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.
Beyond the Trail: Food and Friendship on the Kumano Kodo
“You will just have to get naked in front of strangers. We can’t go to Japan and not walk Kumano Kodo, which requires us staying in traditional lodging with shared baths. Suck it up, Buttercup.”
Yes, that is a real conversation between Eric and I as we planned our trip to Japan. At this point I had already mistakenly booked a hotel in Osaka that was a love hotel before realizing what I had done (thank you Booking.com for easy cancellations)! Memories of some of the hikes we did in Albania and Montenegro, of which Eric had zero details beforehand, were also still fresh in his mind. Which might explain Eric’s trust issues.
But really, who doesn’t want to experience the joys of a public bathhouse? (please don’t answer that, I don’t need comments that will get me banned online. In fact, I should probably delete this entirely because I’ll most likely get the wrong kind of SEO and visitors. Naked in Birmingham remains one of my most visited blog posts, I am ashamed to admit.)
But back to Kumano Kodo. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a quick summary. We’ll have a comprehensive guide on Trips to Walkabout soon.
What is the Kumano Kodo?
The Kumano Kodo is a network of ancient pilgrimage trails in Japan that wind through the mountainous Kii Peninsula, south of Osaka and Kyoto. These routes connect sacred Buddhist and Shinto sites which have beckoned pilgrims since the 9th century, but the belief in this region’s sacredness predates these religions. Here, the mountains are sacred, protected by deities and offering shelter to ancestors.
Why walk the Kumano Kodo?
People have various reasons for walking Kumano Kodo. Some seek the spiritual aspect. Camino de Santiago pilgrims are enticed by the opportunity to earn a dual pilgrimage certificate. For me, it was more curiosity and a chance to experience rural Japan on foot. I was also drawn to the “nature as deity” concept. Which was perfect, because our 6-day Kumano Kodo with Oku Japan was less “religious boot camp” and more “scenic culinary escape with friendly innkeepers.”
Kumano Kodo Day 1: Shimizu-Ura to Kainan
Following a week on our own, exploring Kyoto and neighboring towns, it was nice to begin our itinerary with Oku Japan in which I didn’t have to plan anything. Our first day on Kumano Kodo began with 2 trains to get from Kyoto to Shimizu-Ura, where we began our first walk along the Kiiji route.
I was thankful for good route notes, as finding the beginning of the trail would have been difficult in town. The walk didn’t start pretty and it was a straight climb up, but soon we found ourselves in a quiet forest.
With views overlooking the industrial port town of Kainan.
Eric was fascinated by rusty steel tracks used by local farmers to bring mikan oranges down from the mountain. This region of Wakayama prefecture is well known for their mikans, which are sweet with a slightly tart grapefruit-like flavor. Most delicious orange juice I’ve ever tasted!
We stopped for lunch at Goshono-shiba Hill, where we watched a fellow pilgrim heat his miso soup on a tiny propane burner. Our picnic of onigiri, jerky and cheese sticks (purchased at Kyoto Station that morning) felt like a feast compared to his humble lunch.
After visiting Jizobu-ji Temple, dedicated to Jizo-Bosatsu (protector of children and travelers), we passed several small statues representing the Buddhist deity. Near every statue we would see some sign of care and devotion. It might be flowers, a can of soda, fruit, cookies, coins – anything that was a heartfelt offering. Along this particular route we observed tiny bamboo rakes, used to keep the area clean around each statue.
We soon entered a towering forest of bamboo, whispering and knocking in the wind. This forest is the reason we didn’t visit Arashiyama while we were in Kyoto, because I knew we’d be walking through an equally beautiful forest without the crowds.
Exiting the forest, we passed terraced fields of mikans and other produce as we walked down from the mountain into town.
Oku Japan surprised us from day one, when we turned a corner and saw a sign with my name on it welcoming us to the Fujishiro Shrine in Kainan.
We were greeted by a man, a woman and a young priest. The older man was wearing a Coleman camping hat, which he and Eric found quite funny. They gave us a tour and explained the significance of this particular shrine. The Fujishiro gate is considered to be the official entry to Kumano Kodo.
It was an odd experience, sitting in an old temple besides ancient statues and an LCD monitor showing a PowerPoint presentation. Actually, it seemed quintessentially Japanese, the old and the modern seamlessly co-existing.
We were instructed to touch the 1,000 year old camphor tree, to feel it breathing. While I remain relatively ignorant of Shintoism and Buddhism, this aspect of nature as a spiritual focus resonates strongly with me. I’ve always felt closer to the Divine outside in nature, rather than inside a church.
Our tour guides walked us to Suzuki Mansion, where we had our first glimpse of a traditional Japanese home and private garden. Don’t let the word mansion mislead you, this was a small home. It was completed in 2023 and is beautifully crafted with reclaimed wood. The slats you see in photo below are actually shutters which can be opened or closed.
A bit more walking and then we headed to the train station to depart for our first ryokan in Yuasa. This seaside town is famous for its soy sauce, but it will forever remain in my memory for the lovely family that owns Kappo Ryokan Miyoshiso. This young family welcomed us into their home and introduced us to the high art of Japanese cuisine. Using Google Translate to converse, we learned they have taken over his family’s historic inn, which is famous for its warm hospitality and food. Yoshinori is a phenomenal chef and his wife Akiko is a ray of sunshine, exuding happiness and comfort.
For those unfamiliar with Japanese ryokan, these are Japanese inns featuring traditional bedrooms and bathing facilities. In this case, our room consisted of tatami mats with puffy futon mattresses and a small seating area with cookies and tea overlooking a beautiful garden. These were the most comfortable beds we had during our Kumano Kodo travel, most other inns had flatter mattresses.
Ryokan can be large enough to feel more like a hotel or small enough to be confused with a minshuku (guesthouse), but what sets them apart is the elaborate food presentation. A ryokan is more than lodging, it’s an experience! At dinner, we explored this new cuisine with several options of sashimi, grilled fish, hot pot vegetables and fish, stuffed kumquat, octopus, mugwort wheat gluten, and fresh fruit.
At breakfast, we discovered a new love for whitebait. This tiny fish is a popular breakfast item in the Wakayama region and served with soy sauce it’s surprisingly satisfying. You don’t notice the eyeballs at all! I also loved the candied flatfish and miso soup with clams.
We ate everything except for one dish. Not only is konnyaku questionable in terms of appearance, but I can attest that the texture and taste is even worse! It’s popular in Japan for its health benefits, so I really wanted to like it. Made from the root vegetable konjac, this gelatinous blob was the only food I refused to eat throughout the entire trip.
Oku Japan chose the perfect place for our first ryokan experience. We were the only guests (the beauty of visiting off-season), which meant we had the onsen all to ourselves. Exiting our bedroom, I walked just a few steps to a separate building housing the baths.
Upon entering the women’s area, I undressed in a locker room. With only a small towel and bathing cloth in hand, I entered the steamy bathing room. On one wall was a line of shower stations, no walls, just a line of stools in front of mirrors and faucets with hand shower sprays, shampoo and soap. Despite being alone, it felt awkward. Not awkward in a bad way, just different. Vulnerable. All awkwardness was forgotten once my tired muscles sank into the blissful water.
For the record, Eric DID try the onsen but only because he had it all to himself. I have a great photo of him wearing the traditional yakata robe but have been informed that if I ever publish that photo he will never cook for me again.
Stick around for my thoughts about bathing with strange women and more walks along the Kumano Kodo.