Kumano Kodo: Walking Japan's Ancient Pilgrimage Forests to Hongu Taisha

For more than a thousand years, travelers have walked into the forested mountains of the Kii Peninsula in western Japan to reach three great shrines that are said to hold the power of renewal. Emperors made the journey, then samurai and merchants, and eventually ordinary villagers. The paths they took, the Kumano Kodo (Kumano old roads), are still walkable today, and they are among the very few pilgrimage routes in the world listed by UNESCO.

This guide explains what the Kumano Kodo is, why it is sacred, what to see along the best known route (the Nakahechi), how the hot spring at Yunomine fits into the pilgrim tradition, and how to plan a walk with practical details for first-time visitors.

What the Kumano Kodo Is

The Kumano Kodo is a network of pilgrimage routes that lead to the Kumano Sanzan, the three grand shrines of Kumano: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha. These routes are part of a World Heritage site called Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, inscribed by UNESCO in 2004 and extended in 2016. UNESCO describes about 307 kilometers of routes connecting three sacred sites, Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan and Koyasan, to the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto. The Kumano Kodo was the first road in Japan to be registered as a World Heritage site.

The sacredness of the place comes from a blend of Shinto, the native tradition of kami (spirits or deities), and Buddhism. UNESCO notes that this fusion, together with a tradition of sacred mountains that is documented across more than 1,200 years, is what makes the area exceptional.

A Pilgrimage Open to Everyone

Kumano pilgrimage was never limited to monks or nobles. From the 900s onward, emperors and retired emperors traveled here in large numbers. Emperor Uda made the first imperial visit in 908, and the pilgrimages continued for centuries: there were 94 imperial visits across 374 years, ending with Emperor Kameyama in 1281. Emperor Shirakawa made nine journeys beginning in 1090, and Emperor Go-Shirakawa is recorded as making 33. In later centuries the walk became popular with commoners, and an old saying compared the long line of pilgrims heading to Kumano to a procession of ants.

Kumano welcomed travelers of every background and belief. That inclusiveness remains part of the experience: modern visitors from many countries walk the same trails as a form of reflection, exercise or cultural travel.

Routes of the Kii Peninsula

Several named routes lead toward the shrines. The Nakahechi is the most popular, running from the coastal city of Tanabe across the mountains toward Hongu. The Kohechi connects the mountain monastery of Koyasan with Kumano (about 70 kilometers), the Ohechi follows the coast (around 120 kilometers), and the Iseji links the Grand Shrine of Ise with Kumano (about 160 kilometers). The Omine Okugakemichi connects Mount Omine with Kumano and is a demanding mountain route, and the Kiiji runs along the west coast from Kyoto to Tanabe, though it is not part of the World Heritage listing.

Wakayama Prefecture and Galicia in Spain became sister pilgrimage regions on October 9, 1998. Pilgrims who complete both the Camino de Santiago and the Kumano Kodo can be recognized as dual pilgrims, a nice option for experienced walkers.

The Nakahechi Route Step by Step

The Nakahechi has been the classic choice for centuries. The World Heritage section begins at Takijiri-oji, regarded as the gateway to the sacred Kumano area. An oji is a small subsidiary shrine placed along the route as a place for rest and prayer, and the trail passes many of them. From Takijiri-oji, the path climbs through forests of cedar and cypress and crosses ridges and mountain hamlets, with about 40 kilometers of mountain trail leading to Hongu, often divided into two or more days.

Along the way, the stone paths, moss-covered markers and quiet clearings give the walk a contemplative feel. Official materials describe English signs, maps and luggage shuttle services, and say the trail can be walked as consecutive days or as shorter highlight sections. Accommodation in small guesthouses and inns in villages along the route fills up quickly in peak seasons, so book early.

Hongu Taisha and Oyunohara

Kumano Hongu Taisha is the spiritual center of the area, and all the old routes lead to it. Its main deities are the Kumano Sansho Gongen: Ketsumimiko, Hayatama and Fusubi. The shrine originally stood on a sandbank called Oyunohara, where two rivers, the Kumano and Otonashi, meet. A flood in 1889 partly destroyed it, and the surviving buildings were moved to the present hillside site in 1891.

At Oyunohara stands the Otorii, one of the tallest torii gates in Japan. Erected in 2000, it is 33.9 meters tall and 42 meters wide, built from about 172 tons of steel, and marks the boundary between the sacred and secular worlds. Visitors often walk both to the shrine on the hill and to the old site on the river flats to experience the full history.

Yunomine Onsen and the Tsuboyu Bath

A steep route of about two kilometers, called the Dainichi-goe, links Hongu with Yunomine Onsen, a small hot spring village where pilgrims have long performed purification rites before visiting the shrines. Even today participants in an April festival at Hongu purify themselves at Yunomine before walking to Oyunohara.

The village's best known attraction is Tsuboyu, a tiny rock-lined bath that is the only World Heritage hot spring open to visitors. Entry is limited, so ask your inn or the local information center about reservation and rules. Respect onsen etiquette: wash before entering, keep towels out of the water and follow staff instructions.

The Other Two Grand Shrines

Hongu is only one of the three. Kumano Hayatama Taisha stands in the city of Shingu, near the mouth of the Kumano River, and Kumano Nachi Taisha stands on a mountainside in the area of Nachi, close to Nachi Falls. The waterfall is treated as a natural embodiment of the Kumano deities, which means the shrine's sacred object is not a building but the cascade itself. Seeing all three, called the Kumano Sanzan, is the classic goal of a full pilgrimage.

Many modern visitors combine the Nakahechi walk with short transfers by bus or train to the coast, so they can reach all three shrines without walking the entire network. This is a perfectly good way to travel: the pilgrim tradition has always been about intention and respect rather than a particular number of kilometers.

Plan Your Visit

The usual gateway is Tanabe on the Kii coast, reachable by train from Osaka in roughly two hours, followed by a local bus toward Takijiri-oji. Spring and autumn offer comfortable temperatures, while summer is hot and humid and winter can be cold at higher elevations. Typhoons can disrupt travel in late summer and autumn, so keep your schedule flexible.

The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau runs the official Kumano Kodo site and the KUMANO TRAVEL reservation system for lodging, tours and luggage shuttle service. Bus services change by season, so check current timetables. Pack sturdy shoes, rain gear, water, snacks and a headlamp, and carry out your trash. Walkers should leave plenty of time before dark, stay on marked trails and treat the shrines and oji with quiet respect.