Tag Archives: Kumano Kodo

Hiking the Kumano Kodo – Katsuura to Ishiyama

May 22, 2015Backpacking, Flashpacking, Hiking, Japan, TravelDaimon Zaka, Ishiyama, Katsuura, Kumano Kodo, Nachi Taisha, Nachi Waterfall, Tanabekarenfranza

5/19 – Our last hiking day dawned grey and rainy, but a little weather would not keep us from our appointed hike! We took a bus from Katsuura to Daimon Zaka, a stone stairway that led up to the Nachi Taisha, our third Shinto shrine.

We entered the torii gate, and kept climbing upwards.

The Grand Shrine:

Do fish care if it’s raining? Sorry for the blurry pix – blame the weather!

The site contained a huge, old spirit tree, covered with moss:

We spent the morning with Max, from Quebec:

Right next to the Shinto shrine was a Buddhist temple. One stop shopping for the religion of your choice – the Japanese often incorporate beliefs from both.

We continued walking, downhill now, past a three-storied pagoda, on our way to the Nachi Waterfall, which is also a sacred site. It was beautiful in the mist.

Then it was time to walk back up the hill to catch a bus back to Kii-Katsuura, and a train to The Kyoto suburb of Ishiyama, where we are spending the night. Sorry again for blurry pix.

This is the end of our Kumano Kodo adventure. If you ever get the opportunity, it is a beautiful journey, customizable based on how many days and how far you wish to walk. A damp, but lovely day!

5/20 – Today we were agenda-free, relaxing and catching up on our reading and blogging. We took a walk to see the shore of Lake Biwa.

Even here in the city, we find shrines:

This is Kwan Yin, goddess of Mercy:

I’ve loved being in Japan, with its friendly, helpful people, polite manners, orderly queuing, and advanced technology toilet seats. It’s been great to visit
a “first-world” country again. Soon we will travel back to Osaka Kansai Airport for our flight back to Bangkok, then on Cambodia. Our next post will be from Siem Riep!

Hiking the Kumano Kodo – Yunomine Onsen to Shingu to Katsuura

May 21, 2015Backpacking, Flashpacking, Hiking, Japan, TravelHayatama Taisha, Katsuura, Kumano Kodo, Kumano River, Mount Gongen, Shingu, Tanabe, Yunomine Onsenkarenfranza

5/18 – Took a bus this morning from Yunomine Onsen to Shingu, to take a ride in a traditional flat-bottomed boat used historically by pilgrims on the Kumano River to visit the Hayatama Taisha, the second of the three grand shrines. We donned life jackets and straw hats to get into the spirit.

We were the only gaijin (foreigners) on the boat, but our guide Kyoko-San translated most of the highlights for us.

We got out of the boat at a small island to touch “the monster’s spine”, assuring us of strength and long life.

It was a gorgeous morning for a boat ride.

Kyoko-San played a traditional flute as we drifted past the cliff faces in the clear turquoise water.

We disembarked in Shingu, and walked toward the Hayatama Taisha. We were surprised that the Japanese tourists opted to get on a bus back to the station instead. We entered at the torii gate.

Near the Hayatama Taisha is a long flight of rock steps up Mount Gongen, where runners holding torches race during the annual fire festival. Can’t imagine racing up these steps in the dark…

The steps lead up to a small shrine at a sacred rock where the three deities are believed to have come down to earth.

We watched many come to pray and meditate here.

The overlook gave us a great view of the city below, and the Pacific Ocean beyond.

We took a short train ride to Kii-Katsuura, where we spent the night in a western hotel. Yay for mattresses! Tomorrow we will visit our third shrine.

Hiking the Kumano Kodo – Chikatsuyu to Yunomine Onsen

May 20, 2015Backpacking, Flashpacking, Hiking, Japan, TravelChikatsuyu, Kumano Kodo, Santiago de Compostela, Tanabe, Yunomine Onsenkarenfranza

5/15 – A beautiful, sunny day for a hike. We stopped in at the Cultural Center at the beginning of today’s walk, and discovered an old, familiar friend – the Camino shell! Turns out that Tanabe and Santiago de Compostela are sister cities; each hosting a pilgrimage.

