Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail in the Kii Mountains

Our last substantial stop in Japan is dedicated to mountains, forest and water in the Kumano Sanzan section of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail. Kumano Sanzan refers to a group of three shrines in the Kii Mountain range. We stayed in the town of Shingu, which houses one of the shrines (Kumano Hayatama Taisha Grand Shrine) and from which you can easily reach the other two by bus (or by multi-day walk, which was not for us this time around).

Our first big day out, we head to Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine (Shinto), Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple (Buddhist) and the sacred Nachi Falls, Japan’s tallest waterfall at 133 metres. Our friends, Ken and Janice Gibson, suggested the Kumano Kodo to us and that, plus the visual of a red pagoda in front of the falls, is what cements my resolve to visit.

It’s a drive up into the mountains followed by a steep climb on foot to the shrine and temple, which are right next to each other (I’d not realised until this visit that Shintoism and Buddhism were fused/celebrated together in Japan at certain times but were then separated by the government). There's also a massive tree with a hollowed out trunk that you can walk through and climb out of up a step ladder (very enticing for kids!). After a quick ice-cream stop, we do a short part of the Kumano Kodo trail, the Daimonzaka slope, approximately 640 meters of moss-covered stone steps lined by 800 year old cedar trees. This we do in the downhill direction - very sensible in 32 degree heat and >80% humidity. We pass a few groups of walkers heading in the upwards direction, including a pair of young women dressed in traditional garb, including layers of thick, kimono style fabric, wooden sandals and wide-brimmed headwear. They seem chirpy but it looks punishing! Maybe that’s the point…

Day 2, we take it easy in the morning and then head to a natural pool set up by locals in the Takada River. It’s in a sun-drenched bend, sectioned off with ropes and floats, and framed by a sweep of what look like green pines and ferns, so starkly green against the blue, blue sky. We’ve been on the lookout for opportunities for Aelie to play with other kids and so, when we spied some Anglo blokes and a young girl toting a bag with AFL branding, we practically jumped them. Luckily they welcomed our advances, handing over a beer as they BBQ-ed meat with a small portable stove (so totally Oz). One had been living in Japan for the last 20 years, working as a quarantine inspector and DJ (interesting combo!). Aelie had a good play with his Australian-Japanese daughter and Sim and I picked up some advice about a lovely waterfall up the road.

Day 3, we did the 7.5km walk on the Kumano Kodo trail from Hosshinmon-oji (the ‘gate of awakening of the aspiration to enlightenment’) to the third of the shrines, the Kumano Hongu Taisha, and the very spectacular torii gate, the tallest in Japan. This is a lovely walk, mostly downhill, through small mountain settlements and lots of beautiful forest. The real wow-factor of this walk is the view of the torii gate partway down. It’s such an arresting presence in the landscape; it feels (and looks a little) like a magnet, drawing you down the mountains.

The rest of our time in Shingu we take it a little more easy, having a holiday from our holiday as it were. We make it to the beach a couple of times, the basic program being to grab meals and drinks from the konbini (convenience store) and head to the beach, wallowing in the cooling ocean until dusk and the last bus home. We’re the only ones in the water and among only a handful at the beach at all.

Another lovely short trip is to Kuwanokino Falls, as advised by our mate at the river-pool. This is a forest-drenched short walk up to one of Japan’s ‘100 most beautiful waterfalls’. It is very pretty, surrounded by greenery and framed by moss-covered rocks with a delightful waterhole for swimming.

And last, but definitely not least, is the incredible flavoured, shaved ice found in Shingu. The consistency is surprisingly fluffy and not like anything I’ve tasted before!

Next and final short stop in Japan is Osaka, then onto Helsinki for a day and a half stopover before flying to Edinburgh in time for the Fringe!