Walk through forest paths, small villages and sacred sites before making the final approach to Kumano Hongu Taisha — the way pilgrims have arrived for a thousand years.
Scenic forest paths and quiet villages show you the heart of the pilgrimage without needing a full day in the mountains.
This route leads you naturally to Hongu Taisha on foot, arriving the way pilgrims of old did rather than stepping off a bus.
The last descent through the trees gives the arrival a weight that is hard to explain until you have walked it.
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: 2 of 5
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