Kumano Kodō, Nakahechi Route

The Nakahechi is the Imperial Route of the Kumano Kodō, the millennium-old network of pilgrimage paths across the Kii Peninsula that links the three Grand Shrines of Kumano: Hongu, Nachi and Hayatama. From around the eleventh century, emperors and aristocrats walked out from Kyoto along these stone-packed ridges, resting at oji way-shrines between the villages; the network and the sacred sites of the Kii Mountain Range were inscribed by UNESCO in 2004. The main walking sections run from Takijiri-oji up over the ridges to Tsugizakura-oji and down to Kumano Hongu Taisha, with side routes climbing out to views along the way.

The pilgrimage is alive: multi-day treks sleep in onsen villages, a taiko send-off opens walkers at Takijiri-oji, pilgrims chant on the climbs and take rites at Hongu Taisha, and a twin credential program links Kumano with Spain's Camino de Santiago for those walking both. The shrines' history is one of Shinto and Buddhist practice woven together for centuries before the Meiji-era separation, and the trail's etiquette, mountain safety and village hospitality are all part of the practice.

Visiting

The Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau publishes the route sections, maps, lodging and trail status; walking is year round with no trail fees (shrine entry and lodging are the costs). Check typhoon-season trail notices before setting out.

Photo: The Nakahechi near Hosshinmon-oji, [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kumano_Kodo_pilgrimage_route_Nakahechi_From_Hosshinmon-Oji_To_KumanoHongu-Taisha_World_heritage_%E7%86%8A%E9%87%8E%E5%8F%A4%E9%81%93_%E4%B8%AD%E8%BE%BA%E8%B7%AF_%E7%99%BA%E5%BF%83%E9%96%80%E7%8E%8B%E5%AD%90%EF%BC%9E%E7%86%8A%E9%87%8E%E6%9C%AC%E5%AE%AE%E5%A4%A7%E7%A4%BE107.JPG), CC BY-SA 4.0, Nekosuki600.