How to choose between hiking the Nakasendo and the Kumano Kodo trails

How to choose between hiking the Nakasendo and the Kumano Kodo trails

[Music] With hiking in Japan becoming more and more popular for foreign visitors, picking the right trail for you and your group is vital for both safety and making your trip enjoyable. In this video, I’ll compare two of the most historically significant trails, the Nakasendo and the Kumodo. Why are they so important? The Nakasendo Trail was one of five major governmentadministered routes during the Edeto period. Along with the Tokaido route, it connected Tokyo to Kyoto and consisted of 69 post towns called Shukubamachi. These towns had lodging for samurai, nobles, government workers, and general travelers. There were rest areas and shops as well. I walked all 530 km of this over the course of 18 days. It starts at Nihonbashi Bridge in Tokyo, passes through Saitama, Guma, Nagono, Geoot, and Shigu Prefectures before arriving at Sanjjo Ohashi Bridge in Kyoto. You can see my three-part series on YouTube. There’s 69 post towns total between Kyoto and Tokyo. So these are ones we passed through already. We’re in Hongjo, which is this one. And these are the ones that we will come upon on the rest of the way to Kyoto. The 69 post towns sprinkled along the route still exist in some form or fashion. However, this can vary from one small stone marker to partially restored buildings to nearly restored towns like Narayuku, Zumagle, and Magome. So, we’re back on the trail and you can tell because like I told you yesterday, the yellow and white rocks and asphalt lets you know that’s the Nakasindo. Some towns and cities do that just to keep uh keep wandering people from getting lost. Some towns like Nakatskawa, Minoamo and Kusatu have Nakasindo museums. So I’m here at the Kasat Tuku Kaido Kyukan and they gave me a certificate for doing the Nakasindo. Has my name and everything on it. But uh still have 20 more K to go. So let’s do this. The full Nakasendo has days of flat urban terrain from Tokyo to GMA and from Shiga to Kyoto, but it also has days of mountainous forest terrain from GMA through Nagono and into GeFu. Some of the in between areas are scenic but typical Japanese villages. Rice fields and even have important sites. The Edeto period paperwork and weapons checkpoint gates called Seeko still remain in Yokawa, Kiso Fukushukima and Niawa. This is another uh what they call Seiki show. It’s like a checkpoint. Uh during the Edeto period, different feudal lords controlled different areas and Tokyo basically controlled the area and had checkpoints like this where they check your documents. But it’s like this. If you didn’t have your documents in place, you couldn’t get past this area. You couldn’t go any further. In the old days, there would have been wanted posters like this. The city of Sua in Nagono has one of Japan’s most important [Music] shrines. And the town of Seiara has tons of sites related to the Battle of Sei Gara, which changed the course of history in Japan. And there’s also bike rentals here, too. So, there’s so much to see in this area that uh I’m going to have to make another trip for sure. Some of the smaller towns just don’t have the demand or budget to maintain facilities for visitors. Some small towns like this, uh, this is IMA Iasu, Imasipo Town, but some small towns like this will even have just a banner that says Nakasendo and have a bench for people to take a break on, which probably isn’t too often, but they have these pamphlets about the town, only in Japanese, of course, but you can tell they’ve been rained on and uh, nobody’s picked one up in a while. But I appreciate the bench. Thank you, Himasuku. The Nakosindo isn’t super challenging, per se, but crossing the Usui Pass from GMA into Nagono and the Water Pass in Nagono requires some level of fitness. Oh, we made it to the top. Okay. Ah, my eyes are burning from the sweat. We made it. We’re going to head down to Sua now. As far as lodging, the more popular areas like the Kiso Valley have more Japanese ends called Rioans and some even in English. But because of the demand, you need to book as soon as you know your schedule. With parts of the Nakasindo closer to bigger cities, there are more options such as business hotels, net cafes with private rooms, and even love hotels. When planning your trip, consider avoiding rainy season in June, the heat in July and August, and the snowiest winter months like January and February, especially when hiking parts of Nagono. Although there’s lots of information and maps in Japanese about the Nakasindo, one of the best English resources for up-to-date information and people who have been there and done that is the Walk the Nakasindo group on Facebook. Personally, I used a Japanese app called Nakasendo, but written in kanji. It cost about 500 yen, but the map and GPS functions do not require any Japanese ability and is well worth a few dollars. Now, let’s move on to the Kumoko. The Kumoko is a series of routes crossing the Ki Peninsula that have been used for religious pilgrimages for over a thousand years. People from peasants to emperors seeking for salvation and healing would use these routes to get to the Kuminal Sanzan or the three shrines of Kuminal. The most popular route is the Nakahuchi trail which runs from Tanav to the three shrines. Since I wanted to combine my hike with a visit to the monktown of Koasan, I hiked the Kohichi trail for 4 days and continued with the Nakahuchi Trail. Check out my two-part YouTube series to see what this hike is like. Although the less popular routes like the Ohchi and the Isi are more urban and flatter, the scenic Nakahi and Cohi go through the rugged mountains of Wakayama Prefecture. Most days go up and down thousand meter passes, but the mental and physical challenges make it a truly spiritual experience when you reach any of the three kuminal shrines. Hunga shrine, Nachi Shrine, and Hayatama Shrine. But seeing the tallest waterfall in Japan, Nachi Falls, is the icing on the cake. Lodging on the Kumino Cotto consists mostly of small Japanese ends. And with little to no English spoken, it’s nearly impossible to call places directly to inquire, much less convey other details like food requirements, pickup service, etc. So, the absolutely best resource is the Tanav City Kumo Tourism Bureau website. But not only does it have every bit of information you need to plan your trip, it also has a reservation system where you can inquire and book all of your accommodations. Because of the more southern location of the Kumoko and being situated on the largest peninsula in Japan, it’s hikable pretty much all year round. However, I’d still try to avoid the rainy season in June because slippery roots and stones can make for risky [Music] descents. I always try to find a place under the leaves, under some branches, so uh at least I don’t get super soaked while I’m taking a little break. But, uh I’m already soaked anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. Since the Kumino Cotto became registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004, the trails have become more and more popular. But because of the high demand, the lodgings fill up quickly, so plan accordingly. The website requires making reservations at least 20 days in advance, but it’s recommended to book much earlier. There’s also a Facebook group called Kuminal Codal Planning where you can get advice and input from people who have already hiked the trail. So, as you can see, each of these hikes have different appealing aspects and several factors to consider. Research thoroughly and make the most of your trip. Be sure to check out my full Nakasindo and Kumokoto videos for a detailed look at the trails. And leave a comment for any advice you think might help others. Thanks for watching and safe hiking. [Music]

We’ll compare Japan’s 2 most historical trails and look at factors and aspects of each to help you decide which is best for you.

You can also see daily shorts of both of these hikes on my Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/gettingtoknowjapan/

Tanabe City Tourism Bureau

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