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Hidaka-gun

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    • TravelerTrip to Asia
      Day 70

      Dans un Ryokan sur le Kumano Kodo

      March 19, 2020 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      Après un séjour d'une semaine à Kyoto, nous voilà dans les montagnes de Kii et plus précisément au sommet de l'une d'entre elle ! Nous avons trouvé refuge (le Coronavirus ne nous aura pas !) dans un Ryokan, auberge traditionnelle japonaise appelée Kirinosato ("village dans la brume" littéralement) , situé sur le Kumano Kodo. Équivalent nippon du chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, le Kumano Kodo est un ancien sentier de pèlerinage sacré qui traverse la péninsule de Kii d'Ouest en Est. Nous avons eu l'occasion de l'arpenter les 10 premiers kilomètres et la rando est juste sublime !

      Logés dans une mignonne tiny house (pas très bien isolée mais avec une superbe vue sur les montagnes), nous travaillons 6h par jour, réparties de façons différentes selon les besoins et le temps qu'il fait. Ciel bleu et soleil ? On peint la balustrade, desherbons et coupons du bois pour le feu. Pluie battante et mer de nuages ? On prépare les chambres pour le soir, rangeons des placards encombrés et lavons toutes les surfaces de l'auberge. Et tous les soirs, on aide dans le restaurant pour préparer la nourriture, faire la plonge et le service, en japonais bien sur.
      On travaille aux côtés de Célia et Robin, déjà expérimentés en restauration (ils sont respectivement sommelière et chef et ont travaillé, entre autre, chez Alain Ducasse) et en japonais puisque ça fait un an qu'ils l'apprenent dans le but de venir vivre au Japon. On profite donc bien de discuter en français avec eux, même si se développe très vite une team "ladies", et une team "boys", ce qui amène les mecs à porter et couper du bois pendant que les filles font les chambres et la poussière... On commence à être habitués malheureusement. Ce bémol est cependant laaaaargement compensé par la succulente nourriture : les repas ici sont incroyables ! Okonomiyaki (sorte de pankake salé), gyoza, tempura, sushis, soupes misos, nouilles soba ou udon, mais aussi soupe à l'oignon, pizzas et saké ! Le tout végétarien pour notre plus grand plaisir ! Robin apprend la cuisine japonaise et nous en fait profiter en même temps qu'on goûte aux plats de la chef Morisan. On a même préparé nos propres Gyozas végétariens et pizzas au feu de bois ! Le tout au son du flamenco, le propriétaire étant un grand fan du style espagnol.

      Notre temps libre est lui aussi varié et productif ! On lit (mangas, actualités internationales, sagas et livres de voyage), écrit, progresse doucement mais sûrement en japonais, profitons de la vue... Un seul jour de congé par semaine, on prie à chaque fois pour qu'il fasse beau le jour J afin de pouvoir arpenter le Kumano Kodo ! Mais c'est rarement le cas...

      Le soir, après avoir fait la plonge et lavé la cuisine comme il se doit, on mange avec Jian, propriétaire de l'auberge à la vie rocambolesque et Ikita, employé depuis plusieurs années. Ce dernier nous a d'ailleurs gentiment emmené en ville pour faire des emplettes dans un "100 yens store" (où nous avons pu acheter des cahiers de japonais pour enfant de 5 ans à moins de 1€), goûter des takoyakis (sans poulpe) et aller pour la première fois dans un batting center.

      Mais le meilleur moment de la journée arrive le soir : le onsen ! Après l'effort, le réconfort ! Le onsen est un bain chaud (environ 40°C), il faut bien se laver avant de rentrer, nu.es, dans l'eau chaude, d'un côté pour les hommes et de l'autre pour les femmes. Ces bains publics sont l'occasion de se détendre et d'emmagasiner assez de chaleur pour passer la nuit dans notre mignonne mais froide petite maison en bois.
      On a connu pire comme train de vie !

