Bonthorn: Living My Version of Life: Kumano Kodo Pilgrimmage

Monday, December 18, 2023

Kumano Kodo Pilgrimmage

Today our alarm went off at 7:30 and we were at 7-11 by 8am to buy our breakfast on the go. The choice is staggering and I just want to try everything.

7-11s and Family Marts are the convenient convenient stores that sell a lot of things, but for us it is the cheap and delicious food and drink options that keep drawing us in. Plus there is a 7-11 or Family Mart on pretty much every block, so they are really hard to resist.

If you do find yourself stuck, hungry and thirsty, just walk a minute more and you will encounter one of the ubiquitous vending machines which sell everything from hot black tea to sweetcorn soup. Just make sure you have some cash.

Today we had a long train journey to Tanabe where we started the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage. We have been researching this for months and we were finally here. We decided to hike the Nakahechi route, mainly because the mountainous route would be too snowy to traverse in the winter.

We then descended underground to Osaka train station to catch our train to Tanabe. We were expecting throngs of people this time of day but it was surprisingly empty!

Tai's theory is if you just stand still nobody will bump into you. But just to try it out, we had about ten minutes until our second train and he merged himself with all the commuters as they were getting out of a train and making their way up the stairs.

Luckily he's wearing a bright green jacket and is fairly tall (in Japan) so sticks out like a sore thumb.

So, the Kumano Kodo. It was probably the highlight for us in Japan. We had planned, researched and booked the route well in advance and it was still better than we expected.

Walking through bamboo forests, soaking our sore bodies in onsens afterwards and dining on some of the best Japanese food I have ever tasted in the coziest ryokans (traditional Japanese inn with tatami mats).

Here are a lot of pictures to share and for us to look back on in the future:

Crocheting on our way to Tanabe to start the Kumano Kodo.

Nap time already?

And then, the ocean in all its glory!

At the Kumano Kodo Tourist information centre in Tanabe.

We are off, smiles and all!

1st stamp for our pilgrim passport.

Near the beginning pilgrims can squeeze through a narrow opening in the rock called, "A test of faith".

It was really a small hole.

Lots of steep steps today.

Happy to be out of the busy city and in the lush, green forest.

Many oji shrines are along the Kumano Kodo.

Signing our Chinese name in the guest book at the shrine.

At the cozy MaSaRa hatago (traditional pilgrimmage inn), a gorgeous French-Japanese
couple and their cute baby. We had authentic french onion soup and Wagyuu blanquette for dinner! In Japan! What a wonderful surprise.

Overlooking the small town of Takahara on the Kumano Kodo.

Futons and tatami = best sleep ever

Yunomine Onsen

Why does it smell so eggy?!

Vending machine for the win!

Here at Toganoki Teahouse we met this wonderful Japanese lady who gave us all beautiful origami folded kimono bookmarks and insisted on taking photos of us from many angles