Like the day before, we got off to an early start. The road was paved at the beginning, which was a nice way to warm our legs and get our bodies ready for the hike ahead. We eventually came to a roadside public bathroom which marked the start of the actual hiking trail. The trail snaked through the forest with various ascents and descents. We passed a couple stamps at Jagata Jizo & Yukawa-Oji. We stopped at Jagata Jizo for a quick snack and continued on.
As we continued on, we eventually came to a clearing. On the side of the road was a small pool with thousands of tadpoles.
The real curveball of the day occurred when came to this sign. Our original plan was to go to Marker #59 and then go up along the Akagi-Goe route into Yunomine Onsen. Seeing as this route was no longer available we opted to take the detour towards Hosshinmon-Oji. Once we got to Hosshimon-Oji, we picked up another two stamps and continued on. We arrived at the Hosshimon Rest Area and took a short rest as we figured out how we were going to get to Yunomine Onsen. It just so happened that there was a bus stop here and a bus pulled in as we were resting. We confirmed that the bus was going to Hongu and gladly got on board. We knew that there was a bus that went from Hongu to Yunomine Onsen, so as long as we got to Hongu, we would be fine. What was going to be a multi hour hike to Hongu turned into a short 15 minute bus ride into town.
As it was still early afternoon, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat at a local family restaurant. The meals were inexpensive and filling. I’m curious as to what there American-Style Coffee entails. Is it instant coffee? Its definitely not Stone-Roasted Coffee that’s for sure. We’ll have to try it next time and see.
After our late lunch we decided to visit two of the most popular spots in Hongu, Oyunohara & Kumano Hongu Taisha.
Oyunohara is the former location of Kumano Hongu Taisha. The temple was moved to its current location and rebuilt from its salvaged remains after being destroyed by a great flood in 1889. Oyunohara is also home to Otorii which is the largest torii gate in the world.
Kumano Hongu Taisha is one of the three temples that comprise the Kumano Sanzan. The approach to the temple gave us a sense of anticipation as we passed under a large tori gate and continued along a gravel path. The temple complex was quite large and the main temple itself had both common and ornate features. We definitely felt a sense of reverence as we walked the temple grounds. We picked up a unique Goshuincho book as well as a couple of good luck amulets before heading out. We got on a bus bound for Yunomine Onsen at Hongu Taisha-Mae bus terminal which was across the street from the temple.
Once we got to Yunomine Onsen, we dropped off our day packs at our lodging for the night Minshuku Kuraya. We then hurried over to buy tickets for Tsuboyu which is a single/couple use private onsen that was on a first come first serve basis. Luckily for us, there was no line and we were able to buy our tickets at the vending machine next to the reception hut for ¥770/person. The bath itself was nice, there was a separate area to get washed up in before entering the onsen itself. We definitely recommend running the downspout of cold water as the onsen water was super hot. Being the budget travelers that we are, we opted to not choose the meal plan that was offered at our lodging. While they are definitely nice and convenient, the meals at most of the lodgings are quite expensive considering what you actually get. We had dinner at a small café just south of Tsuboyu Onsen.
While walking around town we started to notice that everyone seemed to be selling raw eggs, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. We asked someone about it and they told us about Yuzutsu which was a public hot spring used to cook food. In the middle of town on the river was a small rectangular hot spring where you could cook your own food in the water. We picked up some eggs and sweet potatoes and headed over. The eggs and sweet potatoes came in netted bags that we hooked to the rings that lined the perimeter of Yuzutsu. The shop we purchased from gave us the times for how long to cook each of them. We set our timers and decided to explore the town a little. The eggs came out soft boiled and a dash of salt made them delicious. The sweet potatoes came out soft and not dried out at all.
Afterwards we headed back to our lodging for the night at Minshuku Kuraya. We reunited with our bags and settled down in our room. The lodging was quite nice and our room was very spacious. We went to sleep pretty early since tomorrow would be a long day.
More to Come…
Budget: (Does not include food/souvenirs)
- Bus from Hosshinmon-Oji Bus Stop to Hongu Taisha-Mae Bus Stop ¥470/person
- Bus from Hongu Taisha-Mae Bus Stop to Yunomine Onsen Bus Stop ¥310/person
- Lodging at Minshuku Kuraya (No Meals) ¥4,500/person/night
- Luggage transfer from Takajiri-Oji to Yunomine Onsen ¥2,300/person
- Tsuboyu Onsen ¥770/person
- Total: ¥8,350/person