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World Heritage – The Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Routes Self-guided Walking Tour 4days, 3nights Departing from Kyoto/Osaka Yen 79,000 per person in twin sharing

The world heritage site “Kumano Kodo” is a set of pilgrimage trails lead to the holy Kumano Sanzan (three major shrines of Kumano – Kumano Hongu Taisha , , Kumano Hayatama Taisha). These trails also link to Koyasan, Yoshino and Ise. Kumano is the name of region in the southern Kii peninsula, and spans Wakayama, Mie and Nara. Kodo is old trail in Japanese.

Kumano Kodo is part of UNESCO World Heritage “Sacred sites and Pilgrimage route in the Kii Mountain range” designated in 2004. This is one of two pilgrimage routes in the world designated as a UNESCO World heritage site. The other being Camino de Santiago de Compostela (The way of St.James pilgrimage) in Spain.

Kumano Kodo consits of 5 main pilgrimage routes as shown below. 1.Nakahechi (World Heritage) – as mentioned above, lead to three major shrines of Kumano 2.Kohechi (World Heritage) – Mountainous route between Koyasan and Kumano Hongu 3.Iseji (World Heritage) – Eastern route reads to . 4.Ohechi – Long costal route Tanabe city – Kushimoto town – Shingu city 5.Omine-okugakedo – This route is for Shugendo training, the trail runs between Yoshino and Kumano Nachi Taicha via Mt.Omine and Kumano Hongu Taisha. It's distance is over 150km through high mountain ridges along the way, Some parts of area is still prohibited to women.

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Itinerary Day 1 (27 Nov - Sun) JR Train Kuroshio-3: Kyoto (8:35 a.m. Dep) >> Shin-Osaka (9:01 a.m. Dep) >> Kii-Tanabe (11:15 a.m. Arr) Meet English Speaking Guide at Kii-Tanabe Station Local Bus: JR Kii-Tanabe (12:35 p.m. Dep) >> Takijiri (13;15 p.m.) Hike: Takijiri-Oji (82 m above sea level) >> (4 km 2 hrs) >> Takahara village (330 m) Breakfast XXX / Lunch XXX / Dinner at Lodge Stay at Kirinosato Takahara

Please take the 8:35 a.m. JR Limited Express train (Kuroshio-3 go) from JR Kyoto or JR Shin-Osaka Station bound for Shingu-city. Your train will arrive at JR Kii-Tanabe Station at 11:15 a.m., please get off the train here at JR Kii-Tanabe without fail. You will meet your English speaking guide (ESG) at the station. You have more than one hour until the local bus departure. Please have lunch near the station on your own, as there are no place to eat until you arrive at your lodge in Takahara village today. Visit the tourists office at the station, they provide English information and maps for the Kumano-Kodo.

Take the 12:35 p.m. local bus with your ESG and the bus will arrive at Takijiri at 13:15 p.m. While you are riding on the bus, ESG will give you advise and travel tips for the Kumano region such as how to ride the local buses. First, visit the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage center to learn outline of the history of the Kumano Kodo.

For most pilgrims in the present, Kumano Kodo Hiking trail starts here at Takijiri-Oji. This is a very important spot and one of the five major Oji shrines. Let’s worship at Takijiri-Oji Shrine for your safe journey through the Kumano Kodo. Now you have entered into the scared ground of Kumano. The trail goes immediately into the mountains and continues on a steep slope until the lookout point at 336 m above sea level. The distance to Takahara village is 4km, and the walking time is about 2 hours via Tainai-Kuguri, Nezu-Oji, Lookout Point and Takahara Kumano Shrine. You will arrive at your accommodation around 3:30 p.m. and your guide will leave you at the lodge after check in. Take a bath and relax for tomorrow.

SLOW TOURISM JAPAN [email protected] Tel.075-201-9966 / 090-5650-5477 Fax.050-5846-8902 http://slowtourism.jp/ https://www.facebook.com/slowtourism.jp/ Day 2 (28 Nov - ) Hike: Takahara (330 m above sea level) >> (5.3km 2 hrs) >> Uetawa Tea House Ruins (688 m) >> (2.8 km 1hr) >> Gyubadouji-guchi Bus Stop (337m) >> (1.3km 30mins) > Chikatsuyu-Oji (290m) >> (4 km 1 hour 10 mins) >> Ttsugizakura-Oji (506m) >> (1.5km 30mins) >> Your accomodation (365m) Breakfast at Lodge / Lunch XXX / Dinner at Minsyuku Stay at Minsyuku Nonaka-Sanso

No guide from today, but don’t worry, as this is a world heritage site, signs (Japanese and English) are provided at necessary points along Kumano Kodo. If you take a wrong turn, then you will find the sign says “This is not Kumano Kodo”, so if you don’t miss the signs, you can get to your final destination without any problem. Today you need to walk 15 km for 6 to 7 hours including breaks. So please leave your lodge before 8:00 a.m.

At the beginning, you have to walk on the steep asphalt trail through the village for a while, and the trail becomes an unpaved mountain pass, then it keeps climbing via Jujo-Oji until the Uetawa Tea House Ruins, the highest point at 688m. After passing Uetawa Tea House Ruins, the trail slowly goes downhill to Osakamoto-Oji, and after little more walking you will arrive at Gyubadouji Bus Stop beside the main road, of Route 311. There is a small rest area with bathrooms and vending machines. After a short break , continue to walk and the trail goes into the forest again, after that you will see the Gyubadouji statue soon, a symbol of the Nakahechi route, and the trail will decent to Chikatsuyu village. After coming out of the forest and crossing the bridge, you will reach Chikatsuyu-Oji.

