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Kumano Kodo
  • Lexie Magill
  • Lexie Magill

Kumano Kodo

Nakahechi and Iseji trails, then a few days in Osaka Weiterlesen
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  • Beginn der Reise
    20. September 2025
    Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    Our bus 🫶The information centre at the trailhead1Genuinely supremely helpful

    Hiya

    21. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    I'm out of shape (physically and mentally) but - we're back baby! I've come to Japan to become a dual pilgrim. The Kumano Kodo is linked with Camino de Santiago as UNESCO recognised ways to fart about in the forest, and on completing a section of it I'll get special drum banging privileges. We're (we're a we this time) going to be pottering around south of Osaka in the Mie Peninsula.

    Getting here was a bit involved, left house on Saturday at 4.30am into a taxi (after it went to the wrong address), then a plane to Sydney, a bus to the right terminal, a (Jetstar, not horrible) plane to Osaka, and a train to our hotel.
    I managed to have panic attacks only in the taxi and the first plane. James (the other bit of the we - have you met?) pure magic when it comes to that.

    After checking in and turning the aircon as low as possible to combat the freakish 30 degree sticky heat, we did what any self respecting Jetstar asshole does and got an egg sando and a onigiri from the 7Eleven and crashed. Sunday was a train, a train, a train (pandas on it), and a bus with a completely bonkers but interesting fare payment system to get to the trail head at Takijiri.    Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    2
    123Note the person for steep context111

    Steep innit

    21. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    A measly four kilometres of walking today, which I've spent the last few months quietly writing off without ever having looked at the map. Quite a bit of elevation in the first kilometre it turns out. Keen readers will recall 'out of shape' and '30 degrees' although I'd also note we can add 'under 5kg bag' to balance that out, and it had the good grace to at least be really pretty. Unbelievable to have been able to do it given how bad back was until very very recently. Grateful.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    1
    11

    Rest stop

    21. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Made it! This is the rest stop in Takahara, it has a vending machine, toilet, pay phone, little stall shop, and most critically, cat. Also has views out the wazoo. We got a cold drink and relaxed in the shade after chasing that cat around the carpark, sending our accommodation a message on WhatsApp so they could come pick us up and take us 15 or so minutes out of town to home for the night.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    11Kit. We aren't sure what those plants are but they've been in lots of veggie patches - tuber?A quick blockie round the neighbourhood1Bit hairy but if you want to swim you want to swim I guess1🥰 cwossont - we got one of these plates each mind you

    Ohayo gozaimasu

    22. September in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Clocked a cat within three metres of the door on our morning walk, VERY good start, you can see him there crouching in the garden - didn't want a bar of us but then maybe he'd just got up and who can blame him.

    Heading back for breakfast we passed a mother and daughter leaving the house, mum trying to keep the loose ends of an enormous cat with folded ears in her arms, and daughter in school uniform. We waved, mum made the cat wave, we all had a whale of a time.

    I've spent the entire rest of the day thinking about the savoury croissant we were then delivered at 7.30 - one of three carby delights each - filled with sort of very light potato salad and ham. Sadly I had to leave the yoghurt, there's only so much action my tum can see before lunch.

    Speaking of, we safely tucked out lunchboxes into our bags, then got dropped back at the rest area at 8.30, ready to start day two.    Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    1Ugh bless I loved these on Camino, as much as this is for sale and they were free/donation based
    2Don't ask I don't knowLittle stamp huts at shrines - we are at a loss as to how they correspond to our book page numbers1Me checking into my accommodation 🍄🧚‍♀️ (not peeing I promise)Lunchbox raid #1 - banana and a delicious sweet homemade cereal bar thingBidgeBidge!Bidge again!In distance.....bidgeRest stop for lunchbox raid #2....Sandwiches and salad, see inside of plastic bag for salad dressingThis depicts a man riding a cow and a horse which sounds a bit dicey and unfair for all involved

    Takahara to Chikatsuyu

    22. September in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We had to do a bit of planning before this trip, but I'd emphasise that it focused on logistics rather than experience, leaving lots of room for surprise and delight.

    Amongst the logistics was an idea of today that involved walking about 13km to Tsugizakura-oji then backtracking 3km by bus to our accommodation at Chikatsuyu given nothing was available in T-oji when we booked a few months ago. That would then mean tomorrow morning, catching a bus back to T-oji to pick up the trail where we left off, and walking 22km to Hongu.

    Trouble being that our accommodation tonight offers breakfast, and we collect our lunchboxes at the cafe that hosts that, and the bus leaves a bit early for us to get our money's worth. I have never knowingly not got my money's worth.

