Hiking in Japan doesn’t get better than Kumano Kodo, a 3 day forest walk in the Japanese countryside. In this cinematic hiking vlog, we trek the Nakahechi pilgrimage trail from Takahara to Tsugizakura-oji. This section of the trail had numerous shrines, flowing streams and wooden bridges. We passed through Chikatsuyu village and to our surprise encountered monkeys as we reached Tsugizakura-oji!
The second evening was spent at Guesthouse MUI. It’s a cosy traditional Japanese house run by a couple. Masanari-san speaks excellent English and even translated our names into Japanese kanji during dinner – which again was simply incredible with 15 different dishes! We started the next day with a satisfying breakfast and fed the pet goats before heading off to our final destination, Kumano Hongu Taisha.
Kumano Kodo is a network of ancient pilgrimage routes in Wakayama, the spiritual heartland of Japan. For over a thousand years pilgrims, samurai and emperors have walked the same path in search of spiritual enlightenment in the rugged mountains and photogenic forests of the Kii Peninsula. The trail themselves have been designated as one of two UNESCO World Heritage Pilgrimage routes, the other being Spain’s Camino De Santiago. The most popular hike is the 40km Nakahechi route, which starts in Takijiri-oji and ends at Kumano Hongu Taisha.
In our opinion, Kumano Kodo is the best way to experience rural Japan. You’ll get close to Japan’s nature and interact with locals. Staying in a traditional Japanese house is an experience you’ll never forget and the home-cooked meals are easily on par with the best restaurants the world has to offer.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
– Wakayama is just south of Osaka, so factor in travel times if you’re coming from Kyoto or Tokyo. Once you reach Kii-Tanabe, you’ll also need to take a local bus to the start point – that’s why we recommend our 3 day hiking itinerary.
– Use the Kumano Tanabe booking service to book accommodation and meals. It is expensive, but as we mentioned the meals are on par with fine dining restaurants.
– Pack light! You can hire a shuttle to take your luggage to the next stop, but it’s a bit expensive.
– To make the most of your trip, it REALLY helps if you know some very basic Japanese – even learning a hundred words or so will totally change the interactions you have with the locals.
Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments!
Cinematic Hiking Vlogs is a video series that combines hiking vlog and cinematic video styles to showcase the best walks and hiking trails in the UK and further afield. We cover everything from relaxing walking trails to mountain climbing adventures – so make yourself a strong cup of tea, grab a couple of biscuits and kick back as we take you on a cinematic tour of the UK’s best hiking destinations.
HIKE DETAILS
Full Route: Nakahechi Trail
Distance: Takahara to Tsugizakura-oji (13km)
Difficulty: 2/5
HIKING DIFFICULTY RATING
1/5 – Flat or Undulating Trail
2/5 – Hills (Under 600m)
3/5 – Mountains (600m+)
4/5 – Mountains (900m+) with ridge walking or scrambling
5/5 – Mountains (900m+) with ridge walking or sustained scrambling
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MUSIC
Dreamsphere 3 by Sascha Ende
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Joyful Moments by Rafael Krux
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