Walk Japan’s Kumano Kodo and stay in mountain ryokan

The Kumano Kodo is a network of pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountains of western Japan, leading to the three grand shrines of Kumano. UNESCO inscribed it in July 2004 as part of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. For more than a millennium, pilgrims, from retired emperors and aristocrats to ordinary travellers, have walked these routes as an act of purification and worship.

What the experience is

There are four main routes. The Nakahechi, the most popular, starts in Tanabe and runs east toward the shrines. The Kohechi is a demanding northern route from the Koyasan temple complex, with three passes above 1,000 metres. The Ohechi follows the coast to the south, with ocean views. The Iseji links Ise Shrine to Kumano on the east, with cobblestone sections.

The classic experience is a multi-day walk on the Nakahechi, taken in stages through forest and along old paths. Each evening ends in a village: a minshuku, a ryokan or a hot-spring inn, with a bath, a futon and a set dinner. The local tourism bureau supports walkers with guides, maps, weather and safety advice, and a luggage shuttle service, which turns it from an expedition into a comfortable journey.

Good to know

Small inns have few rooms, so book accommodation well ahead. Choose stages that match your pace, and expect steep, sometimes wet ground; waterproofs are sensible. Confirm routes, conditions and services with the tourism bureau before you go.

Why OKYTO recommends it

Because it is a pilgrimage with real depth, shaped by landscape and ritual, and because the evening routine of bath, meal and sleep is as much part of the experience as the walking.