    We decided rather than constrain both days by fretting about the timetable, that we'd just walk to Chikatsuyu (which means blood or dew, I learned at a shrine today) and see how we go with 25km tomorrow. Sounds fine but if elevation makes it mental we'll catch a bus the last bit as there's a loop section that means we can cover that bit off later.

    It's all a bit hard to explain, and it was hard trying to get head around this before we left, but being here makes it easier to understand somehow. Take my word for it, I reckon we're sweet.

    Walk was sickeningly pretty again, about 800m of elevation gain, and luckily shaded and breezy almost the entire time - hurrah!    Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    2Wanted to be followed NOT TOUCHED
    Bird watching for Eva - we think this was a Japanese KiteA school group harvesting something near the bus stop.......which turned out to be rice I think1Tiktok can rest now, I've had these little sorbet balls1🤠

    Pocari sweat time

    22. September in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We got into town at 1.30, and couldn't check in until 3 but mooched happily down to the little shop zone and river, which the woman running Noko Noko said was beautiful and she's right.

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    1Morning!1

    Happiness Annex #3

    23. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We carved up the dates and booked half each, so the first few nights are a complete surprise to James and I'll get that joy later on. I'm starting off WELL, just quietly. We soaked ourselves in a bath, washed our clothes by machine not hand, hoovered up another wonderful dinner disguised as a present, and got lovely robes to wear. Slept with the window open listening to the river and birds, and while we've woken up stiff from bed, walking will loosen that up.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    1Nan there, in the background
    4Imagine walking through the woods and I'm streaming a podcast at full vol12🥰cramble🥰

    Breakfast and some paper

    23. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Included in our accommodation was a voucher for breakfast and a lunchbox at a nearby cafe, the latter particularly useful when you're walking through the forest. It was charming and cluttered and we felt like we'd been to visit nan. She had koalas and kangaroos throughout, bless. I've included a selection of signage encountered throughout the day, though can confirm no leech or bear was encountered, and while tempted, we didn't dig up any water main lines either.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    Loving these apron shirts gals are all into here, might subscribe11

    Chikatsuyu to Hongu pt.1

    23. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Big'un today, so we got cracking after only one (1) nervous wee each. Started with three kilometres to T-oji that we would have walked yesterday had there been any accommodation available, and continued through more rooty trees. I tried unsuccessfully to distract James from that pile of bikes, thank god there wasn't anything too shiny.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender

    Mountain crab et. al.

    23. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Snake. Monkey. Hornet. Frog. Dog. Spider. Snail. All seen today, all photographed at extremely close range by the 8 year old boy I'm travelling with (except monkey). Yet nothing prepared us - nothing could - for the majesty of mountain crab. It is of absolutely no coincidence that we encountered him at the point that marks the gateway to the sacred area around the major Hongu shrine. His domain is the trough at which you purify your hands and mouth before entering the satellite shrine. I assume he's gravely spiritual. It's a calling.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender

    Bear based friendship

    23. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    A few hours into the day we pulled over to yield to a tiny woman motoring up behind us at alarming pace, bear bell tinkling at her hip. We'd seen her earlier at a shrine, and were on smiling terms. Rather than pass, she shuffled the bagS (plural) she was carrying and asked us if she could walk with us "because I am scared of bears".

    We both immediately puffed our chests up and assumed responsibility for literally any harm that might come her way. I debated piggybacking her. Shes from Taiwan and it's her first time on Kumano Kodo. She's about 4 and a half foot tall.

    We went together for most of the rest of the day, resting until we heard her bell again whenever we stretched out too far in front or the trail took a turn, to make sure she made it. We figured any change in the bell pitch or beat would indicate she was being thrashed about in something's jaws and we could run back.

    The crab shrine was the end of the deeply forested bit of the day and she thanked us and peeled off then but not before airdropping us some photos she'd taken of us (attached) and getting a selfie together, naturally. We ran into her later that day again and she nearly fell over waving. We will try to legally adopt her once we find some wifi.    Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    5Look out!1

    Chikatsuyu to Hongu pt.3

    23. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After crab shrine (this trip might turn into BC and AC) it was rural roads then very sandy trails until reaching Hongu. Some clever people had set out the very roadside stalls selling drinks etc I'd have eaten old mate's bear bell for a few hours ago, but others sold locally grown tea and an assortment of charming junk found in a shed.

