Walking Kumano Kodo, Chikatsuyu to Hongu
I love walking holidays that offer flexible options and our 4th day on the Kumano Kodo with Oku Japan did just that. We could walk the entire route from Chikatsuyu to Hongu (9hr walk), a modified version from Doyugawabashi (7hr walk), or the shortest option from Hosshinmon-oji (2hr walk). Which one do you think we chose?
If you missed the posts prior to this, please read Beyond the Trail: Food and Friendship on the Kumano Kodo first.
To our credit, we planned to walk the 7hr option but slept too late and missed the bus for that. I’m glad we did, because it gave us more time to enjoy our first grand shrine along the Kumano Kodo. But it also meant we took a lot of buses that day, so I would definitely recommend walking as much as you can.
It took 2 buses to arrive at Hosshinmon-oji, where our walk began with a lovely ramble in the forest to visit the shrine. Though small, it’s important because it serves as the entrance to Nachi Hongu Taisha.
Leaving Hosshinmon-oji, our walk on the Kumano Kodo consisted of paved pathways through thickly wooded forest.
Interspersed with small villages.
And boggy fields.
Past wood carvings for sale.
And a glimpse of rural Japan in the mountains along Kumano Kodo.
Once again entering forest, full of cedar trees and mystery.
Passing an old school and then monument.
Where I happily frolicked over ancient stones and listened to the trees whispering to me.
Arriving at another village, we saw more wood carvings for sale, mikan orange trees and rows and rows of tea bushes.
Finding a good resting place, we stopped for lunch to enjoy our fried cutlet and egg sandwiches. This is a common packed lunch along the Kumano Kodo.
Needing something sweet, we stopped at a roadside produce stand to buy mikan oranges. No one told us early season mikans are super tart, a lesson we learned the hard way. Should have bought the candy they were selling!
After more walking along forest and cobblestone paths, we crossed a bridge. There was a sign nearby depicting the story of poet Izumi Shikibu, who penned a poem about her experience while walking the Kumano Kodo. It is said that here is where she began her menstrual cycle and despairing that she would not be able to visit the temple, a deity appeared to her saying “How could the god who mingles with the dust suffer because of your monthly obstruction?” This story is told so that pilgrims understand that the Kumano Kodo has historically been open to all genders, class and sect. This has not always been the case at sacred sites elsewhere in Japan.
Our walk along this section of Kumano Kodo may have been shorter than planned, but it was stunning the entire way to Hongu.
Just before we reached the entrance to the grand shrine, I spotted something that made me fall in love with this route even more. A used book store, with some English titles, a cafe and pottery shop.
Now we had arrived to one of the three grand shrines which all Kumano Kodo pilgrims seek — the Kumano Hongu Taisha.
Before entering the shrines, we purified our hands. I loved these dragon water spouts, which you see throughout Japan.
The shrine itself was nice, as were the smaller shrines in the area, but what Eric and I loved most was the grand entrance into the shrine. Walking 158 steps, surrounded by blazing banners and trees, made quite the impression. And since we entered through the back, we walked DOWN these steps instead of up. Much easier!
Having taken the short walk, we had plenty of time to wander around Hongu. The visitor center had excellent exhibits, which is where we learned about the Kumano Nuns and the extraordinary efforts it takes by volunteers to maintain the Kumano Kodo. My favorite exhibit was this display showing the many monsters and folklore characters that are found in the Kumano Kodo region. Now I have a whole new arsenal of fascinating and frightening tales to share before bedtime!
We stopped at the memorial commemorating Spain’s agreement in 1998 to formalize a “sister road” to the Camino de Santiago, creating the Dual Pilgrim option.
Near the visitor center and shrine there were plenty of options for food. We started with pastries from a local confectionary, followed by pizza and cappuccinos at B&B Cafe Hongu. After that, one more bus to reach our inn for the night.
The bus dropped us off at Yunomineso, a large ryokan situated at the top of a hill overlooking Yunomine Onsen (a hot springs village).
Our room at Yunominesu was large, with a private shower/toilet room, mini fridge and a relaxing verandah. The futons and pillows were a little too flat for our comfort, but the amenities more than made up for that.
Amenities included ping-pong tables, massage chairs and 2 private onsens which didn’t require reservations. Turns out, Eric DOES enjoy an onsen when he only has to share it with me. 🙂
Besides the luxury of a private onsen, Yunominesu also offered a fun dining experience. Served to us in our room and with cards showing everything we were eating, this was one of our favorite dinners on the Kumano Kodo. Although I do have to say, Yoshinori’s dinner and breakfast in Yuasa was far superior!
We’re not quite finished, we have one more day on Kumano Kodo to finish up with grand shrines and a night by the sea.
Kumano Kodo Nakahechi, Takijiri to Chikatsuyu
Our third day walking Kumano Kodo began with rain, a train and a long bus ride to begin our hike along the Nakahechi Route. Stepping off the bus, I could immediately understand why this route is so popular. Mist-covered mountains, rushing river, the smell of cold clean rain — as the Brits would say, “a place of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”
This was the first day we saw other hikers, including a large group of backpackers. It must be a common occurrence for people to arrive without gear, because the visitor center at Takijiri sold daypacks, rain gear, hiking poles, hats, sunscreen and more. We observed several travelers buying items that we never leave home without, so that was interesting to see.