This is the only place to have lunch along Kumano Kodo today. There are some restaurants, souvenir shops, a small super market and bathrooms within 5minutes walking distance. There are no places to eat, and no shops at all along the Kumano Kodo until you arrive at Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine tomorrow. so please have a lunch here and buy some refreshments. After lunch break, back to the Kumano Kodo, and proceeds up to Tsugizakura-Oji through Chikatsuyu village. This section takes 1 hour and 15 minutes and you will see 800 years old giant cedar trees at Tsugizakura-Oji. Your accommodation for tonight is a Minsyuku, a small family-run inn located 1.4 km away. Go downhill from Tsugizakura-Oji.

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Day 3 (29 Nov - Tue)

Local Bus: Nonaka-no-Ippousugi Bus stop (7:49 a.m. dep) >> Hosshinmon-Oji (08:48 a.m. arr) Hike: Hosshinmon-Oji (314m above sea level) >> (7 km 2 hrs) >> Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine (93m) >> (3.4 km 1 hour 15mins) >> Yunomine Onsen (115 m) Breakfast at Minsyuku / Lunch XXX / Dinner at Ryokan or Minsyuku Stay at Ryokan or Minsyuku with Onsen (hot spring)

It is possible to walk to Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine along Kumano Kodo, however the route is 23 km and takes 8 hours, and part of the trail is closed due to a landslide, so you need to make a detour through a high mountain pass. As a result, it takes more time, and it gets dark before 4:00 p.m. in the mountains during late autumn. It is not easy to reach Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine while it is still light, so I strongly recommend you ride a local bus for Hosshinmon-Oji, which is 6 km, 2 hours walking, from Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine.

Hosshinmon-Oji is one of the most important shrines on the Nakahechi route. For the first 1.7km you walk on asphalt road through small villages untill you reach Mizunomi-Oji, then the trail goes into the forest to Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine via Fushigami-Oji. There is a view point on the route where the pilgrims can see a large gate in the distance where old Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine was located. After Mizunomi-Oji, you mostly walk on a stone-paved path through the forest and this section preserves a good atmosphere of the old days of Japan. You will arrive at Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine via the back entrance. This is one of the three grand shines of Kumano and the headquarters of over 3,000 Kumano shrines in Japan.

Your final destination for today is Yunomine Onsen,(hot Spring), which is not so far from here. Make one more effort and one of the oldest hot spring spot in Japan is waiting for your arrival.

SLOW TOURISM JAPAN [email protected] Tel.075-201-9966 / 090-5650-5477 Fax.050-5846-8902 http://slowtourism.jp/ https://www.facebook.com/slowtourism.jp/ Day4 (30Nov-Wed) Local Bus: Yunomine Onsen (06:55 or 08:50 a.m. dep) >> Gongenmae Bus Stop (8:00 or 09:55 a.m. arr) Hike: Gongenmae >> Kumano Hayatama Taisha >> Kamikura Jinja >> Gongenmae (3 km 2 hrs) Local Bus: Gongenmae Bus Stop (10:34or12:34 am dep) >> Daimonzaka Cyushajo (11:24or13:29 am arr) Hike: Daimonzaka Cyushajo >> Daimonzaka >> Nachi Taisha Shrine >> Seigantoji Temple >> Nachi Falls > Nachi Falls Bus Stop (3 km 2.5 hrs) Local bus: Nachi Falls Bus Stop (3:51 or 4:26 p.m. dep) >> JR Kii-Katsuura Station (4:15 or 4:50 arr) JR Train: Kuroshio-34 JR Kii-Katsuura Station (6:10 p.m. dep) >> Shin Osaka Station (10:06 p.m. arr) JR Train: Wide view Nanki 8 go JR Kii-Katsuura Station (5:11 p.m. dep) >> Nagoya Station (8:49 p.m. arr) Breakfast at Minsyuku or Ryokan / Lunch XXX / Dinner XXX No accommodation for tonight

Today you mostly travel by local bus. If you are going to Osaka, Nagoya or Mie today, take the 6:55 a.m. bus, if you are staying around the Katsuura area, take either the 6:55 a.m. or the 8:50 a.m. bus. Get off at the Gongenmae bus stop in Shingu City (it takes 65minutes). Kumano Hayatama Taisha, another one of the three grand shrines of Kumano, is closed to the bus stop. Kamikura Jinja is a sister shrine of Kumano Hayatama Taisha, located 15 minutes away on foot. Go up 538 stairs, and a gigantic rock (very huge) is the worship site at the middle of Mt.Gongen. This is a very unique shine and it has a mysterious atmosphere. You can enjoy spectacular view of Shingu City and the Pacific Ocean from this point.

Take a local bus again from the Gongenmae bus stop, either the 10:34 a.m. departure or the 12:34 a.m. departure bound for the Nachi Falls. Please get off the bus at Daimonzaka Chushajo (parking) bus stop (one stop before Nachi Falls (takes 50minutes). Daimonzaka Slop is part of Kumano Kodo that leads to Nachi Falls via Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine (one of the three grand shrines of Kumano), Seigan Toji Temple and a three-stories pagoda. The trail is 2.5km long and takes 2hours. After enjoying your last World Heritage Site on the Kumano Kodo, take the bus from Nachi Falls bus stop for JR Kii Katsura station. (operates every hour). You can connect the final train Nagoya (departing at 5.11 p.m.) or Osaka (departing at 6.10 p.m.).