kumano kodo: kii-tanabe to chikatsuyu
Thoroughly satisfied by my weekend in Kyoto, I repacked my luggage and got ready for my four-day hike along the Kumano Kodo. I stocked up with mysterious sexy baby snacks at 7/11, put on my cute hiker ‘fit, and took a bullet train from Kyoto-Osaka.
No, I am not wearing shoes in that elevator. Taking off your shoes and wearing socks or house slippers is SOP in many places in Japan- definitely B&Bs and hostels, but sometimes restaurants, too. The hardest adjustment for me was remembering to take off my house slippers and put on my bathroom slippers [basically crocs] before hitting the loo.
many many mysterious snacks… these were peach gummies shaped like butts
From Osaka, I took a slower regional train to Kii-Tanabe Station. I cobbled together information and plans for this hike from blogs and Youtube, but I will save you time and tell you to just book with KUMANO Travel Community Reservation System. Most of the accommodations on this hike are family-run B&Bs [minshuku]; KUMANO Travel is a local tourism operator that will book you directly with the minshukus and provide you with a map, travel guides, etc. You can also pay a few bucks to store unneeded luggage with them at the TANABE Tourist Information Center, which I gratefully did!
Kii-Tanabe Ramen
From Kii-Tanabe, I caught a bus full of hikers and local schoolchildren to Takijiri, about 40 minutes away. From there, my Kumano Kodo hike began with a steep and humid trek to Takahara.
The terrain was very similar to New Hampshire- rooty, rocky, a bit punishing. But unlike home, along the way there were dozens of Shinto shrines, big and small.
The Kumano Kodo is a network of routes that have been travelled for over 1,000 years. Emperors and aristocrats used to take pilgrimages across the Kii Peninsula to visit three Grand Shrines of Kumano: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha.
A shrine in Takahara
My first day was on the shorter side since it was also a travel day; 3.17 miles brought me to my home for the night, Hatago MaSaRa.
My introduction to minshuku was fantastic. Accommodations were beautiful, and the hosts Sara and Masa were the cutest couple on planet earth; they met when Sara, from France, was WWOOF-ing in Takahara. My heart!!
They gave me a cute yukata to wear around the house.
I also met my first fellow walkers, Teo and Koto from DC. We would run into each other many more times on our adventure!
Koto walking along the trail
Takahara is known as “Kiri-no-Sato,” “Village in the Mist,” and it did not disappoint the next morning.
I lingered in the beautiful village, then entered a dark forest to continue my hike.
Frog pal! [Toad pal?]
Sun peeking through the gloom
I had a lunch break at the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi, Michi-no-eki rest stop. It was full of fun bits and bobs, and the BEST UDON OF MY LIFE!
Refueled, I tacked a final hill to reach my home for the night, Guest House Sora. My total for the day was 7.94 miles.
My hosts Naomi and Yasuyuki were amazing; very sweet people, perfect B&B accommodations, and they let me borrow a sick Panasonic E-Bike. I zipped up and around the hills of Chikatsuyu, grabbed Pocky at a grocery store, and went for a swim in a river. I was forewarned that the river was refreshing but had leeches… so it was a QUICK swim.
Happy after a leech-free dip
Dinner, prepared by Yasuyuki, was killer. I met two more hikers, Dani and Jessica; we shared a delicious meal and good conversation with each other and our hosts. And some sake :)
where:
kumano kodo, japan; nakahechi route kii-tanabe->takahara->chikatsuyu
when: june; spring or fall would be better for heat, humidity
how: book with kumano travel to make your life easier… request Hatago MaSaRa in Takahara, Sora Guesthouse in Chikatsuyu
