Visit Wakayama

This forest park is located about 200 meters uphill from Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple. Although it is no longer operated as a park, restrooms are available, making it a convenient place to take a short break.

This was the teahouse closest to Nachi along the Ogumotori-goe Route. At the time, the teahouse also served as a market and is said to have been a place where people from the fishing villages of Nachi traded with people from Tanabe in the inland area.

From here, the trail climbs steeply toward Funami-toge pass, which offers one of the finest views on the entire route.

Located where the trail reaches Funami-toge Pass, this former teahouse is featured in the Saigoku Sanjusan-sho Meisho Zue, a guidebook depicting famous sites along the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. Funami-toge is the highest pass along the Ogumotori-goe trail. From the rest area, which features a traditional shelter, you can enjoy sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean to the left, with Myohozan Mountain, the Nachi Highlands, and Nachikatsuura Town to the right.

For pilgrims traveling from the Hongu area to Kumano Nachi Taisha via the Ogumotori-goe trail, this was the first place where they could catch a distant glimpse of their destination, Nachi. For those returning to Hongu, it was the place to look back and bid a final farewell to Nachi. Pilgrims traveling in either direction are said to have stopped at this teahouse to rest and take in the spectacular panoramic views.

Located almost exactly halfway along the Ogumotori-goe Route, this teahouse is said to have operated until 1921. Jizo-jaya takes its name from the nearby Jizo-do, a small Buddhist hall dedicated to Jizo, a compassionate guardian deity believed to protect travelers and children.

Please note that the restroom is unavailable from the end of December to early March due to the risk of freezing in winter.

Echizen-toge Pass stands at an elevation of 850 meters. From here to the Kusu-no-Kubo Lodging Remains, the trail becomes the most challenging section of the Ogumotori-goe and Kogumotori-goe routes, with steep slopes and sections of stone paving.

The elevation at the finish point in Koguchi is approximately 65 meters. This means that over the roughly 5 km to Koguchi, you will descend nearly 800 meters.

In the past, the approximately 1.5-kilometer stretch was home to the remains of several residences. From 1603 to 1868, during Japan’s Edo period, dozens of traditional Japanese inns operated here, making the area a lively place.

It is also said that innkeepers would point toward the teahouse on the Kogumotori-goe Route to the north and call out to travelers, “There are no more lodgings ahead, so you should stay here tonight.”

These inns are said to have continued operating until around 1926.

Waroda-ishi Rock is said to be the place where the deities of the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano once sat in a circle, drinking sake and enjoying friendly conversation.

The name “Waroda-ishi” comes from waroda, a round mat traditionally woven from straw or rushes. The rock is said to have been given this name because its shape resembles one of these mats.

Three inscriptions representing Buddhist figures are carved into the surface of the rock. They are believed to depict the deities of the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano sitting in a circle and chatting together.

From right to left, the inscriptions represent Amida Nyorai at Kumano Hongu, Yakushi Nyorai at Kumano Hayatama, and Kannon Bosatsu at Kumano Nachi.

For information about accommodations around Koguchi, please check the link below.