The focus of the Kumano pilgrimage is to worship at the three Grand Shrines of Kumano. As a set they are referred to as the Kumano Sanzan: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha.

Walking the ancient Kumano Kodo is a fantastic way to experience the unique cultural landscape of Kumano's spiritual countryside. Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes were also registered as UNESCO World Heritage in 2004. There are actually many routes to the shrines such as the Nakahechi (route used by the emperors!), the Kohechi (The Mountainous Route to Kumano) , the Ohechi (The Coastal Route to Kumano) and the Iseji (The Eastern Route to Kumano).
What is good for royalty is good for us! Besides, the Nakahechi Route was the most popular. This trail has traditional lodgings in isolated villages along the way and is excellent for multi-day walks.

The best way to plan and book our Kumano Kodo adventure was through the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau website. The suggested itineraries were simply excellent.

We chose the 5 days/4 nights Nakahechi Route from Takijiri to Hongu, boat ride to Shingu & train to Nachi. The detailed itinerary can be found here. This itinerary included a variety of experiences related to the ancient Kumano pilgrimage and was one of the less strenuous options. The most strenuous one in my opinion would be the 6 days/5 nights route that include a challenging day crossing of a steep mountain pass called the Ogumotori-goe. Being unsure of our fitness level, we decided to stick to the relatively “sissy” option.

The route we selected included some walks on the main portion of the Nakahechi pilgrimage, a visit to all three Kumano Grand Shrines, a trip on a traditional boat, and a few nights in onsen villages to enjoy the hot springs. There is a diversity of walks: a bit of challenge (first two days) with some steeper climbs and descents (without being exhausting!) and easier highlight walks around the shrine areas (last 3 days). All accommodations in the villages were booked easily via the bureau and we actually added a few extra days (a side trip and overnight stay at Kawayu Onsen and an extra night at Kii-Katsuura) to the proposed itinerary.

This is the overview of our trip.

Day 1 (13 November 2016)

Travel from home to Kansai International Airport.

Upon arrival, forward our main luggage to our hotel (in Nara) after Kumano Kodo hike so we only carry what is needed for the Kumano Kodo hike in backpacks.

Hineno Station has direct train to Kii-Tanabe and is just one stop by train from the airport. So Hineno is a good place to stay for the night since we arrived late.

Where I stayed: Kanku Joytel Hotel at Hineno. This hotel is conveniently located just next to the Hineno train station.

Trip report: Prelude to our Kumano Kodo Nakahechi hike – Hineno and Kii-Tanabe.

Day 2 (14 November 2016)

Travel by train from Hineno to Kii-Tanabe (duration 1.5 hours).
Travel by public bus from Kii-Tanabe to Takijiri (duration ~40 minutes).

Walk KUMANO KODO - Takijiri-oji to Takahara (3.7 km, ~2.5 hours)

Where I stayed: Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge. There are not many places to stay at Takahara. Try to book this accommodation as early as possible.

View of the mist over the Kii mountain ranges from the Kiri-no-Sato Lodge in the morning.

Trip report: From Takijiri-Oji to Takahara on the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Pilgrimage Route.

Day 3 (15 November 2016)

Walk KUMANO KODO – Takahara to Chikatsuyu-Oji (9 km, 5 to 6 hours).

Where I stayed: Minshuku Chikatsuyu. Nice minshuku located next to a river. This minshuku has its own onsen.

Trip report: Morning at Kiri-no-Sato Lodge at Takahara.

Trip report: From Takahara to Chikatsuyu–Day 2 of the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi hike.

Trip report: Evening at Chikatsuyu village and excellent tofu nabe served at Minshuku Chikatsuyu.

Day 4 (16 November 2016)

Take bus to Hongu and transfer to a bus that bring us to the start of the trail at Hosshinmon-oji.

Walk KUMANO KODO - Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha (7 km, 3 hours). See the giant Torii Gate and Hongu Taisha, one of the three main Kumano shrines.

After the walk, take the public bus to Yunomine Onsen for overnight stay.  Yunomine Onsen is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan and directly connected with the Kumano Kodo. It is a quaint little collection of inns tucked into a small valley. Each accommodation has their own hot spring bath (onsen), and there is a special public bath called Tsuboyu. This bath was used by pilgrims past to purify themselves with the hot water. Tickets are sold at the booth next to the temple.