Our walk officially began at the Takijiri-oji shrine with a steep climb immediately up the mountain. A friendly Australian woman took a photo of us, we learned she was solo hiking this first section of Kumano Kodo and her sister was meeting her later on in the route.
It was quickly apparent how much elevation change there was between the Nakahechi and Kiiji routes. No switchbacks or rolling hills here. We walked up…
and up…
We soon arrived at a section called Tainai Kuguri, which means “passing through the womb.” It was a narrow pass through rocks that is said to test women and help ensure they have a smooth delivery. That not being a concern for me, we took an alternate path to the right and kept walking. We heard the backpackers struggling to squeeze through.
We discovered our first Kumano Kodo stamp box, which you see everywhere along the Nakahechi route. We never saw these on the Kiiji route because it isn’t one of the routes which can earn you a dual pilgrim status. I’ll talk more about that on Trips to Walkabout.
Our ascent continued until we reached this expansive viewpoint, opening our eyes to how astoundingly beautiful and remote this region of Japan is.
The descent was equally beautiful, passing through serene forest and well-tended jizu. We purposefully walked slow to let the large backpacking groups get ahead, which meant most of our walk that day was entirely alone. Bliss!
We arrived at the small village of Takahara, with small farm plots tucked into the side of the mountain and everywhere in between.
At this point we had the option to divert off trail and head into Kurisugawa, where we could take a bus to our inn in Chikatsuyu. Or we could continue on the Kumano Kodo for another 4hrs and walk to Chikatsuyu. It was raining, bitterly cold and windy, so we took the road to Kurisugawa.
Waiting for the bus in Kurisugawa was the only miserable experience of our time in Japan. No place to sit or get away from the wind and rain. We spent as much time as we could in a local shop, where I rewarded myself with coffee and packaged donuts. But the bus ran late and so we were drenched by the time it arrived.
On the bus, we quickly forgot the misery as our now toasty warm selves enjoyed the beautiful views en route to Chikatsuyu. Departing the bus, we followed the river into town, passing small rice fields and beautifully-crafted traditional homes. Chikatsuyu was one of the prettiest villages that we visited along the Kumano Kodo.
As suggested in our route notes, we stopped in for a visit with the Oku Japan staff. They have an office in Chikatsuyu, in what they call an “old machiya folk house.” Ryo seemed to be the quiet one, making sure we had hot tea, while Kouki filled our ears with chatter. Kouki was excited to hear about our journey so far and was delightfully surprised when we told him we planned to visit Tomogashima at the end of our trip. He told us his favorite anime series takes place on Tomogashima island (more about that in a later post).
Ready for a hot soak and some food, we headed to our guesthouse for the night, Minshuku Chikatsuyu. The inn is a modern building, so not as pretty on the exterior, but its location on the Hiki River more than makes up for the exterior. The young couple running the inn were friendly and attentive and SUPER busy with a house full of guests.
Our room was small yet comfortable, with shared toilet rooms just a few steps down the hall and to Eric’s delight, one private shower! Once again, he escaped the experience of bathing naked with strangers.
I was here to embrace new experiences, so grabbing my little towel and yukata robe, I headed outside to the bathing house. The young Australian we’d met earlier on the trail that day was exiting as I entered. She quickly showed me where to enter. It was empty, so once again I was able to practice my Japanese cleaning ritual without fear of judgment. That onsen had the most amazing views, looking out at the river and mountains which were shrouded in mist. Sorry I don’t have a photo, you can’t bring phones into onsens — for obvious privacy reasons.
Dinner was a social event at Minshuku Chikatsuyu, with everyone seated at a long table. There were 3 young women (the Aussie and 2 from China), a French couple (slightly older than us), and a talkative group from America. I enjoyed my plum wine a bit too much, so I don’t remember much from that dinner. This of course kept Eric entertained, especially when I almost flung sashimi at the French woman because I was talking with my hands (and chopsticks).
I do not recall this.
Next stop, big temples and grand forests on Day 4 of our Kumano Kodo.
Walking the Kumano Kodo Kiiji Route
If you missed it, please start with the first part of our journey along the Kumano Kodo. Otherwise, keep reading…
Yuasa to Hidaka
Our second day of walking the Kumano Kodo continued along the Kiiji route, from Yuasa to Hidaka. After bringing his daughter to school, our host dropped us off at the starting point in town and we began a steady ascent, passing more mikan orchards heavy with fruit.
One of the highlights of this section was the ishidatami cobblestone. This is the longest continuous cobblestone pathway on the Kumano Kodo.
The path continued to ascend through dense forest. There were no major points of interests along that route, no big temples or tiny jizo statues. It was simply a gorgeous day of walking through quiet woodlands, which is how we like it.
At the top, we stopped for lunch in a shady area with benches.