      Au final, être logés chez Jian nous aura fait prendre conscience de l'opportunité que représente Helpx. Sans ça, nous n'aurions jamais été dans un Ryokan, encore moins sur le Kumano Kodo, faute de budget. Nous n'aurions pas autant découvert les nourritures, cultures et langue japonaises. Et encore moins dans un aussi beau cadre !      Read more

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    • Einmal rund um die Welt bitte
      1115
      Day 76

      Start Pilgerweg Kumano Kodo

      April 21 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      Nach dem wir mit dem Flugzeug von Yakushima nach Osaka geflogen, 3h mit dem Zug nach Kii-Tanabe gefahren und zuerst beim falschen Hotel einchecken wollten, sind wir nach ca 12h Reise im richtigen Hotel angekommen.🙈
      Nach einer kurzen Einführung vom Infocenter machen wir uns auf den Weg. Heute haben wir einen easy Tag mit 4km (+2km für Busstation suchen) von Takijiri nach Takahara. Trotz Regen haben wir den schönen Weg genossen. ☔️      Read more

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    • Bente RoelofsJapan
      2
      Day 11

      Takijiri

      June 27 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

      Vandaag zou eigenlijk onze wandeltocht beginnen. We reisden af van Hiroshima naar Takijiri (bijna 6 uur onderweg geweest), maar toen we na een uurtje wandelen nog maar 1.5km verder waren (van de 13km) besloten we ons om te keren en de bus te pakken naar onze accommodatie omdat we bang waren in het donker te moeten lopen, wat akelig is als het pad in het daglicht soms al moeilijk te zien is. De wandeling begon al met een hele steile klim en het pad was niet makkelijk.

      Eenmaal bij de bushalte hadden we even angst omdat de bus er niet was toen die er hoorde te zijn. Na een kwartier extra wachten kregen we eindelijk bevestiging dat we in Chikatsuyu aan zouden komen en niet nog 2 uur op de volgende bus hoefden te wachten.

      Uiteindelijk hebben we 2 van de 7 stempels kunnen verzamelen, en gaan morgen vroeg beginnen zodat we sowieso genoeg tijd hebben om onze tweede stop te halen.      Read more

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    • TravelerJapan 2023
      Day 30

      Takahara

      October 8, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      At 7.00, I went to the Buddhist religious service at Fudoin Lodge. There were about 24 worshippers plus two priests. The service was conducted in Japanese and English with some information being projected on to a screen. I joined the other worshippers in burning incense. One of the priests outlined the stages of meditation which we practised for 10 minutes; posture, breathing, and the acceptance of the Buddhist image into your heart.
      At 07.50, those of the worshippers who were residents went into breakfast which was Japanese-style and vegetarian.
      At 09.00, a taxi collected me for the drive south through the Kii Mountains which reached 1000m and were densely forested with deep gorges. We arrived on the coast at Tanabe by midday, and I went into the Tourist Information Centre at the train station to be given a comprehensive account of the Kumano Kodo with maps, bus timetables, etc. This was part of my Kumano Kodo package arranged by Inside Japan.
      I bought a snack lunch from 7-11, one of the 24 hour supermarkets which were very common in Japan, the others being Family Mart and Lawsons. 7-11 had ATMs which accepted foreign credit cards when you neede local currency.
      I took a local bus to Takijiri, which was the starting-point of this branch of the Kumano Kodo, and was met by a guide who took me to the Pilgrimage Centre which had a small exhibition about the Kumano Kodo, and also showed by the first shrine on the pilgrimage route.
      I was given a shite umbrella at the Centre which I retained for the rest of the holiday although it was used rarely.
      Unfortunately, steady rain had begun in mid-morning and I didn't fancy walking for a couple of hours in the rain. Fortunately, the owner of the night's accommodation came and collected us by car to take us to Takahara. The guide showed me the shrine and camphor tree there.
      The minshuku (family-run guesthouse) was called Hatago MasaRa. The husband was Japanese and his wife was French. A Japanese couple, who I saw again the following day hiking, were the the other guests. I had a bedroom and lounge.
      It was misty and foggy in the mountains.      Read more

