Where is Kumano Kodo in Japan?
Wakayama prefecture
Kumano Kodo is the name of a hiking route made up of seven trails that snake through the Kii Mountain Range in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture. As you can see by the inset map it is about 100 km south of Osaka. It’s one of only two pilgrimages in the world registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How long does it take to walk the Kumano Kodo?
4 days
Starting from Koyasan in the north down to Hongu in the center of the Kii Peninsula. It is 70 km in length and is considered the hardest of all the routes because you trek over three mountain passes. This route typically takes 4 days to complete.
Why do people walk the Kumano Kodo?
Japan’s Ancient Pilgrimage Network The walk itself was an integral part of the pilgrimage process as they undertook rigorous religious rites of worship and purification. Walking the ancient Kumano Kodo is a fantastic way to experience the unique cultural landscape of Kumano’s spiritual countryside.
Which is better Kumano Kodo or Nakasendo?
The Nakasendo Way is (for most people) an easier hike than the more rugged Kumano Kodo. This ancient highway was established over 400 years ago to connect the two major cities of the time – Kyoto and Tokyo. This route is considered more of a cultural walk through old Japan than a strenuous hike.
How do I get to Kumano Kodo?
As noted above, the small city of Kii-Tanabe, on the west coast of Wakayama Prefecture, serves as the main gateway to the Kumano Kodo. The best way to get there is by the Kuroshio limited express that runs about once an hour between Shin-Osaka Station and Kii-Tanabe Station.
How much does it cost to hike the Kumano Kodo trail?
How much does it cost to hike the Kumano Kodo on a budget? Organised tours (including the “self-guided” ones) will often cost well beyond $2,000. When you organise your trip independently, you need to budget for far less.
How much would it cost to hike the Kumano Kodo trail?
How difficult is the Kumano Kodo?
Basic accommodation and food in remote areas will contribute to a walk being graded more difficult. Our Kumano Kodo trips a 6-7, Challenging to Strenuous with our Kumano Kodo Highlight trip graded a 4-6, Moderate to Challenging.
Can you camp on the Kumano Kodo?
Camping. The Kumano Kodo is an ancient pilgrimage route with numerous artifacts and sacred sites along the trail. Camping can severely damage these sites, even unintentionally. Much of the mountains are privately owned.
What is the Nakasendo way?
The Nakasendo Trail (中山道 – literal translation “middle mountain way”) is the old route that connected Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo period. The section of the trail that winds through the Kiso Valley in Nagano Prefecture passes through two exceptionally pretty and well-preserved old Japanese towns: Magome and Tsumago.
How difficult is Kumano Kodo?
How many miles is the Kumano Kodo trail?
Quick facts
| Distance: | 70 km |
|---|---|
| Difficulty level: | Demanding. You’ll climb through rugged forest and up steep mountain passes gaining a maximum altitude of 1,719 m. It’s considered one of the toughest trails of Kumano Kodo for its incline and duration. |
What is the Kumano Kodo?
On the Kii Peninsula are the three Grand Shrines of Kumano, pilgrimage destinations for successive emperors and their families from Kyoto since the 11th century. There were several pilgrimage trails including the Nakahechi-do, Kohechi-do and Ohechi-do, collectively known as the Kumano Kodo (‘Old Road of Kumano’).
How many days does it take to walk Kumano Kodo?
– Our Kumano Kodo self-guided tours offer 4, 5, or 6 days walking village to village along this old pilgrimage route heading west to east along the Kii-peninsula.
Where to stay for the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage?
This is where your walk on the Nakahechi portion of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route begins. From Takijiri the path climbs steadily to the ridge-top village of Takahara, and takes around two hours. Stay tonight in a small, Japanese-style hotel in the tiny village of Takahara, or in a Japanese Minshuku in the nearby village of Kurisugawa.
What is the Kumano trail?
The trail passes through small villages and forest trails over the Kii Mountains to the Kumano shrine at Hongu, one of the three ‘Grand Shrines of Kumano’. At the heart of these sacred mountains, Kumano was said to be the entrance to the land of Yomi, the ‘other world’ which spirits travelled to in Japanese mythology.