Walking in Rural Japan & Making an Onsen Egg in Yunomine - Kumano Kodo Part 3

Walking in Japan doesn’t get better than Kumano Kodo, a 3 day forest walk in rural Japan. In this cinematic hiking vlog, we trek the Nakahechi trail from Tsugizakura-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha. Along the route we came across lush tropical ferns, sleepy farms and small settlements. Kumano Hongu Taisha is a Shinto shrine and the route ends at Oyunohara, which has the tallest torii in Japan at almost 34m high and 44m wide.
Our final evening was spent at J Hoppers Kumano Yunomine, a hostel with private rooms and both indoor and outdoor onsen. Yunomine is a hot spring village famous for its healing waters that were used for purification rites. Today, there’s even a dedicated hot spring bath for making onsen tamago!
Kumano Kodo is a network of ancient pilgrimage routes in Wakayama, the spiritual heartland of Japan. For over a thousand years pilgrims, samurai and emperors have walked the same path in search of spiritual enlightenment in the rugged mountains and photogenic forests of the Kii Peninsula. The trail themselves have been designated as one of two UNESCO World Heritage Pilgrimage routes, the other being Spain’s Camino De Santiago. The most popular hike is the 40km Nakahechi route, which starts in Takijiri-oji and ends at Kumano Hongu Taisha.
In our opinion, Kumano Kodo is the best way to experience rural Japan. You’ll get close to Japan’s nature and interact with locals. Staying in a traditional Japanese house is an experience you’ll never forget and the home-cooked meals are easily on par with the best restaurants the world has to offer.
Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments!
Cinematic Hiking Vlogs is a video series that combines hiking vlog and cinematic video styles to showcase the best walks and hiking trails in the UK and further afield. We cover everything from relaxing walking trails to mountain climbing adventures - so make yourself a strong cup of tea, grab a couple of biscuits and kick back as we take you on a cinematic tour of the UK's best hiking destinations.
HIKE DETAILS
Full Route: Nakahechi Trail www.tb-kumano....
Distance: Tsugizakura-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha (21.5km)
Difficulty: 2/5
HIKING DIFFICULTY RATING
1/5 - Flat or Undulating Trail
2/5 - Hills (Under 600m)
3/5 - Mountains (600m+)
4/5 - Mountains (900m+) with ridge walking or scrambling
5/5 - Mountains (900m+) with ridge walking or sustained scrambling
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MUSIC
Fantasy Ambience by Alexander Nakarada
Link: filmmusic.io/s...
License: creativecommons...
Like The Deer (instrumental) by Sascha Ende
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License: creativecommons...
Joyful Moments by Rafael Krux
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License: creativecommons...
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