Where I stayed: Yoshinoya Ryokan at Yunomine Onsen. In addition to the typica shared indoor onsen, this ryokan features a free private outdoor onsen in a nice garden setting.

Trip report: Enjoying the morning and autumn leaves at Chikatsuyu-Oji.

Trip report: Walk from Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha – Day 3 on the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail.

Trip report: Visiting the Grand Shrine (Kumano Hongu Taisha) and the O-Torii ( Japan’s largest Torii Gate) at Oyunohara.

Trip report: Yoshinoya Ryokan at Yunomine Onsen.

Day 5 (17 November 2016)

Have a soak at the Tsuboyu public bath in the morning.

Tsuboyu is a small cabin by the creek that runs through Yunomine Onsen.This bath is private use for 1~2 people for 30 minutes. It is a first-come first-serve bath with no reservations. It is the only hot spring that you can bathe in that is registered as UNESCO World Heritage. It is also very popular with couples.

Try also to cook eggs using the hot spring by the creek. This is a fun activity.

After check-out, travel to Kawayu Onsen by public bus. “Kawa” means “river” and “yu” means “hot water”. In Kawayu Onsen hot spring water bubbles to the surface of the crystal clear river.

You can dig your own hot bath or bathe in a prepared one by the river. We added a night’s stay at Kawayu Onsen to the original itinerary proposed by the Kii-Tanabe Tourism website.

Where I stayed: Fujiya Ryokan at Kawayu Onsen. This is one of the best ryokans in Kawayu Onsen and ideally located next to the hot springs by the river.

Trip report: A dip in the UNESCO World Heritage Tsuboyu at Yunomine Onsen.

Trip report: Exploring legends and history at Yunomine Onsen.

Trip report: Enjoying a hot bath by the river at Kawayu Onsen.

 

Day 6 (18 November 2016)

From Kawayu Onsen, take the morning Kumano Kotsu Bus that would bring us to the Kumanogawa River Boat Tour Centre located in the small riverside village of Hitari.

Travel like ancient pilgrims in a boat down the Shingu river and visit the Kumano Hayatama Taisha shrine at the end of the boat ride.

Take a train or bus to Kii-Katsuura for overnight stay.

Where I stayed: Hotel Charmant in Kii-Katsuura. Value hotel with western style rooms, located near the train station.

Trip report:  Kumano Kodo – travelling by traditional river boat from Hongu to Shingu to visit the Kumano Hayatama Taisha.

Trip report: Visit to Kumano Hayatama Taisha at Shingu and evening at Kii-Katsuura.

Day 7 (19 November 2016)

Visit the fish market in Kii-Katsuura at 7 AM. Note: It was closed on this day when we came!

Take bus to Nachi and walk KUMANO KODO -  Daimon -zaka. (Distance:~1.5 km. Time: ~1 hrs). Daimon-zaka is picturesque stone staircase with giant trees lining the way.

Visit Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and the Nachi Falls.

Where I stayed: Hotel Urashima in Kii-Katsuura.

Hotel Urashima Resort & Spa features a cavernous hot spring bath with a wondrous view of the Pacific Ocean from its cavern and buffets centered on locally caught tuna. There are seven baths scattered throughout the facility including one in a cave overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We added a visit to Hotel Urashima to the original itinerary to enjoy hot spring baths by the ocean.

Trip Report: Walking up the Daimon-zaka to Kumano Nachi Taisha and seeing the Nachi Falls, tallest waterfall in Japan.

Trip report:  Hotel Urashima Resort and Spa in Kii-Katsuura for cave onsens and a beautiful sunrise over the Pacific.

Day 8  (20 November 2016)

Wake up early to see sunrise from the Sunrise Terrace in the hotel.

Visit the fish market (again) in Kii-Katsuura at 7 AM.

Travel from Kii-Katsuura to Nara by train.

Where I stayed: Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara Eki at Nara. This hotel is conveniently located next to the JR Nara Station.

Trip report: Visit to the Kii-Katsuura Fish Market.

Trip report: From Kii-Katsuura to Nara by train and evening in Nara.

Day 9  (21 November 2016)

Explore Nara and enjoy the autumn leaves and friendly deers at Nara Park.

Where I stayed: Super Hotel Lohas JR Nara Eki at Nara.

Trip report: Exploring Nara Park in Autumn (Part 1) - Todai-ji Temple, Nigatsu-do Hall.

