Good afternoon,
Tokyo is slowly coming out of another short but always delightful sakura season. The green leaves are already taking over the cherry trees, pushing their way through the blossoms, which have begun falling en masse, bringing the spectacle down to the sidewalks.
The sakura season, once again, brought many rainy days. It also felt a little less vivid, yet more chaotic this year. But I am grateful for the two full sunny days the Tokyo skies blessed us with, right at the tail end of the peak bloom, and on the weekend. What more could we ask for?
We are now in that sweet spot between seasons - air conditioners off, winter coats almost stored away, and the ever-present breeze switching between a wintry chill and that warm wash over your face.
The mountains are also warming up, with the snow getting a bit slushier each day, before the greenery and then the summer flowers take over.
The peak hiking season should already be underway in the southernmost regions, like Yakushima, with mainland Kyushu and its ever-gorgeous Kuju Mountains soon to follow. It is, however, still too early for the Japanese Alps, and of course, Hokkaido, where you can count on sakura well into May, and should not be surprised to encounter some snow on its mountains in July.
But in this land of mountains, known for their relatively modest height, there are also many trails that are not bound by the seasons and can be hiked year-round. And this month, I come bearing news from one of them: the dearly beloved Kumano Kodo, and more specifically, its Nakahechi Route, once the favored path of the imperial family for their pilgrimage from Kyoto to the sacred shrines of Kumano.1
The Nakahechi pilgrimage route, which I first hiked in 2018 with a guide and then again just a few weeks ago with two friends visiting from home, is the one destination in Japan that I receive the most emails about through the website or this newsletter (along with the Kerama Islands of Okinawa).
Kumano Kodo’s ever-growing popularity, supported by a well-developed tourism infrastructure, lies, I assume, in the experience it offers - combining a deeply cultural side with a nature-oriented one.
The region, comprising a network of ancient pilgrimage routes and the sacred sites they connect, has been recognized as a natural and cultural UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004, and is celebrated as a landscape shaped by the cooperation between nature and humans.
A visit to Kumano Kodo typically involves three to four days of hiking on its forest trails through the mountain passes, staying at small, family-run lodges along the way, and visiting the sacred sites comprised of shrines, temples, and the world’s largest torii gate. It is certainly one of the most fulfilling ways to experience Japan and observe how the country's spiritual backbone is deeply rooted in nature.
But while the Kumano Kodo is very much a spiritual experience, the planning part of it rarely feels like one. If anything, it can be a little spirit-breaking, with accommodation logistics, transport connections, and limited availability bringing you close to giving up - speaking from experience.
For that reason, this month’s letter will be a little different in tone and structure. Instead of the usual format, more like a real letter, heavier on impressions and lighter on logistics, it will, in structure, be a little closer to the travel diaries series available to monthly and annual subscribers, with more emphasis on planning and itinerary details, alongside the notes from the recent hike.
We will begin with what the Kumano Kodo is, then move on to the different route options (there are many), followed by notes and itinerary details from our recent hike, and finish with the FAQ section, which also addresses the increasingly tricky process of booking accommodation.
What is Kumano Kodo?
Kumano Kodo – 熊野古道 – means the ancient roads of Kumano, referring to a network of pilgrimage routes across the southern part of the Kii Peninsula, mainly within Wakayama Prefecture, and extending into parts of Mie and Nara.
These routes connect the region’s sacred sites, most notably the Kumano Sanzan trio - Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Kumano Hayatama Taisha - which are among the most important Shinto shrines in Japan, but also reflect strong Buddhist influence.
The pilgrimage routes that connect these shrines also lead to other major spiritual centers of the region, including Mount Koya, a more than 1,200-year-old monastic complex that has long served as the center of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, and the Yoshino-Omine mountains, associated with Shugendō, a tradition that blends Buddhism, Shinto, and mountain ascetic practices.
The Kumano region, with its sacred sites linked to different religious or spiritual traditions, and the surrounding nature, in which Japan's indigenous religion is rooted, is recognized as among the most distinctive displays of religious fusion - an aspect also strongly emphasized by UNESCO in its description of the region.
Kumano Kodo is, certainly, one of the places that clearly highlight what makes the hiking experience in Japan special.
While the country`s trails, purely from a scenic beauty perspective, may not feel as life-altering as those in places like New Zealand, Norway, or Switzerland, the cultural and spiritual elements that underpin the whole experience put it in its own league.
