Visit Wakayama

JAL Japan Explorer Pass

Fly to Nanki-Shirahama airport to　begin your exploration of Wakayama. Japan Airlines offers affordable domestic fares with the JAL Japan Explorer Pass. The easy-to-use English website makes booking flights very easy.

Nanki-Shirahama Airport

There are three direct flights a day from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Wakayama’s Nanki-Shirahama Airport. Booking flights is easy and flying into the area is a time-efficient and cost-effective option. 

Takijiri-oji marks the beginning of your passage into the sacred mountain range. The three-kilometer trek to Takahara is well signposted in English and Japanese, however be warned, the path is rocky and very steep. Even for experienced climbers, it can be a difficult trek.

The three-kilometer climb on the Kumano Kodo path leads you to the small ridge top settlement of Takahara. A welcome stop-off point for pilgrims, the area offers great views of the surrounding mountain range. The view is particularly beautiful when blanket mist creates a sea of clouds in the valley below.

The glowing lights of Kirinosato Takahara Lodge mark the end of your first day and a chance to relax and unwind with a hot bath and cold beer (other beverages available). Take in panoramic views of the forested mountain paths that you scaled during the afternoon. Also known as the Organic Hotel, the food served is locally sourced providing you with nourishing dinners and breakfasts.

A short climb up from the Michi-no-Eki, you will find a cluster of statues. Here, you can pay your respects to one of the first emperors to make the imperial pilgrimage, Emperor Kazan (968-1008).

It's downhill from here as you descend into picturesque Chikatsuyu Village. Be careful as the path can be very slippery in wet weather. Have a coffee or a hot bubbling foot bath and pick up some snacks and souvenirs. If you have time, drop into the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Art Museum.

Follow the old highway through the village on the way to the shrine grove of Tsugizakura-oji. Huge cedar trees over 800 years old tower above the subsidiary shrine. The thatch roofed Toganoki-jaya teahouse is located nearby.

Bubbling quietly next to the shrine is the Nonaka-no-Shimizu—a natural spring with water pure enough to drink. Quench your thirst here before heading to your residence for the night.

There are a number of options for staying in the Chikatsuyu/Tsugizakura area. Cozy guesthouses and cottages offer room and board, and are often renovated wooden buildings with modern amenities. Some guesthouses have bicycles for guests to use, and gardens to relax in. The number of rooms and services available depend on each individual place, so research thoroughly to find the best match for you.

Continue your journey to Hongu Taisha by joining the trail from Kobiro-toge that follows the old highway. The trail passes through forest on climbing and descending paths. Bring something for lunch as there are no restaurants along the way.

When you reach the Mikoshi-toge area—the last of the big passes on this section of the trail—stop off for lunch. The wooden pavilion you will find there is a simple wooden structure open to pilgrims looking for a place to sit and rest for a while.

From here, the trail runs downhill towards one of the most important sites on the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route. Hosshinmon-oji Shrine marks the outermost entrance to the divine precinct of the grand shrine of Kumano Hongu Taisha.

When you reach Fushiogami-oji Shrine, you will get your first sight of the grand shrine as well as a view of all six of the subsidiary oji-shrines.

A steep stone staircase is your final obstacle before arriving at the spiritual ground of Hongu Taisha. Once you set eyes on the sweeping cypress bark roofs of the grand shrine, you have reached the end of your trek and a higher state of enlightenment.

There are clusters of small hotels, guesthouses and other places to stay near and around Kumano Hongu Taisha. It is also possible to take a bus to the onsen resort areas of Yunomine, Kawayu and Wataze from the nearby Hongu Taisha-mae bus stop. 

Around five kilometers into your trek, you will reach the lookout point of Hyakken-gura. A sudden break in the forest opens up stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Kumano mountains.

Once you have caught your breath, the paths rise and fall as you head to the remains of Sakura-jaya Teahouse. Offering more impressive views, it’s a shame that the teahouse is no longer here. However, there is a wooden shelter where you can rest your legs for a while.

It is a downhill journey from here, as the trail drops into the valley below. As you near the bottom, you will walk on a section of cobblestone path. Take care in wet weather as the path becomes very slippery.

Once you reach the bottom of the slope, you are not far from the small village of Koguchi—your place of rest for the night. There are a few lodges, guest houses and onsen facilities in Koguchi—including a reformed junior high school—where you can take advantage of hearty food, peaceful surroundings and warm hospitality. The Akagi-gawa river that runs through the village is a great spot for a summer dip, so bring your swimsuit.

Some of the Koguchi accommodation spots offer a bento lunch box for you take with you as you set off. Take up the offer because there are no places for lunch on this tough section of the route. Make sure to fill up on breakfast, then make your way to Waroda-ishi Rock—a spot where Kumano deities meet up and chat over a cup of tea.

Save your energy for the climb up Dogiri-zaka. It is a long and steep climb that lives up to its name of “Torso Slicing Slope”. Take it slow and steady and stop to rest if you need to.

With Dogiri-zaka successfully scaled, you will find yourself at the top of the Echizen-toge Pass. The path then dips and dives along to the remains of the Jizo-jaya Teahouse. You will find a shelter here housing Jizo statues—the small statues believed to be the protector of children, unborn babies and travellers. There are restrooms and a vending machine too.

Heading south, you will reach another steep slope leading to Moja-no-Deai—the abode of the dead. Local legend states that the souls of the dead rise up to these higher altitudes and inhabit this area.

Once more, the trail runs downhill, this time towards the spiritual hub of Nachisan. Navigate down the mountain paths and stone staircases where you will be greeted by the home of a god—the thundering Nachi Waterfall and the striking vermillion of Seiganto-ji Temple standing before it. From the Nachi-no-Taki-mae bus stop—conveniently located near the waterfall—you can take the local bus to Kii-Katsuura.

The retro fishing town of Nachi-katsuura is known for its hot springs offering you the chance to unwind after your day of spiritual adventure. A number of large hotels with onsen located in uniquely natural settings are available, along with smaller hostels and guesthouses.