Trip report: Exploring Nara Park in Autumn (Part 2) – Kasuga Taisha and Sagi-Ike and Ara-Ike Ponds.

Trip Report: Maguro Koya tuna restaurant in Nara.

Day 10  (22 November 2016)

Travel from Nara to Kyoto by train. Visit Tofukuji Temple on the way.

Usually best in the second half of November, Tofukuji Temple displays some of Kyoto's most spectacular autumn foliage.

Time permitting, visit Fushimi Inari Shrine which is located near to Tofukuji Temple.

 

In the night, walk to Kodaiji Temple, known for its evening illuminations. The sight of the lit up maple leaves, reflecting on the surface of the temple's pond, are particularly breath-taking.

Where I stayed: APA Hotel Kyoto Gion Excellent at Kyoto. This hotel is conveniently located at the Higashiyama/Gion area. Ideal for our itinerary as many places we wanted to visit are near to Gion.

Trip report: Kyoto’s Tofukuji Temple in autumn.

Trip report: Visit to the Fushimi Inari Shrine and hike all the way to the summit of Mount Inari.

Trip report: Okonomiyaki at Issen Yosyoku.

Trip report: Kodai-ji Temple– special autumn evening light up.

Day 11  (23 November 2016)

Visit Ginkakuji Temple with its Silver Pavilion.

Walk down Philosopher Path to Honen-in Temple, Eikando Temple, and Nanjenji Temple to see the autumn leaves.

In the afternoon and evening, do some shopping at Teramachi-dori, Nishiki market and Shijo-dori area.

Where I stayed: APA Hotel Kyoto Gion Excellent at Kyoto.

Trip report: Exploring Kyoto’s Northern Higashiyama district in autumn– Ginkaku-ji, Honen-in, Eikando and Nanzenji.

Trip report: Shopping at Teramachi and Shinkyogoku shopping arcades, Nishiki market and tonkatsu dinner at the Katsukura Shijo Higashinotoin.

Trip report: Yasaka Shrine, Gion Shirakawa and Pontocho Alley at night.

Day 12  (24 November 2016)

Visit Arashimaya area.
Explore the Bamboo Forest enroute to Okochi-Sanso Villa. The villa is known for its fabulous garden and is especially beautiful in autumn.

Visit Otagi Nenbutsu with its numerous stone Rakans.

Note: We skipped Tenryu-ji Temple since we had visited the temple in spring. Else, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth a visit.

Where I stayed: APA Hotel Kyoto Gion Excellent at Kyoto.

Trip report: Exploring Arashiyama and Sagano (Part 1)– Bamboo groves, Okochi Sanso Villa and Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street.

Trip report: Exploring Arashiyama and Sagano (Part 2 )– Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, Saga-Toriimoto Preserved Street and the Kimono Forest.

Trip report: Crab indulgence at the Kani Doraku Kyoto Honten.

Day 13  (25 November 2016)

Visit Kiyomizudera Temple and the shopping streets of Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka. See Ishibei-koji Lane and Nene-no-Michi Lane.

Travel from Kyoto to Kobe in the late afternoon. We forward our luggage to our hotel in Kobe for ease of travel.

For dinner, try Kobe beef at Steakland Kobe. Must try in Kobe – Kobe beef!

Where I stayed: Sannomiya Terminal Hotel at Kobe. This is hotel conveniently located within the Sannomiya Train Station complex, a transportation hub in Kobe.

Trip report: Visit to Kiyomizu-dera Temple and the Southern Higashiyama area in autumn.

Trip report: Lunch at Ramen Sen No Kaze in Kyoto.

Trip report: From Kyoto to Kobe and evening around Sannomiya.

Day 14  (26 November 2016)

Do a day trip to visit Himeji Castle from Kobe by train. Himeji is less than an hour by train from Kobe.

After visiting Himeji Castle, travel back to Kobe to have lunch at the Wakkoqu (Kobe beef Teppanyaki restaurant) before exploring Kobe’s historic Kitano-cho district.

Visit Harbourland area in the evening. After dinner, walk around Meriken Park with views of waterfront and Kobe Port Tower.

Where I stayed: Sannomiya Terminal Hotel at Kobe.

Trip report: Trip to Himeji Castle from Kobe.

Trip report: Return to the Wakkoqu Kobe beef restaurant and afternoon at Kobe’s historic Kitano-cho district.

Trip report: Kobe Harborland and Meriken Park at night.

