Kumano Kodo Nakabe Road Hiking Tour

🚶♂️Kumano Kodo Nakabe Road・Day 4｜Hongu Taisha Pilgrimage Day✨

After three days of challenging 13 kilometers per day, today's journey was finally a bit easier! Starting from Hoshinmon Oji, the walk to Kumano Hongu Taisha is only 8 kilometers, making for a pleasant forest walk 🌲. The route is mostly gentle slopes, and taking in the scenery along the way was particularly enjoyable.

🌟 Today's Highlight🗻 Mihara Terrace
En route, we arrived at Mihara Terrace, offering a magnificent view of the former shrine grounds of Daisaigahara. Daisaigahara was once the site of Kumano Hongu Taisha, but it was destroyed by floods in 1889, prompting the relocation of the shrine hall to its current location. Today, Japan's largest torii gate stands here, towering 34 meters high. Standing beneath it and gazing up is truly breathtaking!

🙏 Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine

Today's destination is Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, a World Heritage site. It's the core sacred site of the Kumano Sanzan and a symbol of faith. Arriving with a sense of accomplishment, we finally set foot on a sacred site considered sacred by many pilgrims!

🍜 Miya Sushi Food and Supplies

After the hike, it was time to treat ourselves! We ordered tempura udon and a grilled saury set meal at Miya Sushi, which instantly replenished our energy 💪. Then, we stopped by Ishihara Shoten for two soft serve ice cream 🍦, a perfect ending!

🥁 Double Pilgrimage Certificate

After completing today's stamp collection, we first went to the Kumano Hongu Tourism Association to apply for a "Double Pilgrimage Certificate" 🎖️. This is a limited-edition honor that combines the "Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Camino in Spain" with the "Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan"! After receiving your washi certificate, commemorative stamp, and postcard, you can then present your certificate to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine to play taiko drums 🥁. Finally, you can receive a limited-edition golden scallop at the shrine office – a truly ceremonial and fulfilling experience!

📍 Today's Itinerary

Hoshinmon-o-ji → Suiton-o-ji → Fubai-o-ji → Batten-o-ji → Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine → Daisaigahara, the old shrine grounds
(Approximately 8 km walk, collect 5 stamps✅)

Having already completed half of the Naka-bi-do route 🎉! Next up, we'll tackle the two-day trek through Komo-dake and Omo-dake. Keep it up! 💪

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