    Eight hours of walking in, there was a loop off the trail to a lookout, and I suggested we do it but took full responsibility and accepted dirty looks if it didn't pan out. I received no such thing, how's the GIANT GATE.    Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    1Pop your orders in nowDo we think that unlucky one is to make someone else have an unlucky year? Messy. I love itThree legged crow is the symbol of the Kumano Kodo1

    Hongu Taisha

    23. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    This is the first of the three major shrines that make up the Kumano Kodo, it's very impressive. Please google it. Coming into town a man pulled his Audi over (unusual to see European cars here, much less sedans), got out, bowed and told us to "have a good day in Japan". Roger that.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    I am a member of the ELITE
    1Hello again my old friend!

    Dual pilgrim

    24. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The Camino in Spain and the Kumano Kodo in Japan are really chummy. That relationship is way more pronounced on this end, where the opportunity to be a dual pilgrim is made clear from the outset. Dual pilgrimage means you complete both - there are certain thresholds for that, and walking Takijiri to Hongu is one of them for the KK.

    Accordingly, I packed my Camino credential and this morning we peeped into the Heritage Centre where they process you. In Santiago de Compostela this was an entirely anticlimactic affair, similar to renewing ones licence at Service Tasmania. In Hongu, it's on. It was overwhelmingly joyous and sweet and we were both a bit emotional.

    Heritage Centre staff checked both stamp books, had me fill in a form, and then presented me with a pin, certificate, and postcard, and took a photo of me holding these, to be posted in due course at
    dual-pilgrim.spiritual-pilgrimages.com - don't bother refreshing constantly, I already am and it's not there yet.

    I was then instructed to go up to the shrine and into an office there, where a woman had me sign a book and a lovely excited man led me past the keep out sign on the main shrine (!) and to the special Taiko drum (!!!) for a short ceremony, part of which was telling me if I broke the drum it was ok, and, afterwards, that he hoped I had found happiness. James was in the paparazzi pit and helpfully captured it all, before we were ushered back to the office to be presented a gold scallop shell with the emblematic three legged crow and they all shouted congratulations and clapped.

    How lucky am I (!!!!)    Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    Few pilgrims got here before us I'd say
    2Who dat up dere say who dat down dere

    Hongu to Yunomine Onsen

    24. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    To allow for a sleep in, breakfast, dual pilgrimage registration, looking properly at the main shrine, and a bit of recovery, today's walk was a mere 2.5km to nearby spa town Yunomine Onsen. Turns out that was over a rudely steep mountain so entirely up and down but no matter. I tantrumed only a small amount. I'm a dual pilgrim, flatten this mound immediately. IMMEDIATE.Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    Tsubo-yu! You wait on a little adjacent bench until it's your turn to go down
    You pop your number on the door so the line knows who's next, and the door locks from the insideThen you go in and get nude - I've taken this photo off Google to spare you any stray bits and bobs1Tsubo-yu at night, you can see the waiting bench1Blast and tarnation I'm a COOL SUMMER this better come offThen the springs continue flowing downInto a canal you can sit next toMineral deposits2Egg

    Onsen tamago

    24. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    There's a little hut in the middle of the hot spring river here, and it houses the Tsubo-yu, the only UNESCO listed bathhouse in the world. It fits one or two people, the water is up to 91 degrees and purportedly changes colour up to seven times a day, and there are no reservations, it's first in best (un)dressed for a 30 minute session. Imagine the glee when we managed to get in there within an hour.

    Such a treat for our first onsen experience to be together and private given its usually gender segregated and public. It was crazy hot but there was a cold tap which helped bring things down a bit, although it was continually being topped up through spring obviously. We emerged feeling fresh as anything, albeit with my silver rings tarnished as I stupidly forgot to remove them. I'm sure we can remedy that, and it's probably a fair trade to be diabetes free for the rest of our days.

    Bang on 3pm, we checked into our incredibly located accommodation (50m away) and then headed down to the canal to rest feet in the scalding water. One of the three food places in town sells bags of raw eggs, sweet potatoes and other steam/boil friendly foods to cook in the onsen, and a sweet girl came and offered us some she'd boiled, acknowledging she wasn't really up to eating six eggs but wanted to do it for fun. We thought we could taste the health. If not the sulfur.    Weiterlesen

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  • Lexie MagillKumano KodoReisender
    6
    James is getting very good at eating these little fish. I'm still not sure about the bonesUnder the clay pot was duck, mushrooms, and cabbage

    Pardon

    24. September in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We're staying at a Minshuku tonight, which are a type of family-run bed and breakfast common in rural/coastal areas and spa towns.

    It's a big house essentially, and it has three guestrooms, occupied by us and two older Japanese couples. There's a communal dining room, onsen, and toilets.

    Dinner was a magnificent assault that rendered us both absolutely speechless.    Weiterlesen

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