Day 15  (27 November 2016)

Travel from Kobe to Osaka by train.
Do some shopping and eating at Osaka’s Umeda area. Visit Grand Front Osaka - go see the Northern Building, with its Knowledge Capital and Umekita floor.
Visit Umeda Sky Tower Observatory for sunset and night views, if weather is good.

Where I stayed: Hotel Monterey Osaka at Umeda Osaka. This hotel is conveniently located within walking distance to the Umeda/Osaka Station in Osaka.

Trip report: A nice and unusual hotel and a rainy day in Umeda, Osaka.

Day 16  (28 November 2016)

Visit Kuromon Ichiba Market in the morning. Go with an empty stomach to enjoy Osaka’s street food, especially seafood.
Explore Osaka’s Namba district, e.g. Shinsaibashi street, Dotonburi.

Dotonburi is especially lively and beautiful at night.

Where I stayed: Hotel Monterey Osaka at Umeda Osaka.

Trip report: Exploring Osaka Namba area – Kuromon Ichiba Market.

Trip report: Exploring Osaka Namba area – Dotonbori Street and Shinsaibashi Shopping Street.

Trip report: Exploring Osaka Namba area – Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) dinner at Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M restaurant.

Day 17  (29 November 2016)

Visit the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and see the whale shark in a giant 9 meter deep tank.

Dinner at Dotonburi before collecting luggage from hotel and head for the airport for late night flight home.

Trip report: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.

Some other points and comments about the above itinerary

Late November and early December is one of the best times to visit Japan, especially Kyoto, since it is the Autumn leaves season. The actual dates for the peak of the autumn leaves depends on the location in Japan and also weather for the year. It is not easy to time the visit to co-incide with the peak of the fall foliage but autumn leaves season typically last 2 to 3 weeks, unlike the cherry blossoms which only last a few days! Check the autumn leaves forecast websites to get latest information on the forecast for the year while planning the trip.

Luggage Forwarding Service or Takuhaibin is a convenient service for sending parcels, luggage and various other types of goods from door to door nationwide. Delivery is usually on the next day, and costs are moderate. We made use of this service to make our travels much more pleasant and enjoyable. No need to lug our suitcases up the trains, buses, elevators and through crowded stations and malls. Worth every yen spent!

For the Kumano Kodo hike, there are also luggage forwarding services from one village to the other that could be booked via the Tanabe City Tourism Website. I did not use this service as the cost was much higher than the usual Takuhaibin Service. The higher cost is understandable since the business volume is not high. In a way, the service is almost a personalised service. We chose to carry what we need for our Kumano Kodo hike through the Kii-Peninsula in backpacks and forwarded the rest of our luggage to a hotel after our Kumano Kodo trek. Having to carry what we need for the Kumano Kodo trek on our backs actually added to the overall experience!

Check out this article for tips on packing for the pilgrimage hike.

The hotels in Kyoto and Osaka are generally more expensive during the peak autumn foliage season. To save some money, we chose to stay a few days in Kobe (with cheaper accommodations than Osaka and Kyoto) and used Kobe as a base to explore areas like Himeji and Kobe rather than make day trips to visit Himeji or Kobe from Kyoto or Osaka. Kobe could potentially be a base for day-trips out to explore Osaka or Kyoto as well.

Local cuisine is one of the things to enjoy while visiting a country. Japanese cuisine is one of the yummiest and comes very well presented too. I have included some of the food we tried and restaurants we visited in the trip journal. Many regions and cities have their local specialities. We try to experience them if we could.

Japan is trying to make the country more tourist friendly and free wi-fi are available in most areas that tourists frequent. However, connection is spotty and may not be available when we need them the most. We bought Prepaid Data SIMs for use in my smartphone and use tethering to share with my travelling companions. Armed with portable internet access at all times, I could refer to Hyperdia on my smartphone to check up trains times, routes and platform information on the go. Many mobile data plans are available at this econnect website. They delivered the ordered SIM card to my hotel in Hineno.

For long travels across cities, e.g. Kyoto to Kobe, Kii-Katsuura to Nara, rail passes can potentially save money. It is also for convenience. There are many to chose from at the JR West website and can be confusing as to which is the most suitable. For the itinerary above, we did not find any rail passes that could help us save money. So, we just buy our tickets as we go.

