Solo Hiking the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail – 4-day itinerary

I’m delighted to share my experience solo hiking the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail in this Kumano Kodo blog!

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This blog post contains information about what turned out to be my favourite 4 days of solo travelling in Japan. It really is an incredible country to hike in, and I’m keen to share my tips with you.

WHY HIKE THE KUMANO KODO PILGRIMAGE TRAIL?

This Shinto-Buddhist trail has been walked for thousands of years. People, including emperors and samurai, have walked this trail to the general public in times gone by. In ancient times, these mountains and forests were believed to be the abode of the gods!

Today, multi-day hikes are accessible for anyone who wishes to taste these sacred mountains.

This region is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

WHICH KUMANO KODO PILGRIMAGE TRAIL ROUTE SHOULD I TAKE?

I HIGHLY recommend using the Kumano Travel website. (This isn’t sponsored – I hadn’t even started a blog when I booked this.) The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau is a tiny office that wants to make this region a sustainable tourism destination, which is pretty awesome. 

I chose their recommended 4-day Kumano Kodo hike option and booked accommodation through them, so I knew the locations easily coincided with their recommended itinerary. It just takes the pressure off getting lost if you’re travelling solo as they will give you all the bus schedules etc, as well as an easy-to-use map.

I chose the NAKEHECHI route because I wanted to get a real taste of hiking in the forest, as well as passing the famous Yunomine hot springs and, most of all, I wanted to finish my Kumano Kodo hike at the famous Nachi Falls, the tallest waterfall in Japan.

SOLO HIKING THE KUMANO KODO TRAIL

WHERE DOES THE KUMANO KODO TRAIL BEGIN?

I recommend staying overnight in Tanabe. This is a recommended access point to begin the hike, as you can easily catch a bus to the starting point in the morning. You can get a train from Kyoto or Osaka to Tanabe.

You might not want to take everything you’ve brought with you on the hike. I stayed at Miyoshiya Ryokan, a budget minshuku (family-run BnB) as they allow you to leave all your luggage there after you finish the hike.

DAY ONE – HIKING FROM TAKIJIRI-ORI TO CHIKATSUYU

Okay, so after spending the night in Tanabe. I set off alone with my map and my backpack and got the bus to Takijiri-Ori from Tanabe station.

Takijiri-Ori is one of many shrines along the Kumano Kodo! If you wish, you can buy a book that you can stamp with unique stamps you’ll find in each shrine along the way.

The path was very overgrown at first, with roots growing over the stone steps that led into the forest. This certainly set the atmospheric tone of the hike!

It was very steep initially, and I must say I found the first few kilometres to be the most challenging part of the hike. When it flattened a little, I could appreciate the amazingly tall trees on either side of the path. 

When I got to the clearings, I unexpectedly came across beautiful blue pools deep in the forest and fantastic mountain views. It was beautiful. I was less thrilled when I came across snakes, though; they weren’t so fun. 

Staying overnight in Chikatsuyu:

When I reached Chikatsuyu, I was worn out but very happy. I was feeling too shy to use the onsen (although onsen, aka natural hot spring baths, are gender-inclusive, it still doesn’t require getting naked in front of strangers). Still, I loved my simplistic accommodation at my Japanese homestay.

I was amazed it had wifi, haha! The family I was staying with cooked the most fantastic feast (even for me, a vegetarian – I was able to request veggie food in advance), and I slept very well.

DAY TWO – HIKING FROM CHIKATSUYU TO YUNOMINE ONSEN

After eating breakfast, I departed. At 8 am the mountains were so misty! Walking into the tall trees alone felt very strange that day.

Sadly I had terrible luck with the weather on my second day! 20km in POURING RAIN. The rain was cold and constant. Although it’s hard to feel spiritual when you’re soaked through to your pants, the rainy struggle through the misty forest made it easy to see why they once believed spirits of the dead congregated in the sacred peaks. 

The Kumano’s natural landscape inspired the profound nature worship in which rocks, mountains, rivers, waterfalls and forests are deified and revered as objects of worship. 

I came across Hosshinmon-oji, the gate of the awakening of aspiration to enlightenment. Passing through this gate marked the initial death and rebirth in the Pure Land.

It was a tough slog. The rain had turned the pathways into waterfalls. Everything in my backpack was soaked through! Solo hiking in Japan could be a daunting task with weather like that, but thankfully I met a group of hikers from Belgium and walked with them the rest of the way to Yunomine Onsen.

The last hiking stop that day was really Kumano Hongu Taisha, but it was raining so much it was hard to enjoy it (thankfully, I could go back the next day)!

Staying overnight in Yunomine Onsen:

Yunomine Onsen has been a site of water purification rites for 1800 years! You can use the public hot springs outside to take a dip. If you don’t believe in the alleged healing powers of these waters… you could always just boil your eggs in them instead.

The best way to warm up was the onsen after all that rain! Even the hostel had three separate onsens (so you could bathe alone if you felt shy like I was). Relaxing in the hot natural spring water was the best way to warm up and soothe my aching joints.

I loved J-Hoppers Kumano Yunomine Guesthouse! It was great talking to other backpackers as we dried our clothes and cooked hot food.

DAY THREE – Hiking to Kumano Hongu Taisha and a Kumano Kodo boat ride

I began day 3 of my Kumano Kodo hike by catching a bus to Oyunohara, which is the most giant Torii gate in Japan! Before walking to the nearby Kumano Hongu Taisha – this is thought of as the spiritual heart of Japan, as all pilgrimage routes lead here. I explored and then was at a vegan Buddhist café – the rice was grown in the rice paddies right outside!

I then took a boat ride down the Kumano-Gawa River, which has been used for ferry services for over 1000 years, although it has now been replaced by roads. It was a fundamental part of the Kumano pilgrimage.

The boat took me to the Shingu-Taisha shrine, and I caught the bus to nearby Katsuura where I stayed overnight. (This is a small fishing town where you can eat its famous seafood if you’re not vegetarian like me!)

DAY FOUR – KUMANO NACHI TAISHA 

I was sad that my time hiking Japan’s ancient trail was already coming to an end. I caught the bus to Kumano Nachi Taisha. The religious origin of this particular shrine is due to the ancient nature wall of Nachi Falls. It is a beautiful area to explore, with the famous red paint of Japanese shrines standing tall amongst the lush greenery in which deer hide nearby.

Standing at 133m, Nachi Falls is the tallest waterfall in Japan! Hearing them tumble down the rocks felt like a beautiful yet sad song, telling me my time in Kumano had ended.

For centuries, the Kumano Kodo has been seen as a place of healing and regeneration, both physically and spiritually. Today, people come to reflect and reaffirm one’s future direction and meaning in life. For me, two weeks into my solo journey that is still continuing many months on, I guess it affirmed that I’d chosen the right path – the unknown path, the uncertain life of a traveller.

‘Let the artificial boundaries and borders of the modern world disappear. So we can contemplate life as one unified humanity on planet earth.’

Kuki Letaka

And for me? I took the train to Osaka (via Tanabe to pick up my luggage) so I would be ready to head further South the following morning.

Onwards…