Kyoto, Japan. July 25, 2023 – The Kumano Kodo is an ancient pilgrimage trail located on Japan’s Kii Peninsula and is comprised of several routes. While the Nakahechi route (also known as the ‘Imperial’ route) is perhaps the most well-known, there are several others that carry their own unique histories and atmospheres, and it is on two of these routes – the Kiiji and Iseji – where Kyoto-based tour operator Oku Japan has launched a selection of new self-guided walking tours.
“Oku Japan has run a self-guided program along the Kumano Kodo since 2010, and we operate a local branch office in Chikatsuyu, so our ties with the local community are especially strong,” says Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Oku’s General Manager. “After the disruption of the last few years, we are excited to develop and now launch new tours in the region, offering travelers even greater opportunities for discovery and cultural immersion, while providing the communities here with even more much-needed support.”
KIIJI
The Kiiji, or western route, was considered the original approach to the Kumano Kodo, and Oku’s trips on this route segue into the classic Nakahechi route, which is where Oku has run a program for years.
Allowing guests to enjoy the best of worlds – the Kiiji and Nakahechi routes – this self-guided tour is available as both a five- and six-day option, and the duration of all of the hikes on the Kiiji self-guided walking tours are no longer than four hours, making it a very accessible option to all levels of hikers, along with allowing more time for guests to enjoy the local communities.
Kumano Kodo Kiiji self-guided walking 5 days
Described as a more moderate version of the classic (Imperial) Nakahechi route, the Kiiji features gentler hikes and a rich history to explore. Heading south along the coast, highlights of this trip include a visit to Fujishiro Shrine, home to ‘the first torii gate of Kumano,’ and a stop in the atmospheric town of Yuasa, known as the birthplace of soy sauce. This town is also home to a beautifully preserved district, the only one in Wakayama Prefecture to be classified as a Historic Preservation District of Traditional Buildings, and one that gives travelers the feeling of being transported back to Japan’s Edo Period.
The tour continues to Tanabe, which is where the Kumano Kodo branches off into the Coastal Ohechi and inland Nakahechi trails. Taking the latter, guests will have more time to discover the local communities along this pilgrimage route and the shrines (The Three Grand Shrines of Kumano) that have drawn people here for centuries.
Departures are available year-round. Priced from US$1,445 per person.
Kumano Kodo Kiiji self-guided walking 6 days
Like the five-day tour, this trip has the bonus of a visit to Haradani in Hidaka, a town that is home to the last remaining family in the country to produce black bamboo – shrines, temples, even gardens, and the interiors of Japanese homes are all common places to find black bamboo. Guests on this tour will have the opportunity to spend some time with this welcoming family as they show how their shop refines the bamboo while learning more about this unique craft.
Departures are available year-round. Priced from US$1,720 per person.
ISEJI
Along the coast, the Iseji route connects the Ise Grand Shrine, or Ise Jingu in Japanese (a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu and the country’s most significant spiritual site) to the Hayatama Grand Shrine in Shingu, a holy ground that is part of the Kumano Sanzan or Three Grand Shrines of Kumano.
Oku’s new Iseji self-guided walking tours, of which there are two – a four-day and a five-day option – begin in Ise, a wonderful entry point to the Iseji route of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage.
Kumano Kodo Iseji self-guided walking 4 days
Guests will start off in Ise visiting the area’s sacred sites, before heading by scenic coastal train to the small town of Nigishima to start the hike proper. With a wonderful variety of beach walks and cobblestone paths that wind through peaceful communities, guests will travel to the lively fishing town of Kii-Katsuura, where they will spend a final night.
Departures are available year-round. Priced from US$1,210 per person.
Kumano Kodo Iseji self-guided walking 5 days
Like the four-day option, the trip begins in Ise but also includes a hike up nearby Mount Asamagatake, which rewards travelers with excellent views out over Ise Bay. After that it is off to Nigishima, the entry point for two days of great hiking along the Iseji route. The tour ends in Kii-Katsuura, gateway to two of the Kumano Kodo’s Grand Shrines of pilgrimage – Hayatama Grand Shrine and Nachi Shrine.
Departures are available year-round. Priced from US$1,490 per person.
On all the above tours, guests are supported by Oku Japan’s team in Kyoto, its local Chikatsuyu office, and by the company’s bespoke turn-by-turn walking instructions and topographical maps. Guests on these tours who have also walked the Camino de Santiago can obtain Dual Pilgrim status or collect stamps and obtain the status on a future Camino trip.
To learn more about these new hiking adventures on the Kumano Kodo, click here. For Oku Japan’s complete line-up of year-round offerings of self-guided and guided tours, please visit www.okujapan.com.