Train service to Kii-Tanabe is not very frequent and it is a long ride. The KUROSHIO Express that links the cities in the Kii-Peninsula (e.g. Kii-Tanabe and Kii-Katsuura) with Osaka and Kyoto runs through Hineno which is one station away from the Kansai Airport. This makes Hineno a perfect place to stay if we have an early plane to catch or if we are arriving late in the evening.

We took local buses in Kii Peninsula. The buses are also not very frequent, unlike those in big cities. Get and print the latest updated bus schedules from the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau website.

 Lastly, a word about hotels and ryokans/minshukus.
I booked my hotels about 6 months before my travel dates. Rooms in Japanese hotels are very small by comparison to other countries and there are more smoking rooms than non-smoking rooms. Also, more single and twins rooms than doubles. So, I booked early (with free cancellations at Booking.com) to get the non-smoking rooms and also the rooms with large double beds. Be careful about double beds. Some hotels market their super-single sized beds as small doubles!

One of my main criteria for hotel is location. Preferably, within walking distance to train and bus stations and also near to places to visit. There are more eateries and shops found around the Japanese train stations. In this trip, I stayed in the Gion area while in Kyoto as that was where most temples with excellent fall foliage were located.

Ryokans and minshukus in the small rural villages along the Kumano Kodo routes are limited. So, I need to book well ahead of the trip.  The Tanabe City Tourism Bureau website is highly recommended. Payment needs to be made in advance but the good thing is that I don’t have to carry too much cash during the hike. And payment is by cash only in the small villages.

Half the fun in going for a do-it-yourself vacation is in the planning. With the above plan, the 17 days trip through Central Japan and the Kii Peninsula went without a hitch and was truly amazing and enjoyable. More details about the trip could be found in the trip journals.

Hope you find the above itinerary and trip overview useful.

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Prelude to our Kumano Kodo Nakahechi hike – Hineno and Kii-Tanabe –

14 November 2016 

Kii-Tanabe is a city located on the west coast of the Kii Peninsula. Typical tourists would be unlikely to set foot on this town but for those who wants to walk the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi trail, Kii-Tanabe would be a good place to stay the night before embarking on the epic ancient pilgrimage trail across the rugged mountains to the Kumano shrines located near the eastern part of the peninsula. The best way to get to Kii-Tanabe is by the Kuroshio express train which runs along the entire coast of the Kii pensinsula from Osaka, southwards to Wakayama, Kii-Tanabe on the western coasts and on to Shingu on the eastern side of the peninsula.

For us, we chose to stay in the small town of Hineno instead of Kii-Tanabe on the eve of our Kumano Kodo journey. Hineno is located just one station away from the Kansai International Airport where we flew into Japan on the night of 13 November. The best place to stay in Hineno for my itinerary is the Kanku Joytel Hotel. The hotel is located just a few minutes walk (see map below) from the JR Hineno train station where we need to catch the 8.30 AM Kuroshio express train to Kii-Tanabe the next morning.  This hotel offers free but infrequent (10 PM and 11 PM) shuttle bus transfers from the airport for guests who arrived at night. We just managed to take the 10 PM shuttle bus for the 20 minutes ride to the hotel. Otherwise, we would have taken a JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service train, and alight at the JR Hineno Station.

Map of area around Hineno Station given by Kanku Joytel Hotel.

Tip: There was a 7-eleven convenient store near the station that was still operating at night for those who needs to stock up on some snacks and drinks.

Upon check-in, the staff handed me a package containing my econnect data SIM that I had ordered to be delivered to the hotel. Configuration of the SIM card was easy and the package even included a paper clip for me to eject the SIM card tray from my phone. 

After a simple breakfast of cup noodles brought from home, we arrived early at the JR Hineno Station. I noticed that the locals arrived only a few minutes before their intended train. For us, we tend to play it safe and spend time on the empty platform waiting for our train to arrive. 

Tickets for the trains could be bought from vending machines with options for the English language. We wanted to book the cheaper unreserved seats but the helpful staff at the Hineno Station who voluntarily helped us with the automated ticket machine unwittingly chose the reserved-seat tickets for us. So we ended up paying a little more for our tickets. No big deal. Simple communication error.

The Kuroshio express train from Hineno to Kii-Tanabe took about 1.5 hour and we arrived promptly at 10 AM after a very comfortable ride on plush cushioned seats in an almost empty cabin.