Heading down towards Hidaka we passed abandoned rice terraces, now covered in bright yellow wildflowers and cherry trees awaiting bloom.
Like the day before, this section of Kumano Kodo was mostly through agrarian countryside, so it wasn’t what I’d call “postcard pretty” but it offered a closeup of rural Japanese life.
Including the lesser-known route of Kiiji was one of the reasons we chose Oku Japan as our tour operator. Most people go straight to the Nakahechi or mountain routes, which offer superb landscapes and large temples.
To include the Kiiji section shows a dedication to supporting rural tourism and local businesses. As we’ve learned on our travels, the best memories come from the people we meet, not the photos of gorgeous places. A company like Oku Japan understands this and they had several local experiences in store for us that day.
Japanese Hospitality
Our first stop was at a Hidaka household, where Mayumi Kanasaki welcomed us into her home and served us tea and a large bowl of savory and sweet snacks. Using Google Translate, she visited with us the entire time and was patient when we stumbled on translations. She showed us the display in her home, honoring the Hinamatsuri festival that celebrates girls.
Mrs. Kanasaki followed in her car as we walked to the nearby Kōmyō-ji Temple, where she took us inside and gave us a tour. I could hear the pride in her voice as she spoke of the items inside this temple and the reverence as she prayed. Unlike many of the temples we visited in Kyoto, this one felt like it was actively used by the community. It did not feel like a tourist attraction.
A young woman gave us a gift upon departing, small hand towels which are helpful while traveling in Japan because there are rarely hand dryers or hand towels in public bathrooms. Then Mrs. K followed us again in her car as we walked to her husband’s bamboo shop.
The Master of Black Bamboo
Mr. Akihito Kanasaki is a 3rd generation bamboo wood worker, and he is the only one producing black bamboo that is harvested from the mountain along Kumano Kodo. His family has been fire-roasting bamboo for over 100 years and he demonstrated the process.
He and his wife told us of the challenges that deer and boar pose, eating all of the young bamboo shoots, and we shared with them our stories of Newfoundland where moose pose a similar threat to the trees. They gifted us with handcrafted bamboo pens with our names carved into the wood, something to treasure forever.
The Ambassador of Wakayama
Our host for the night picked us up at the bamboo shop. And this was when our real adventures began! The ever-smiling, bursting with knowledge Katsumi Yukawa has to be one of the most delightful innkeepers we’ve ever had the privilege to meet. He and his wife Yumiko opened Coast Cafe a few years ago, returning to his hometown after living in Tokyo.
After introducing himself, Mr. Yukawa asked if we were tired and we said no, and thus commenced a guided tour of his favorite spots on the Wakayama coastline near Hidaka.
He took us to his friend’s new burger shop on Ubuyu Beach which opened the previous day. We visited over coffee and a spongy light-as-air chiffon cake. The burger shop had a cozy beach vibe and excellent views of the sea.
Moving along, Mr. Yukawa drove us to the Kokoku-ji Temple in Yura. Walking the temple grounds as the sun began to set was a wonderful experience and doing so with someone who was happy to share his knowledge made it even more special.
He told us this was the origin of kinzanji-miso and the shakuhachi bamboo flute. The temple is also renowned for its Tengu, the red deity with a long red nose, which we were unable to see in the dark.
We then stopped at Shirasaki Ocean Park for beautiful sunset views. Walking to the observation point, we passed several young couples holding hands (this is a popular romantic spot with the youth) and a building that used to be a diving school before it was destroyed by a typhoon several years ago.
Packing every last bit he could, our dedicated host drove us further along the coast, stopping for photo ops and telling us of the submarine in the bay just outside his inn. He kept us up until 10:00 that night, talking about the Hidaka region of Wakayama. I almost fell asleep in my soup, but that was one of our most memorable days and I would love to return some day to stay longer with the Yukawa family.
The guesthouse was an interesting assortment of buildings. The main house was large with a modern kitchen open to the large dining area. There were excellent views of the bay from this space. Mrs. Yakawa teaches flower arrangement and other craft classes so there were examples of her handicrafts displayed on tables.
Our room was in a separate building with the toilet rooms just a few steps away in another building. The private bath was in the back of the building where we slept and had a good sized soaking tub and sink. It sounds like a strange arrangement, but it was quite comfortable and added to the unique experience.
Mrs. Yukawa had a collection of tea cups which you could choose from for tea or her special coffee. The food at Coast Cafe was different than anywhere else along Kumano Kodo, I would call it homecooked Japanese-French fusion, but really I just think Mrs Yukawa cooks whatever she loves and thinks will make her guests happy.
As Mrs. Yukawa served us breakfast the next day, her husband pulled out a laptop and monitor to show us YouTube videos. I had informed him we would be ending our trip in Wakayama City and he was delighted that we wanted to explore his prefecture. He was the best travel advisor and historian, could not have asked for a better person to introduce us to this region!
Follow along as we switch to the Nakahechi route of Kumano Kodo and conclude our tour of Japan by exploring Wakayama City.