Day 57 Kumano Kodo: The People Made the Pilgrimage

Today we completed our Kumano Kodo pilgrimage, finishing at the magnificent Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine and Nachi Falls. After yesterday’s relatively relaxed hike, we expected a difficult final day, but it turned out to be easier than anticipated. We had time to enjoy the beautiful forest, the mountain scenery, and especially the company of other hikers. (We ended up hiking 11 miles today).

The finish was wonderful. After several days of walking through remote mountains and small villages, it was a real pleasure to arrive at Nachi and find so many familiar faces. What started as a physical challenge had become a surprisingly social experience.

One of our favorite encounters was with a couple from Australia. The woman had grown up in South Africa, just as I had, so we immediately had something in common. They had experienced some of the same transportation difficulties we faced getting to the pilgrimage. Their solution was considerably more expensive: a $400 taxi ride because they had accommodation booked and needed to get there!

They had several other things go wrong along the way, and we kept bumping into them over the next couple of days. We met again at the finish, then on the bus, and finally discovered we were checking into the same hotel! She jokingly asked if we would adopt them because she liked our lifestyle so much. We thought that was pretty funny.

Most of the pilgrims we’ve met have been around our sons’ ages, which has made the conversations especially enjoyable. We’ve exchanged stories, shared experiences, and made new friends from all over the world. Several people exchanged contact information with us at the finish.

Our hotel in Katsuura was excellent, and after the hike we thoroughly enjoyed the onsen. Dinner was an elaborate Japanese meal featuring local specialties, including Kumano beef sukiyaki. There was plenty of food, and the staff kindly let us cook our fish in the sukiyaki broth rather than eat it raw.

Even dinner brought another unexpected connection. People at the next table recognized us from a photograph taken with a Taiwanese group we had met on the pilgrimage. It turned out they were friends with that group! They came over to talk and generously shared some sake with us. Japan can feel like a very small world sometimes.

Looking back, we began this pilgrimage with a typhoon disrupting our trains and considerable uncertainty about whether we would even reach the trail. We ended it with new friends, wonderful memories, and a real sense of accomplishment.

The ancient trails, forests, shrines, and waterfalls were beautiful, but what made these last few days particularly special was the people.

We came to walk the Kumano Kodo, but the friendships and chance encounters turned out to be just as memorable as the pilgrimage itself.

Tomorrow we pick up a rental car and continue our journey through Japan!Read more