From Kii-Tanabe, Kumano Kodo pilgrims and trekkers will need to take a 40 minutes bus ride to Takijiri, the start of the Nakahechi trail. This bus actually runs between Kii-Tanabe and the Hongu area where the Hongu Taisha Shrine is located. At the Hongu area, there are a few onsens villages such as Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu Onsen and Wataze Onsen, good places to use as a base to visit the shrines and do short day hikes on the Kumano Kodo trails.

As we left the train station, we saw some folks already queuing for the next bus outside the station. We chose to spend some time exploring Kii-Tanabe first since our Day 1 hike is short and would take less than 3 hours. There is a tourist information centre at the train station providing information about the town and mostly about the Kumano Kodo trail. Tickets for the bus ride to Takijiri (960 yen) are also sold at the center, via a ticket vending machine.

 

Signboard showing the location of Kii-Tanabe in the Kii-Peninsula.

After confirming the schedule of the bus to Takijiri-oji, we decided to walk to the nearby beach and park. Most of the restaurants are still closed before 11 AM! It was not surprising as we had similar experiences during our Nakasendo trip earlier in the year.

Ogigahama Park.

While it was nice to see the ocean, there wasn’t much to do at the sea-side. Just relax and enjoy the breeze. However, I did learnt that the Japanese take their earthquake and tsunami warnings and drills seriously. We were in earthquake country after all!

 

Walking back to the train and bus station, we stopped by a bakery shop to buy our lunch for our Day 1 hike. There would be no food or drinks available for sale from Takijiri-oji to Takahara along the mountain trail.  We had also brought our favourite Snicker bars as our “combat ration” for this trip.

Back at the Kii-Tanabe station, we boarded the 11.35 AM bus to Takjiri-oji. The bus was surprisingly full and that was where we met our hiking companions for Day 1. A couple of ladies, one elderly lady accompanied by a younger lady who was close to our age (I reckoned), boarded the bus after us. We overhead their conversation with the bus driver and asking if the bus goes to Takijiri-oji. 

It looked like there would be other folks on the same journey on this day. Hopefully, not the entire bus loads!

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From Takijiri-Oji to Takahara on the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Pilgrimage Route Day 1

14 November 2016

We alighted at the Takijiri-oji bus-stop about 45 minutes after boarding the bus at the Kii-Tanabe Station. Although the bus was almost full. Only 4 persons alighted - the two ladies I mentioned in the previous post and us. The rest of the passengers seemed to be heading for Hongu Taisha Shrine and/or one of the onsen villages around Hongu area.

The 4 of us were the only persons doing the hike from Takijiri to Takahara. There was a man at the bus-stop holding a sign with the names of the the two ladies. He was there to meet them and collect their luggage for forwarding to Takahara.

 

This personalised luggage forwarding service is available between the villages along the Kumano Kodo trail but we had chosen not to use it.

 

The Kumano Kodo Kan Pilgrimage Centre is located across the river from the bus stop. This is a visitor centre that was worth a visit, to learn more about the journey we were about to embark on.

This is what the pilgrims in the Heian era ( AD791-1191) would be wearing as they crossed the rugged but sacred mountains of the Kii Peninsula to the Kumano shrines. 

 

I was hopeful of seeing colourful autumn foliage along the trail and I was glad to see this sight in Takijiri. It looked like our timing for seeing the autumn foliage is quite good.

Takijiri-oji is the start of the ancient Nakahechi Kumano Kodo trail to the Kumano Shrines. From here, we would be walking 3.7 km uphill  to the village of Takahara where we would be spending the night.  

A friendly cat came to say hello as we took some selfies.

 

I think of the Amazing Race every time I see this photo! The start of an amazing  journey on the UNESCO World Heritage Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route over the next 5 days.

A distinctive characteristic of the Kumano Kodo are Oji, subsidiary shrines of the Kumano deity, which line the route. These were important sites of religious rites and offerings and are still essential elements of the Kumano pilgrimage.

The start of the trail is located just behind the Takijiri-oji. Takijiri-oji is a very important spot on the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage route and one of the five major Oji shrines.  There were once extensive halls, a bath house, lodgings for pilgrims, and residences for priests, priestesses and monks located here. 

We started climbing the trail while the two ladies, which we spoke to at the Information Centre, lingered to take pictures at Takijiri-Oji. They were from Australia and had stayed a couple of days at Koyasan before coming over to do the Kumano Kodo trail. The elderly woman was much older than us and I must salute her for her sense of adventure and physical fitness.

