Live Your Best Lives
There are two routes designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One is to the east, featuring Buddhist culture and shrines, where kings and farmers are nestled among tall trees. The other is to the west, featuring Christian culture and churches, nestled in the plains and wilderness, where devout believers provide support.
A person walking in meditation in the Kumano forest and a group of people running on pilgrimage in Spain, the paths and spirits nurtured by Eastern and Western cultures in parallel time and space are completely different. The only thing in common is the spark of faith, and it is also a full display of the power of walking, inheriting the differences in culture and diversity, and passing on the spark of human civilization to the East and the West.
The cobblestone paths of Honshu Island have been carrying devout Buddhists since the 17th century. Through the dense camphor trees, the road network after the 17th century crisscrosses and shuttles back and forth in the forest trails. The Kii Mountains and the Edo Central Road are both popular pilgrimage routes in Japan. Starting from the torii gates of the three major shrines, you will begin to enter the realm of the gods of pilgrimage.
The Kumano Kodo is the collective name for the pilgrimage routes used by ancient Japanese royalty, nobles, and common people to reach the Kumano Three Shrines: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha. These five trails stretch across Wakayama, Mie, and Nara prefectures in the southern Kii Peninsula of Honshu, Japan, weaving through towering mountains, pristine forests, and rural villages. As early as 2004, the Kumano Kodo was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site (excluding the Kii Route), demonstrating its profound cultural value.
The Kumano Three Mountains are considered the origins of Japanese faith. Ise and Kumano, located along the ancient route, are sacred sites at the source of Japanese spiritual culture. Mount Koya, another key stop on the Kumano Koro Road, is a major center of Japanese Buddhism. Numerous eminent monks and sages have emerged from the Kumano Three Mountains (Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha). The beautiful and sacred area is also the burial site of many cultural figures. This convergence of diverse faiths has made the Kumano Pilgrimage Route a truly remarkable destination.
The Kumano Pilgrimage Trail network winds through the forested Kii Mountains. The Nakabe Road was Japan's most popular pilgrimage route during the Edo period (1603-1868).
Traveling the Kumano Kodo Trail
A. The side road from Koyasan to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine. The entire journey from Koyasan is shorter, but the mountain road is more steep.
B. Nakabe Road from Tanabe to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine and the Kumano Nachi religious complex (Seiganto-ji Temple, Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, and Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine);
C. From Tanabe to the Kumano Nachi religious complex (Seiganto-ji Temple, Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine), along the large side road along the edge of Kishu;
D. Ise Road from Ise Grand Shrine to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine and the Kumano Nachi religious complex (Seiganto-ji Temple, Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine);
E. Daisho Osaka Road (the new Kumano Cherry Blossom Road) from Yoshinoyama (Cherry Blossom Mountain) to Kumano Sanzan
B&Bs on the Kumano Kodo Trail
There are relatively few guesthouses in the mountains of Kumano, so there are almost none on Booking.com and Airbnb. Most of them can only be booked on the official website of Kumano Kodo.
Hiking accommodations on the Nakabe Trail, except for Tanabe City, Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, and Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, can only be booked on the Kumano Kodo official website.
It's important to note that all hotel reservations must be made at least seven days in advance. During peak season, reservations should be made as early as January. Most guesthouses along the ancient trails and shukubo on Mount Koya do not accept credit cards, requiring cash only. Bring plenty of cash with you.
Tips:
The English website of Kumano Kodo Inn is as follows: https://www.kumano-travel.com/en/accommodations
Follow the pilgrims of centuries past as they journey to Christendom's holiest burial site, to "the end of the world."
This is a 780-kilometer hiking road across the Iberian Peninsula. Christians from all over Europe want to go to the burial place of Jacob's remains to worship, so there is not just one pilgrimage route, and the certified one is the most classic one. Countless pilgrims have passed through here and walked all the way from France to Spain.
In 830 AD, the remains of James, a follower of Jesus and the apostle known as the Forerunner, were returned to Spain, and a church was built to house these sacred bones. Within a century, European pilgrims had found their destination, and within three centuries, Santiago de Compostela became a major pilgrimage destination in medieval Europe.
The Way of St. James is the general name for pilgrimages throughout Europe. Because of the believers coming from all over the world, this road is densely interwoven on the continent like a spider web. The French Way, the largest starting point and source of confluence, has gradually become synonymous with this trail.
The best time for this trail is from May to October. Roncesvalles is a small town with a huge monastery, and it is also our first stop when entering Spain.
During these months, you will see neat grape vines and vast plateaus among the peaks, Pamplona with its Running of the Bulls, and the magnificent Gothic Cathedral. You only need a pilgrim passport to enter the Holy Host House along the way, and then follow the golden scallop signs to the end of St. James, or even walk 90 kilometers west to the "End of the World".
To obtain certification for these two ancient trails, you must get a passport, but the most important significance of this road is not to check in. The broad road requires a broad mind, sharing stories and travel experiences on the road, encouraging and supporting each other, chatting in simple hotels, completing a certificate, and showing the pilgrim's passport to prove this road.
The era of pilgrimage has passed, but the power of faith continues to produce various chemical reactions. Judging from the great geographical discoveries, the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures has gradually begun.
The two pilgrimage routes have changed. People who are walking on different paths should start from this starting point and take their own pilgrimage.
