We started early to make a 6:16 am bus leaving from Kii-Tanabe Station. We took a #81 bus for Hosshinmon-Oji from bus stop #2. It was approximately a 40 minute trip to the Takajiri-Oji bus stop. The bus dumped us off on the side of the road and we had to cross it and a subsequent bridge to reach the shrine. Luckily it was still pretty early in the morning and there wasn’t much traffic. As we crossed the bridge, we were met by a small shop/minshuku (Japanese Inn) on the left where one can pickup any last minute items or pilgrimage essentials. We stopped by the public restrooms which were on the right after we crossed the bridge. They were in a separate building in front of the Kumano Kodo Information Center. The center opens at 8:30 am which was too late for us early birds to wait.

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Prior to heading out, we made sure to pick up an orange stamp book. We got ours at the cafe which is the first building on the left after we crossed the bridge. The books are free and the woman there happily handed us one. Interestingly enough, she was listening to Katy Perry music, which is amusing to us Americans. After a quick onigiri breakfast break we headed to the shrine for a quick prayer for our trip. The trailhead begins behind the left side of the shrine. The first part of the trail was quite a rigorous ascent so we took our time as this hike is a marathon of sorts, not a sprint.

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Along the hike there are a number of little bird house-esque structures. These are stamping stations. Remember that stamp book we picked up at the beginning of the hike? This is where we can start filling in the spaces. The process is simple:

1. Open the little door
2. Take the stamp and ink pad out
3. Press down firmly on the book with the stamp
4. Once done, put both items back in and you are good to go

Next level strategy would be to bring our own red ink pad, as some of the ink pads were a bit dry. With that in mind, please remember to close the stamp pads and the door for the next adventurer.

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As we continued on the trail, we came to a fork in the road. The left led to a clearing at the top of Mt. Meshimori-yama and the right path presumably bypassed the peak. It was a short trek up some stairs and the view gave us a nice early sense of accomplishment.

Continuing on the trail, it went from dirt to gravel to paved road as we entered Takahara. We made a stop at Takahara Kumano Shrine, which is small and quaint. We got a stamp, signed a guest book, and admired the dragon statue on display.

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Just a few minutes walk away is the local rest area with public restrooms. We stopped here for a bit and admired the view of terraced rice paddies. They have a couple of vending machines, so we stocked up on our liquids and headed out.

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Before leaving town we stopped at Kirinosato Takahara and sampled a couple of their delicious cakes. It’s a full service hotel with a great view of the valley below. After the sweet snack, we were on our way.

• We picked up a stamp at Daimon-Oji near Marker #11
• We took a short snack break near Jujo-Oji. There is a nice little clearing with some benches. We picked up another stamp and were on our way.
• We picked up another stamp at Osakamoto-Oji in-between Markers #21 & 22 it was right on the trail.

A little after Marker #23 we came to where the trail meets HWY 311. Across the highway is a Michi-No-Eki which is a sort of rest stop in Japan. This one in particular had a small restaurant, a shop with a good selection of local goods and produce, and numerous Kumano related souvenirs. We picked up a few keychains and enjoyed an ice cream on their outdoor seating.

After the nice break, we continued on to Chikatsuyu. A little while after Marker #24 there was a fork in the road and an option to go to Gyuba-Doji Statue. We decided to take the brief detour, picked up a stamp and then continued on our journey.

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Just after we passed Marker #25, we passed by a small park on the left that gave us our first glimpse of sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossoms). Our anticipation was heightened as the upcoming town of Chikatsuyu came into view.

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Once in town, we headed to Chikatsuyu-Oji for another stamp. Afterwards, we went to A Co-op in town for an early dinner. In addition to having a small restaurant, they also had a nice size shop selling local goods and produce as well as a small grocery store. We stocked up on some snacks and got some things for breakfast the next day.

This is where our planning started to go downhill, fast. We had booked Guest House Mui for our lodging for the night. It’s approximately an hour or so hike from Chikatsuyu. The only problem was that the sun was starting to go down and we forgot that it gets darker sooner due to the mountains. We made it about half way when we were miraculously bailed out by the owner of the lodging. The Guest House owner had been worried that we had not shown up yet, and so he got in his small van and had driven to see if he could find us. By chance he had found us hiking along the side of the road. It was perfect timing as it was getting pretty dark and hiking in the dark, even with flashlights would have been difficult. The owner was also kind enough to make stops along the way for us to collect a stamp or two.

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The Guest House was nice and the owners were super sweet. We chatted with the owners a little who said that they used to live in the city, but had come out to the countryside for its slower pace. We slept on comfortable futons upstairs and had fun interacting with their well-tempered goat.

At the end of the day, I’m glad that things ended up working out for us. If I had to do it all over again, we would probably just stay in Chikatsuyu for the night. We were being a little too ambitious when planning where to stay. We probably could have made it before dark, if we taken shorter breaks and less detours. But what fun is that? We feel that there needs to be a certain balance between completing the hike within a specific time constraint and enjoying the surrounding nature.

More to Come…

MVT Award (Most Valuable Thing): This award has to go to the humble konbini umbrella. You heard that right, this cheap and simple item made the trip so much better. In addition to performing its primary function of protecting you from inclement weather, it also serves as a cane/de facto third leg. If you’ve ever been hiking in Japan, you know that the trails can be quite obstructed. Whether its root covered trails or slick stone covered walkways, there are numerous obstacles looking to ruin your day. Que the humble konbini umbrella. It’s cheap, lightweight, and helps you easily navigate those tricky spots on the trail. It’s saved me numerous times from losing my balance and taking a potentially painful fall. 10/10 would bring again.

Budget: (Does not include food/souvenirs)

• Bus from Kii-Tanabe Station to Takajiri-Oji Bus Stop ¥970/person
• Lodging at Guest House Mui (No Meals) ¥4,500/person/night
• Total: ¥5,470/person