    • TravelerJapan 2023
      Day 31

      Nonaka

      October 9, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      I left Takahara at 08.30 and walked 13km along the next section of the Kumano Kodo to Nonaka., the Nakahechi section. There was drizzle or mist occasionally in the morning, and rain in the late-afternoon. The route included steep ups and downs, mainly inside the forest. I passed many oijis (shrines) and walked from Post 8 to Post 34, the posts being 500m apart. The route was well-signposted with toilets and cafes in the villages. The path was mainly a forest track with stones and roots although there sections of tarmac, usually roads, such as the last couple of kilometres this afternoon.
      Each overnight stop provided a bento-box lunch for the following day.
      There were no bears or leeches but I saw monkeys high in the trees and heard some birds although they were mainly unseen.
      I passed or was passed by about a dozen others on the trail so this section wasn't busy. The views would have been great if it wasn't so misty.
      At Nonaka, I walked up some steps past massive cedar trees, which were common at the entrance to shrines, to see Tsugizakura-oiji.
      I walked back a couple of kilometres, using my umbrella in the rain, to the overnight accommodation which was a minshuku called 3rd Place Kumano Kodo. I had a 5-room annex to myself.
      Dinner consisted of 20 items Japanese-style. The other guests were five ladies from Perth who stayed in an adjacent annex.
      On the way back to my annex, I slipped down a badly-lit slope and lost one of the slippers provided in the annex.
      There was nothing of interest to watch on TV which was the case generally although BBC World was available at a few hotels in the cities.      Read more

    • TravelerJapan 2023
      Day 32

      Hongu

      October 10, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

      On a sunny and warm day, I walked 3 km downhill to the Nonaka bus-stop where there was a Dutchman doing the same journey. The bus took us to Hongu, and then another bus to Hoshinman which was on the Kumano Kodo.
      I walked 6km downhill from Post 63 to 75, buying a herb-juice and plums on the way. This was a popular section, maybe because it was mainly downhill on good paths with good views, passing fields of horticulture and fruit tress, and because Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the three most important shrines on the Kumano Kodo, was at the end.
      After walking around the shrine-complex, I continued down the long stone path marked with cedar trees to the shrine's entrance, and then towards the river where, in a field, was the largest Torri gate in the world which had been repositioned there. I ate my bento-box lunch on a nearby bench.      Read more

    • TravelerJapan 2023
      Day 33

      Koguchi

      October 11, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      The Japanese set breakfast included a small glass of orange juice which typified the miniaturisation of the food and drink on the set menus.
      The ryokan at Yunomine provided a transfer to the bus-stop in the village where I caught a bus to Ukegawa from where I walked 13 km from Post 54 to 29 at Koguchi.
      I met again the American from Washington DC and a lady from Singapore plus a couple from Walthamstow which included a lady who worked at St Thomas's Hospital; a small world. An Aussie lady took my photo at the viewpoint and summit called Hyakken-gura about halfway along today's hike.
      I stayed at a converted schoolhouse called Shizen-no-le, a ryokan with about 20 guests including an Intrepid group on an activity holiday. There was an onsen.
      The Japanese set dinner and breakfast were in a large dining-hall with your seat indicated by your room number.      Read more

    • Sophie And NeveExploring the Unknown
      Day 182

      Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route - Day 1

      February 28, 2020 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 0 °C

      On February 28, 2020, we set out on a 6 day trek of the Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage and spiritual route in Japan. From Kyoto, we took two trains (one of which was a bullet train and travelled close to 200km/hour) and one bus to get to Tanabe, the gateway to the Kumano Kodo. What’s interesting, is that the Kumano Kodo is the sister pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiogo in Spain. If you complete both, you can become a dual pilgrim. The Kumano Kodo has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries and is surrounded by steep mountains. To begin our trek, we had a fairly easy 3.7 km to trek which we began after visiting the Kumano Kodo Kan Pilgrimage Centre. The trail is really well signed in both Japanese and English including signs that say “not Kumano Kodo” to ensure you don’t go the wrong way. Today’s trek had us walking through beautiful cedar forest and we got to see the biggest tree any of us had ever seen. It was amazing! The other neat thing about the trek is that along the way, you collect stamps that you place in a Komano Kodo booklet. In order to become a pilgrim, you need to collect all of the stamps along the way. This earns you a completion stamp and once you have this stamp, you can then trek the Camino de Santiago, and once you have this completion stamp, you get a certificate for becoming a dual pilgrim. Collecting the stamps has been a great way to keep the girls motivated, although honestly, they seem to be really enjoying the trek.

