Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range – Japan

The Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range center on the trails along the southern Kansai. These paths have been used for over a millennia. These are also known as the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trails.

Location and How to Get to This Specific Site

For the western Kii Peninsula, you can take a train from Osaka. Board the JR Tokaido Shinkansen coming from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Next, go to the JR limited express to the Peninsula.

You can also get there by air. JAL has several flights between Nanki-Shirahama Airport and Haneda Airport at Tokyo. Alternatively, you can board the Tokyo JR Tokaido Shinkansen heading to Nahoya. From here, take the JR Nanki express to the Peninsula.

What to See There

The coastal trails are gone, but the mountain trails are still visible. They are Nakahech, Ohechi, Iseji, Kohechi and Omine Okugake. Nakahechi is hilly, but it is easy to walk on. The trail culminates at Hongu Taisha.

The Ohechi trail is barely visible now, but during the 15th century thousands of pilgrims crossed it. The Iseji trail joins the Ise Shrine to the Kumano.

History

The Kumano Sanzan are at the core of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. Individually, the shrines are known as Nachi Taisha, Hayatama Taisha and Hongu Taisha. The Kodo trails don’t just link the shrines. They also join the site to the Kyoto, Omine and Yoshino. These are all important religious centers in Japan.

Cost

The expenses will depend on a lot of factors. This includes the trip duration, how many trails you want to explore and how big your group is. For example, a two week exploration with five to 8 people will likely have a starting cost of $4,565. This will however, include the hotel, food, and guides.

Other Info

It is important that you go to the trails with an experienced guide. The Kohechi trail in particular, can be quite difficult. Unlike the other trails, inns are hard to find. The Omine Okugake is another difficult trail. It goes into high ridges. It barely goes through any towns as well. The trail was used by the Shugendo sect.

Before you choose a provider for the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range tour, make sure you check out the accommodations. You should also inquire about the mode of transport for the whole journey.