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1 day Kumano Kodo trekking, Japan

1 day Kumano Kodo trekking, Japan | Japan

Trekking with JMGA guide who is also Shugendo monk on ancient Japanese mountain worship route in Kumano Kodo.

Private

Kii Mountain Range

1 Day

All year

Occasional

Beginner


Highlights

* Discover an ancient pilgrimage route in Japan.

* Enjoy hiking in the route used by Shugendo monks.

* Visit the ancestral natural forests of Kumano.

Description

What about trekking Japanese ancient sacred mountain pilgrimage route?

A thick bunch of trees or undeveloped sacred land is the original meaning of Kumano. When we walk this quiet and sacred trekking route, we can still feel the ancient mountain worship spirit. You will have a great experience walking on Kumano Kodo.

This 1 Day tour mainly focus on the core zone of Omine Okugake route, which is from Kongo-no-tawa to Kumano Hongu. You will be amazed to walk on the same route that Shugendo monks use for their training.

I am a JMGA guide and also Shugendo monk. I will take you to the ancestral natural forests of Kumano. Let’s enjoy a beautiful historical atmosphere trekking!

If you would like to have other routes like Kogumo-torigoe or Kohechi (over Hatenashi-touge), those are available as options. This tour is for small groups under 5 people, so it is good for relaxed moderate pace of trekking.

Send the request to book your place on this trip if you are interested.

You can also check out this 4-day trekking in Oomine Okugakemichi.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Transportation start and back


Itinerary

Day 1: Kumano Kodo Trekking

We will meet at B&B Cafe Hongu at 9:30 a.m. From there, we will go forward to the Kami-kiribara trail-head and start our tour. Our tour probably ends around 4:00 p.m., but it will depend on the course and our walking speed. The guide will tell detailed information about the meeting point to the participants after the tour reservation.

 

Equipment you will need to bring

Walking shoes, rainwear, towel, sunscreen, hat and personal medicine.


FAQs

What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?

We understand that finding the perfect place to stay is an essential part of your adventure experience. To help you with this, we’ve curated a list of three highly recommended hotels that offer comfort, convenience, and a touch of local charm. These accommodations are well-suited for adventurers looking to relax and rejuvenate after an exciting day of exploration
Misaki Plaza Hotel Uwajima Japan
See rooms
Uwajima Oriental Hotel Uwajima Japan
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Hotel Fine Misaki Uwajima Japan
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About the guide

Guide profile image

Katsumi

Mountain Guide

I am a local guide in Kumano and also a certified JMGA mountain guide. Being in the mountains and in the nature has always been my passion - trekking in the hills and mountains of the Kansai region in my childhood, riding bikes around Australia for 3 years in my youth, and am very passionate about different activities related to the mountains such as kayaking, rafting, backcountry skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, mountaineering and rock climbing. I’ve done numerous white water river kayaking and sea kayaking in New Zealand and in the US, and have done some first descents too.

I started my mountain career at a Japanese outdoors gear company, Montbell, then started my own outdoors gear brand called Finetrack in 2004. But I then wanted to become the actual connection between people and the nature, and also through my experiences abroad, I wanted to be able to communicate the wonders of Japanese nature to the world directly and thus became a mountain guide myself.

Japan is bombarded by the rigor of the nature. We have volcanoes, are right in the middle of the paths of numerous hurricanes, and rugged mountains forming at the edges of tectonic plates. These have been treated as sacred places in Japanese ancient beliefs and religions. I am also a practitioner of Buddhism “Shugendo” (ancient mountain worship) and am a certified “Sendatsu” - trainer of Shugendo (aka mountain priest). I’d like to be able to tell you these stories so that you can better understand and ‘feel' the Japanese nature through history and culture. It interesting to me that these mountains, rivers and the sea is not just a part of the nature but has always been the subject of faith.

Contact me if you’re interested in learning more about the mountain worship culture and to join me on a trek of Kumano with a lot of background stories!

Languages

Japanese | English

Certificates

JMGA


What people are saying about Explore-Share

Kumari

5.00

I’m extremely happy with the ease with which I could book via your site reliable and experienced guide. Thank you so very much, and I’ve started to recommend your site to my friends. Dimitris is not only an awesome guide, but a wonderful person who was always looking out to give me the best experience I can have when he found out how much I love climbing! He is the Best!

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5.00

I am very pleased with Explore-Share! This was my first international climb, and the communication and response time were great. Herbie is a very skilled guide and very efficient. The entire booking process & payment was smooth. I will definitely use Explore-Share again. Thank you.

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5.00

I was looking for a local guide for a hike I was planning and came across Explore-Share. They seemed to have good reviews and so decided to give them a try. The experience was very positive and completely happy with their service. I will be using them again for next trip.

Colin

5.00

Easy to set up and find the perfect trip. Informative site that is easy to use. Guides are all great to work with and communicate all arrangements needed. As simple as can be!

Lesley

4.00

Thank you explore-share for a wonderful via feratta experience. We have been wanting to learn for a long time but don't have the facilities in Scotland. The guide Mitja was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, answering all my many questions and providing advice. On the day head to take another group but he quickly arranged another guide Borut, who was brilliant. We had a fantastic morning learning via ferrata at Hvadnik in the gorge. It gave us the confidence to later hire our own equipment and go out in Mojstrana. Altogether a five star + experience. Thank you.

 

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