      At the end of each day, we stay in either a Minshuku, which is a family run guest house, or a Ryokan, which are Japanese style inns. Ryokan usually includes an elaborate japanese style dinner and breakfast in the morning. Both have Tatami style mats with futon style mattresses. At the end of our day, we stayed in a Ryokan and had the best dinner ever. The breakfast was also amazing and included dried fish, pickled vegetables, rice, miso soup and some egg. In the evening, we had our first experience with an onsen.

      We will be trekking for 6 days and feel so fortunate to be able to embark on such a peaceful adventure. Tomorrow we will have an early start as the forecast is calling for rain and we have 13 km to trek.

      Clarinda      Read more

    • TravelerTrip to Asia
      1
      Day 60

      One Piece, japonais et Totoro !

      March 9, 2020 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      Un petit billet culturel, un de plus !
      Japon oblige, j'ai commencé un manga ! Et quoi de mieux pour entrer dans le genre que le manga le plus vendu de l'histoire (460 millions d'exemplaires !!), j'ai nommé One Piece ! J'ai englouti les 7 premiers tomes des fantastiques histoires du pirate Luffy... Avis aux connaisseurs : que conseilleriez-vous à quelqu'un qui débute en manga ?? C'est pas pour tout de suite mais bon on sait jamais.

      Côté Japon sinon, Kyoto comme Osaka offrent pas mal de galeries d'art ouvertes et gratuites ! On y trouve de tout et c'est l'occasion de découvrir l'art contemporain japonais ! La pop culture japonaise est comme les temples : omniprésente ! On croise des Pokémons en chaussettes, un Totoro en 2 × 2m, un magasin dédié au studio Ghibli, des mangas occupant une dizaine de rayons par centre commerciaux... Nouveauté et pas des moindres : on s'est (enfin) mis au japonais ! C'est pas évident mais grâce à des livres (on a investi dans un lire normalement destiné aux enfants de 5 ans !) une application et beaucoup de conseils, on est en train d'apprendre les différents alphabets et symboles (Hiraganas et Katakanas)... c'est une dynamique complétement différente mais on s'accroche ! On vous tient au jus !

      Sinon j'ai repris les trouvailles musicales mais une fois par semaine et plusieures d'un coup... Elles sont toujours disponibles sur mon Instagram et Facebook pour ceux en manque de nouveaux sons ;)

      PS : Aller voir dans les photos, on est tombé sur un restaurant "français" avec un menu, disons... original !      Read more

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    • TravelerJapan 2023
      Day 32

      Yunomine Onsen

      October 10, 2023 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      In the afternoon, I walked a very steep section of the Kumano Kodo entitled Daimchi-goe over the top of a mountain from Hongu to Yunomine Onsen. It was only 2km but took a couple of hours. An American lady avoided a very poisonous snake on the path. I had blood on my trousers so may have been bitten by a leech on my lower right leg.
      I could smell the sulphur when descending into Yunomine Onsen. I went to the Public Bath which had an 1800 -year history. The entry cost Y400 plus Y700 for a small towel which I kept. There was only one other person in the onsen.
      There was a stream of hot water flowing alongside the road in the village where a few people were using the foot-bath, and where you could boil eggs.
      My overnight accommodation was Ryokan Yunomineso which was slightly out of town so it was the final walk of a day when I'd probably walked 13km in total. The ryokan was more like a medium-sized hotel.
      Dinner was in a large dining room with individual tables all facing in one direction, a bit like a classroom. There were eleven dishes in the Japanese set meal, and this was the first and only place where a waiter indicated in which order the dishes should be eaten.
      Having dressed in the yakata, after dinner, I went to the onsen which had two indoor and one outdoor pools.      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Hidaka-gun, 日高郡

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