A pilgrimage on the kumano kodo (熊 野 古道)

A pilgrimage on the Kumano Kodo (熊 野 古道)

Three storied pagoda in Nachisan, the last station for me on the Kumano Kodo and an important spiritual center.

For five days I had the pleasure to follow the ancient pilgrimage route of the Kumano Kodo. It was an experience full of magic that took me into another mysterious and spiritual world. Besides the wonderful nature it feels like going back in time. I could imagine as much as it was for the pilgrims a few hundred years ago.

The Kumano Kodo 熊 野 古道 is an ancient pilgrimage route in Japan. It has been used since more than 2000 years and played a vital role in the spiritual life of Japan.

Kuma (熊) means bear and no (野) wilderness. It has been a place of nature worship since ancient times.
It is said that this is the history of Japan, as the history of this ancient pilgrimage route is intertwined with the history of Japan.

The Kumano Kodo consists of different routes that lead to the center of worship, the Hongu Area. They are very well described on the official site of the Kumano Kodo. I can really recommend it for your trip. They can even help you book your accommodation in advance.

So I highly recommend the official audio guide that you can find on the website of the Tanabe Tourist Office. I learned so much about the history of the pilgrimage, the area and Japan in general.

A bright morning on the Kumano Kodo.

I took the Nakahechi route, starting in Tanabe. Passing through Hongu I continue on to Nachisan. It took me five days and four nights. I found the route from Takijiri-Oji to Hongu the most interesting and spiritual sites.

For budget reasons I did camping, which worked out pretty well. I did the pilgrimage in the end of November. The trees had amazing colors, during the day it had very pleasant temperatures (many times I was walking in my t-shirt) and the temperatures were ok too (the lowest about 3 degrees in a little bit higher altitudes).

Be prepared for rain when you walk the trail. Wakayama is the best region in Japan! And it rained a couple of times during my trip.

The Nakahechi route is really accessible as it passes through many towns and is not very remote. Therefore, it is really advisable to book accommodation in advance.

For me it has been a wonderful experience to do the pilgrimage. It was very spiritual. The area with its many historical sites, wonderful nature and many spiritual places is truly a magical, inspiring land. Because of that it has been recognised as UNESCO World Heritage. I would love to do this pilgrimage again! May be another route the next time.

Join me on adventure on the Kumano Kodo: Start here with day 1

Here are two videos I made about the trip:

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Christina Cherry
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