    Beginning of the trail near Takijiri-oji. 

The terrain was rugged and the trail may not be too obvious at times. Wooden Kumano Kodo signposts were located every few hundred metres, providing assurances that we were on the right track.

  “Not Kumano Kodo Sign”.

Occasionally, we spotted “Not Kumano Kodo” signs like the one above which was useful too. 

Ten minutes into the trek, we were perspiring and no longer wearing our jackets.

One of the first highlight of this Day 1 walk was a cave called Tainai-kuguri. It is said that pilgrims can test their faith by climbing and squeezing through a crack in the rock. Superstition has it that a woman would have a smooth delivery if they can perform this feat.

Crawl through that space? No thanks.

Next up is the Chichi-iwa rock, translated as “milk rock” and associated with another local legend. Apparently, a lady of a powerful clan gave birth in this cave, left the baby in the cave and continued with their pilgrimage. A wolf came and saved the baby by dripping milk down the rock. The parents, on their returned journey, collected the baby who went on to be Izumi Saburo Tadahira.

Chichi-iwa rock, translated as “milk rock” with a small figurine clad in red cloth beneath it.

It was interesting to read the informative signage at some of the Oji. Each has its story.

  I stopped to drop a coin at an oji, just like what the ancient pilgrims may do.

Nezu-oji remains  - one of the many “oji’” along the way. Each with a story.

The trail was mostly up and up. It was good to take it slow and stopped to rest when needed. While we stopped to use the 3G connection to send our some pictures to folks back home, the Aussie couple overtook us.

Our “travelling companions” ahead of us.

We were to encounter them a few times along the trail. We would overtake them while they rested and then they would do the same while we rested. They were the only persons we met on this part of the trail from Takijiri to Takahara.

There was a lookout point along the way that requires a short detour. Steep steps, some almost reaching my knees, led to the lookout point.

Steps leading to a lookout point. Look at the height of each step! Almost reaching my knee.

The views at the top was worth the climb.

After a breather at the lookout point, we followed  the stairs down the other side of the peak to join up with the main route below. Any descent at one stretch means more ascending to do at a later part of the trail.

Just when you thought that you have reached the peak, you realised that there is more hill to climb ahead!

We finally arrived at the outskirts of the Takahara village.

Nice views along the ridge leading into the village.

 

Takahara is known as "Kiri-no-Sato" (Village in the Mist) because the scenic
mountain vistas are often blanketed with mist. Walking into Takahara reminded me of my previous Nakasendo Walk. It was interesting to see the rural part of Japan and how the villagers lived.

Ha ha – a villager that is friendly to birds (with offerings of sunflower seeds) but not so friendly to humans (Electric fence in use).

Some kind of fungus growing on the fence. It shows the weather at Takahara is moist and humid most of the time.

We reached Takahara at about 3.45 PM which meant we took about 3 hours to complete the journey for Day 1.

 

Sit and enjoy the views and breeze before looking for our accommodation for the night.

Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge (our accommodation in Takahara) is located on high ground in the village and it was quite easy to locate in the small village.

Road leading to Kiri-no Sato Lodge.

I stopped to take pictures of a shy cat hiding in the bush.

We arrived at the lodge just before 4 PM and met the Aussie ladies who were already at the lobby. We were warmly welcomed and served hot drinks by the staff of the Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge. We chatted with our fellow travellers at the open-air terrace overlooking the valley before heading to our rooms.

We chose to book the Western style room and also included dinner, breakfast and a lunch box for the next day.

View from our room at Kiri-No-Sato Lodge.

The rooms at the lodge faced the valley below, with views of the Hatenasi Mountains in the distance where Koyasan is located. Hongu, where the Kumano Hongu shrine is located, is on the right of the mountain range but not visible.

The best thing to do before dinner and after a strenuous trek is a hot bath at the lodge’s onsen.  I had the onsen all to myself as it seemed that there were more ladies than men on the Nakahechi trail on this day. After the onsen, we put on yukatas provided in the bedroom and went to the lobby cum dining area for dinner.  As usual, we were overfed with delicious local cuisine while staying in Japanese guesthouses.

Here are pictures of the food served during dinner at Kiri-no-Sato Takahara Lodge.

Day 1 of my Kumano Kodo hike on the Nakahechi route was mostly uphill, steep and strenuous at times and completely safe. I really enjoyed the workout in the nice cool November weather and was looking forward to Day 2.

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