Walkkumano.com

This site is meant to provide a clear and simple — but extremely general — overview for folks looking to walk the various UNESCO recognized pilgrimage paths of the Kumano Kodo.

This site is in no way comprehensive, authoritative, or possibly even accurate! It was produced by Craig Mod as a way to "formalize" and "store" some of the data from his walks around the Kii Peninsula. The main purpose of this is, if anything, to point to other, more comprehensive, up-to-date, official resources.

(Basically, this is a page Craig wishes had existed when he started looking for information on these walks.)

That said, perhaps of most interest are the .gpx route files down at the bottom of this page. They sketch out several potential Kumano hikes. Feel free to download them and load them into your map apps bearing in mind they may not 100% reflect official routes.

For general walking-in-Japan related notes and essays, you might want to check out Craig's Ridgeline newsletter.

If you feel that this page is missing a resource, please email [email protected] with the suggestion.

First time walkers

The three most-walked routes of the Kumano Kodo are: The Nakahechi, Kohechi, and Ise-ji.

The most popular route is the Nakahechi, which runs from Takijiri-Oji to Hongu, and then from Hongu down to Nachi Falls. If you're not a seasoned mountain-person, it's advisable to begin with this route, as it has the best infrastructure, most available literature, and safest paths of the core Kumano walks.

The Ise-ji is also a superb option, significantly less crowded than the Nakahechi, and more easily accessible with cute little train stations tucked into coves at almost every section. It allows you to combine a visit to Ise Grand Shrine with UNESCO certified mountain paths and coastal views. I published a 15,000 word digital book about the route in 2020.

The Kohechi is an excellent, much more difficult route but carries the advantage of connecting directly with Koyasan, the home of Shingon Buddhism. It has the least infrastructure, fewest inns, biggest climbs, and is more remote and therefore difficult to get help if something happens mid-walk. Advisable only for seasoned walkers.

Keep in mind that Hongu Shrine and the Nakahechi and Kohechi routes are fairly remote, and access from Tokyo is considerably more involved than, say, popping over to Kyoto on the shinkansen.

The full Nakahechi walk will take a good five days at a reasonable clip. If you want to spend a little more time exploring around Hongu and, for example, take a day off at Yunomine Onsen to bathe in their World Heritage bath, or pop over to Kawayu and take a bath in a river, you'd benefit from six days. The more time you have, the better. There's always more to add on. One could easily spend a month and still not hit all the trails.

For the Nakahechi, we highly recommend Brad Towle's Official Guide Book which you can have shipped to you in advance of your trip. (Sadly there isn't a digital edition.)

Tanabe City runs an excellent website which we recommend for all non-Japanese speakers to book their accommodation. As it stands, because of the increase in popularity on the Kumano, finding last minute accommodations during spring and fall can be exceedingly difficult. The sooner you can book, the better. Folks often book six months or even a year in advance during high season (March, April, May; September, October, November).

Walks

Koya Bound — Eight Days on the Kumano Kodo — an interactive account of walking part of the Nakahechi from Takijiri to Hongu, and then continuing up on the Kohechi to Koyasan.

Resources

GPX Route Data