Tanabe City located in Wakayama Prefecture is one of several starting points for the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail. It is less than two hours from Kansai International Airport (KIX) via a Kuroshio Limited Express train after a short transfer at Hineno Station. The Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trails are a collection of several different trails that crisscross the Kii Mountain Range. The trails were/are used to access the three great temples of the region. The temples are known as Kumano Sanzan and comprise of Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, & Kumano Nachi Taisha. Due to time constraints and accessibility we decided to take the Nakahechi Route from Takajiri-Oji to Hongu.

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We decided to stay near Kii-Tanabe Station as it has direct access from Kansai International Airport (KIX) and has a bus that will take us directly to the trailhead. The train ride south along the Kii Peninsula was pleasant as we skirted the coast. We made a quick pit stop in Wakayama city for some ramen before continuing on to Kii-Tanabe Station.

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Our lodging for the night was at Buddha Guest House. It was supposed to be a short 5 minute walk from the station, however we were still getting accustomed to the fickleness of Google Maps in Japan. We got turned around a couple of times and a nice old man asked us where we were going. We told him Buddha Guest House and he got on his phone and called the owner. A few minutes later the owner strolled up on his bicycle and walked us back to his place. The place was old and the amenities were a bit outdated, however it had a very homey atmosphere and vibe. The guest house owner was kind enough to review our itinerary and gave us some useful tips about our journey ahead.

It was a short 10 minute walk to Ogigahama Beach, so we thought we would enjoy the sunset. The beach was nice and the water was calm. It’s probably packed during the summer. After sunset, we strolled back into town. We tried to find dinner at a number of izakaya, but were turned down due to limited seating capacity/we needed to make a reservation in advance (or something like that). Being slightly demoralized we picked up some prepared food at a local supermarket and headed back to the guest house. We went to sleep early to get a head start on the following day.

More to Come…