A short but intense walk: a cobblestone slope under centuries-old cedars, then the shrine, the pagoda, and the sound of Nachi-no-Otaki before you see it.
Daimon-zaka is a 600-metre cobblestone slope of 267 stone steps, lined with centuries-old Japanese cedars.
Kumano Nachi Taisha, Seiganto-ji temple and the waterfall itself all sit within a few hundred metres of each other.
The shortest of the three walks, and the easiest to fit around a travel day or an early train.
From spring 2027, Koichi plans to add a short ceremony to each walk. Dressed as a yamabushi, he will sound the horagai — the traditional conch shell — for about a minute at a meaningful point along the trail.
The yamabushi have been connected to the Kumano mountains for centuries, and the sound of the horagai has long been part of practices tied to protection and to entering sacred ground. This is not meant as a performance for visitors. It is a small, quiet pause before continuing the pilgrimage.
Koichi begins his mountain ascetic training in the summer of 2026. Until it is complete, this moment is not yet part of the walk.
This walk is a good fit if…
Official Kumano Kodo rating: 1.5 of 5
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