This unique dimension is more noticeable in trails like Kumano Kodo and Shikoku, which have long served as pilgrimage routes shaped by religious practices, or in Mount Fuji, one of Japan's three sacred mountains, parts of which are owned by a shrine. But it is also present, albeit in a less apparent way, on the country`s more ordinary trails, even those that do not benefit from centuries-long historical context.
Once you start to notice it, you see it everywhere: small shrines tucked into the forest, a Jizō statue - the protector of travelers and children - by the side of the path, or an unassuming torii gate that comes out of nowhere, just to lead the way to the sacred grounds that you did not know were there.
Then there is another cultural dimension - the very human, worldly one: a sense of camaraderie that you will notice on the country’s trails, one that reflects its understated yet sincerely felt hospitality just as much as a stay in an expensive ryokan, if not more.
I remember my first time hiking in Daisetsuzan, the vast and beautiful bear country, and overhearing the elderly Japanese couple decide to extend their hike until we came across other hikers, so that I would not have to continue alone. Or a hiker I had met only moments earlier, offering me half of their food, in case I had not packed any.
Even those quiet konnichiwas you often hear on the trails serve a moving purpose: to give each other the sense that you are not alone on the trail and that, should you need help, it is never far away.
So whenever I feel a bit disconnected from this country, a little disoriented about my purpose here, hiking trails are always a great way to remind me of its kindness and why I am here.
And I am, in many ways, grateful to the Kumano Kodo, my first introduction to hiking in Japan, for that initial sense of connection, possibly for igniting my move here, and for leading the way for many other experiences.
Routes of Kumano Kodo
That first visit to Kumano Kodo was in February 2018, more than a year before I moved to Japan. At that time, in the company of two wonderful guides (in different sections), I hiked parts of the most popular Nakahechi Route, following the more conventional route from Takijiri to Hongu/Yunomine Onsen, then spent two nights in Koyasan.
In February 2020, right before COVID shut down the world and very shortly after I moved to Japan, I returned to Kumano Kodo to explore sections of one of its less-visited trails - the Iseji Route, also known as the Eastern Route, which connects the Ise Shrine to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
And just last month, I was back in Kumano Kodo for the third time, this time to hike the Nakahechi Route in reverse order, starting at Nachi Falls and originally intending to finish at Takijiri (but ending it at Takahara).
While my experience with the Kumano Kodo is limited to the Nakahechi and Iseji Routes, the network includes two other main routes and a few lesser-known alternatives.2
For a bit more context, here is a brief overview of the four main routes, together with a map marking all the routes from the Kumano Kodo Tourism Office.
Nakahechi (Imperial Route) - 38 kilometers - 68 kilometers until Nachi Falls: the main inland pilgrimage path from Tanabe to Kumano Hongu Taisha, forested and well-preserved. This is by far the most popular route, thanks to the established tourism infrastructure, guided tours, and accommodation network. According to data from a few years ago, 80% of the travelers who visit Kumano Kodo hike the Nakahechi Route.
Iseji (Eastern Route) - 170 kilometers: the long approach from Ise Grand Shrine to Kumano Hayama Taisha, with varied terrain, (gorgeous) stone-paved paths like Magose Pass, and many coastal sections featuring small fishing villages. This is the best route to witness coastal rural village life in Japan and, in parts, sadly, to catch a glimpse of the country's semi-ghost towns, which are grappling with severe depopulation.
Kohechi (Mountain Route) - 70 kilometers: a demanding high-mountain traverse linking Mount Koya to Kumano Hongu Taisha, with steep passes and remote ridges.
Ohechi (Coastal Route) - 120 kilometers: a seaside route along the Kii Peninsula from Tanabe to Kumano Nachi Taisha, with ocean views but not as many well-maintained sections as in other routes.
Hiking Nakahechi: Nachi Falls to Takijiri
For our Nakahechi hike, due to accommodation constraints and the fact that I could take only one day off work to extend the long weekend, we had just four days.
Our original plan was to start at Nachi Falls and cover as much ground as possible toward Takijiri. We would stay in Koguchi for two nights to tackle the Ogumotori-goe and Kogumotori-goe sections, and then move on to Kiri no Sato in Takahara, one of the loveliest lodges on the route, for our final night, after completing the Hongu Taisha to Hosshinmon-oji section.
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