Today we saw some beautiful mountains:

Serene wooded paths:

And little shrines along the paths:

Beautiful trees and flowers:

We saw the cultivation of tea:

We walked through an area known for folk wood carvings, which were displayed in front of many houses.

We knew we were near Yunomine Onsen when we could smell the sulphur in the air. A natural hot spring runs through the town, and we are staying three nights at small guesthouses right on the spring, with deep hot-water baths. A new experience!

Hiking the Kumano Kodo – Takahara to Chikatsuyu

May 17, 2015Backpacking, Flashpacking, Hiking, Japan, TravelChikatsuyu, Jizo, Kumano Kodo, Mist on the Mountain, Takaharakarenfranza

5/14 – The Takahara Lodge is famous for being the place to witness the Mist on the Mountain. What wonderful grace that the mist greeted us when we arose in the morning, right outside our bedroom window!

Within in a half hour, the sun was up, and the mist was gone.

After a wonderful breakfast that included eating a whole fish – eyes, tail, little bones and all – we set out for our day’s walk. Two couples from Australia kept us company for part of the way. We passed flooded fields with newly planted rice seedlings.

The trail was shady and wooded for most of the day.

There were musical streams:

And we stopped to admire the many small shrines and statues called Jizo that lined the trail. Jizo are bodhisattva who protect travelers, women and children.

By mid afternoon we arrived at our new home, the Nakano Guesthouse.

Here we got a taste of true Japanese living. Of course, we removed our shoes at the door, and were given a pair of house slippers. The slippers had to be removed at the door to our room, as only bare feet walk on the tatami mats. When using the bathroom, special bathroom slippers must be worn. It got confusing pretty quickly. I’m sure I offended within minutes of our arrival. This was our room.

After sitting on the cushions to have some tea, we moved the table aside and pulled our futons out of the closet to make up our beds. I’m too old to sleep on the floor! The little pillows were hard and filled with beans. We had a traditional supper, also sitting on the floor. We chatted with Jenna from Canada, a young girl traveling solo. After about 20 minutes my legs fell asleep, but the food was wonderful!

Kyoto, Japan to Tanabe, Japan – the Kumano Kodo

May 15, 2015Backpacking, Flashpacking, Hiking, Japan, TravelKii-Tanabe, Kumano Kodo, Kyoto, Kyoto train station, pilgrimage, Takahara, Tanabekarenfranza

5/13 – Got an early start this morning to catch the 8:36 train to Kii-Tanabe. The Kyoto train station was busy on a weekday morning.

When our train was called, everyone lined up in two rows, just like it said on the sign. The Japanese are an orderly people. I felt badly for the businessmen, dressed in their identical black suits and white shirts. With the glum looks on their faces, it was easy to imagine they were all on their way to an undertakers convention!

We passed some beautiful beaches on the way, with swimmers and surfers.

Two and a half hours later, we arrived at Kii-Tanabe, had a yummy pork and noodle soup lunch, and waited for a bus to Takijiri, where our Kumano Kodo hike began.

Here’s what you do while waiting for the bus.

It was already mid-afternoon by the time we arrived, so it was nice that the day’s hike was planned for only 3.7km/ 2.3mi. Here is the entrance to the trail. We will walk to visit three major Shinto shrines this week.

Pilgrims ritually wash themselves at the beginning of the walk.

The first part of the hike was totally uphill – climbing, climbing, then climbing some more!

We saw several small shrines in the forest,which is what the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage is all about. Several were Jizo, or Buddhist bodhisattva, which help travelers to attain enlightenment. The mixture of Buddhist and Shinto symbols is common in Japan.

We arrived at the Takahara Lodge at 4:30pm and were welcomed by the delightful owner. I had my very first Japanese communal bath – men and women bathe separately here. After sitting down on a little stool to shampoo and wash, we climbed into a deep pool, lined with stones, for a hot soak. It was lovely!

We went down to supper freshly washed and wearing our kimonos. The meal was amazing, with little bites of different vegetables, sashimi, grilled fish and Kobe beef cooked at the table, so tender it just melted in your mouth. Fruit sorbet for dessert. So delicious!

We met two couples from Australia who will be walking our route tomorrow. We retired to our room with the beautiful view of the mountainside. Tomorrow is a hiking day!