KUMANO KODO | Walking Japan’s Sacred Trail

KUMANO KODO | Walking Japan’s Sacred Trail

This time, I headed to Kumano Kodo,
an ancient pilgrimage route in Japan. First, I boarded the limited
express train ‘Kuroshio.’ It took about two hours to travel from Osaka Station
to Kii-Tanabe Station in Wakayama. The train was packed, but I managed to get a solo seat,
so it was pretty comfortable. After arriving at Kii-Tanabe Station,
I transferred to a bus. Then I traveled another two hours
through the mountains. The first destination was Yunomine Onsen. Its specialty is the world’s only
bathe-in World Heritage Site hot spring, ‘Tsuboyu.’ Perhaps because it was a holiday,
the wait time was quite long, so I tried one of the other highlights
a hot spring egg cooked in the natural spring water. At a spot called ‘Yuzutsu,’
you boil raw eggs for about 10–13 minutes, and the yolk becomes perfectly soft and melty—
making a delicious hot spring egg. I thought it was just a typical hot spring egg,
butI underestimated it. It was surprisingly delicious 🙂 After about an hour’s walk from Yunomine Onsen, I arrived at Kawayu Onsen,
where I would stay. Kawayu Onsen is a rare place where
hot spring heat sources lie just beneath the riverbed, and a little digging in the ground
on the riverbank will bring up hot water. This time, I stayed at
the hot spring ryokan “Omuraya”. The spacious Japanese style room was old
but clean and very comfortable. The view of the Oto River seen from
this large window was especially great. I was able to borrow a swimsuit
and sandals for free at the inn, so I changed and headed to the riverside. There is also an open-air bath by the river, where you can bathe while enjoying the view
of this beautiful emerald green river. This time I was able to stay for
about 10,000 yen per night, which included not only dinner
but also breakfast and lunch box the next day. The beer and delicious treats were exceptional
after the exhaustion of traveling 🙂 The second day is finally the day of
the Kumano Kodo trekking. First, I took a 30-minute bus ride
to the starting point, Hosshinmon-Oji. This time, I chose the “Nakahechi Course,”
which is popular among trekking beginners. This is a 7-km course walking from Hosshinmon-Oji, to the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine. The many gentle descents make it easy to walk and allow visitors to fully appreciate
the atmosphere of the ancient path. “Hosshinmon” means
the gate to awaken the mind in the Buddhist way, and this is the place where visitors purify themselves and make up their minds
to go to the main shrine. Finally, the trekking begins! The Kumano Kodo is not only a beautiful mountain road, but also includes villages and towns
along the way approach, allowing visitors to experience
both nature and culture. There are rest stops and vending
machines along the way, so you can enjoy trekking
without any tension. Iced coffee soaked into my tired body… Kumano Kodo is registered as a World Heritage site, and is quite unusual in that
the “road” itself is a registered site. Each of the landscapes in the rich nature
of the Kii Mountains are truly beautiful, and I felt as if my heart was being purified
with each photograph I took. The view from the observation deck that
I stopped before the goal was also excellent. On the way, I ate a lunch box given to me at the inn.
(As expected, it was a mess…lol) A delicious meal eaten in the midst
of nature is also exceptional. It took me about 3~4 hours to reach the goal
while taking pictures in a relaxed manner. Since it was mostly downhill,
it was not too hard as expected. Kumano Hongu Taisha is the head shrine
of the 4,700 Kumano shrines in Japan. The main shrine is not allowed to
be photographed, so I cannot show you, but it was a very sacred space. Kumano Omiya Taisha is accessible by car or bus and was much more crowded than the trekking road. The kamamochi I ate along the way at Yatagamian were very tasty with sticky red bean paste. It was a great way to refuel
after a day of trekking 🙂 The final destination is “Oyunohara,”
which has the largest torii gate in Japan. I concluded my two days trip at a sacred place
where God is said to have descended.

At the end of May, I walked the Kumano Kodo. It’s a truly unique place because the road itself is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which had made me want to visit for a long time. And finally, that dream came true. I hope you enjoy the beautiful scenery and the memories from my two-day journey!

■Gear I used in the video
Camera: LUMIX S5IIX
Lens: SIGMA 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary

■Overview
0:00 Opening
0:37 Heading to Kiitabnabe
1:31 Yunomine Onsen
2:58 Kawayu Onsen / Omuraya
5:17 Heading to Kumano Kodo
6:20 Nakahechi Course
8:51 Kumano Hongu Taisha / Oyunohara

■About this channel
I’m shukei, a Japanese travel videographer based in Tokyo. My passion is exploring lesser-known places, discovering something new, and sharing the story. Through this channel, I’d love to encourage people to travel throughout Japan by showcasing the beauty and splendors of Japan.
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■Tags
#Kumanokodo #Wakayama #Japan