Go with the wind. Enjoy a traditional boat trip on the Kumano River-Sandanbo

Written by Pete Leong

From the 10th century to the 13th century, the Kumano River was used as a pilgrimage route to the three Kumano shrines, and riverboats were widely used. In 2004, the Kumano River basin was registered as a World Heritage Site as the world's only "river pilgrimage route" (a component of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes on the Kii Peninsula").

I visited the Kumano River this trip because I heard that you can experience taking a unique riverboat ride on the Kumano River. Kiho Town, at the southernmost tip of Mie Prefecture, is surrounded by nature. Our guide this time was Mr. Tanigami, who has been making riverboats along the river for many years and continues to convey to visitors the charm of the river.

A row of Sandanbo boats (around the former part of the 20th century)

Originally, from the 10th to 13th centuries, the retired emperors who visited the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine went down the Kumano River by boat. Until the mid-1960s, almost every family had a boat, and the river was the main source of transportation for people, transporting daily commodities, moving people, and for fishing on the river. It was a busy stretch of water as there were many riverboats coming and going. Since then, however, roads on the land have been built and the role of transportation by boat has come to an end, and the culture of riverboats has all but died out.

The sailboat pictured is the boat we will be experiencing this time called a “Sandanbo sail.” On the Kumano River, the wind blows from the mountains to the sea in the early morning, and then from the sea to the mountains from around 10:00 a.m. In the days when there were no engines, the wind was a valuable source of power, and the Sandanbo sails made good use of this wind. After coming down from the mountains laden with charcoal and other goods, the Sandanbo sails used the southerly wind to carry rice and fish upstream. The name comes from San-dan (three bolts of cloths) and Ho (sails), which means three bolts of cloths were used for the sails to propel the vessel. 

For this experience, I sent my partner on the boat ride while I stayed on the shore to capture some aerial shots with the drone, with the boat cruising down along a section of the river with Mie Prefecture on one side and neighboring Wakayama on the other. As there was very little wind this day, the skipper of the boat had to use the outboard motor to power the boat upstream before turning around and shutting off the motor to let nature propel the boat back downstream towards the ocean. It was lovely and tranquil allowing the mind to drift back to a time when these boats were a common daily sight along the windy stretch of water. 

Next time you are in the area climb aboard for a ride and a step back into history. Also, be sure to check out nearby Hisetsu no taki, a 30m-high waterfall which also has a camping ground right by the river and falls and looks like a magical place to spend a night.

 Kumanogawa-Taikanjuku
203　Kitahizue, Kiho Town, Minamimuro County
0735-21-0314（Kumanogawa-Taikanjuku)
https://www.za.ztv.ne.jp/w58yd3jb/

Reception hours: 9:00-17:00
Open: All year round (reservations required)
Fee: 9,000 yen (1 person) 4,500 yen/person (2 people) 3,500 yen/person (3 or more people)
Access: 15 min. by car from JR Shingu Station