Overnight trip to visit World Heritage Sites ``Walk along the Kumano Kodo River Pilgrimage Route''

Kumano Kodo has five routes: Nakahechi, Iseji, Kiiji, Kohechi, and Ohechi.
Of these, Nakahechi, which is said to be the path most pilgrims walked, connects Tanabe with the Kumano Sanzan (Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha).
Nakahechi also includes the River Pilgrimage Route, which is registered as a World Heritage Site.
In the past, retired emperors and aristocrats used to travel between Kumano Hongu Taisha and Kumano Hayatama Taisha by riverboats.
Because of its unique history, the Kumano River itself was the first river in the world to be registered as a World Heritage Site.
After experiencing the spiritual atmosphere during the pilgrimage, recharge your batteries at an inn in KihoTown where you can get close to nature.
If you walk along the scenic Iseji Route, you will find IseJingu.
Would you like to follow the path of faith that has been called ``seven times to Ise, three times to Kumano'' since the Edo period?

Start your Kumano Kodo trip from Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine
Nachi Falls, boasting the highest drop in Japan, and Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine
1 night stay at a farmhouse where you can see the countryside in front of you (KihoTown)
The next day, we went to Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, which is rich in national treasures and cultural properties.
Boating down a world heritage river with a Santan sail (Kumano River -KihoTown)
Lunch of local cuisine during Kumanogawa Experience School's one-day tour
Stay at a campsite attached to Hisetsu-no-takiFalls (KihoTown)
Looking down on the Kumano Sea from Misagoiwa Rock on Mt. Oeboshi
Shichirimihama is registered as a World Heritage Site as part of the Kumano Kodo/Hama-kaido Road.
Onigajo kachiji with countless sea caves large and small
End your trip with a visit to Ise Shrine

Scroll down here to see the map.

The first base of your trip is Shingu Station. From Osaka, it takes about 4 hours and 30 minutes via JR and Kintetsu via Tsuruhashi and Matsusaka.
One train from Nagoya is the limited express Wide View Nanki, which takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes.
We recommend renting a car here. Shingu - Kumano Hongu Taisha is approximately 50 minutes by car.
On the first day, we visited Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Nachi Falls, and stayed at a farmhouse inn in KihoTown or a campsite attached to Tobiyuki Hisetsu-no-takiFalls.

On the second day, we parked our car at the Kumano Hayatama Taisha parking lot and took part in the ``Kumano River Santansail and Shingu World Heritage Walk''.
Enjoy a relaxing river pilgrimage route on a ``Sandanbo'' sailing boat that sails along the Kumano River, and enjoy lunch of local cuisine.
After disembarking, visit Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine and Kamikura Shrine with the guidance of an experienced guide. Having a guide will make your trip so much more enjoyable!

After the tour, we drove for about 10 to 25 minutes and returned to the inn KihoTown.
Relax and enjoy the countryside and nature at the campsite adjacent to the farmhouse and Hisetsu-no-takiFalls.
We also recommend staying for several nights and visiting nearby spots. Enjoy hiking and seaside views.

It takes about 30 minutes by car to Hananoiwaya-jinjaShrine is said to be one of the largest power spots on the Kumano Kodo. From there, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to IseJingu.
There are many scenic spots along the way, such as Shichirimihama and Onigajo.

If you only wish to take a sightseeing tour of Santanho, you can check availability and make reservations online on this page.

Introducing an inn in Kihocho that is close to Shingu Station, which is convenient for touring KihoTown.
An increasing number of tourists are choosing KihoTown, with its rural scenery, as a lodging base for the Kumano Kodo, a world heritage site.
There are two ``farmhouses'' about a 10-minute drive away, and a ``campground'' about 25 minutes away.
All of them are comfortable and reasonably priced, so we recommend staying for several nights as a base for your trip.

The garden is full of blooming flowers grown by the inn's mother, and in front of the house is a rice field where the inn's father grows rice. At ``Farmhouse Inn Hanasobi,'' you can experience a relaxing feeling as if you have returned to your parents' home in the countryside. A father with a lovely smile and a mother who is a good cook and hostess. The two have many fans, with repeat visitors from not only Japan but all over the world, and many staying for consecutive nights. You can enjoy seasonal experiences such as rice planting and cooking local cuisine, as well as strolling around the area on the bicycles you can rent.

view the details Go to official website Go to reservation site

A garden full of flowers welcomes you.
Dad's rice field stretches out in front of the house.
Even people meeting for the first time can enjoy delicious home-cooked meals.
Delicious! Handmade "Mehari-sushi"
A garden full of flowers welcomes you.
Dad's rice field stretches out in front of the house.
Even people meeting for the first time can enjoy delicious home-cooked meals.
Delicious! Handmade "Mehari-sushi"

At Farm House Runya, we grow Koshihikari rice with reduced pesticides and pesticide-free vegetables, and guests can experience harvesting and cooking local cuisine. Freshly harvested vegetables have a rich flavor and a great aroma. You can eat it raw, grill it, or fry it. At night, you can sleep soundly in a spacious Japanese-style room with the sounds of frogs and insects playing in the background. In the morning, we recommend taking a walk while breathing in the delicious air and admiring the countryside and konochi River. It's a very common experience in rural life, but it's sure to be a valuable and fascinating experience for city dwellers.

view the details Go to official website Go to reservation site

Takoyaki party with foreign customers
Freshly harvested loquats
The scenery I encountered on my early morning run
Takoyaki party with foreign customers
Freshly harvested loquats
The scenery I encountered on my early morning run

The campground overlooks a beautiful waterfall with spray flying like snow. The name "Hisetsu-no-takiFalls" was given to this waterfall by Yorinobu Tokugawa, a feudal lord of Kishu, who once wrote a poem about the waterfall, "The colors of the river are all elaborately dressed in autumn as it travels over several mountains, and when the wind blows on the rocks by the falls, the spray is like snow dancing. When the water is high, it is quite powerful, and visitors can enjoy camping, barbequing, and playing in the waterfall basin while feeling the negative ions. There are 25 campsites. In addition to the administration building, cooking facilities, toilets, and showers, there is a walking trail through the abundant nature.
It was renovated in April 2018, and a new cottage and direct sales facility have opened!

view the details Go to reservation site

This is a campsite attached to the waterfall.
Feeling refreshed! Playing in the river at the waterfall basin
Perfectly clean kitchen building
A soothing landscape of hydrangeas and waterfalls
This is a campsite attached to the waterfall.
Feeling refreshed! Playing in the river at the waterfall basin
Perfectly clean kitchen building
A soothing landscape of hydrangeas and waterfalls

A hotel located in front of Udono Station. Convenient location with many restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores nearby. Udono Port, which can be seen from inside the hotel, is well known among fishing enthusiasts for its rich variety of fish. Black sea bream, perch, white squid, bigfin squid, horse mackerel, barracuda, porgies, etc. The quay has good footing and is a popular fishing spot for families with children and women. The facility is also equipped with a Japanese-style bathroom and karaoke. All rooms have internet connectivity, and the 2nd floor lobby also has wireless LAN. It can be used for a wide range of purposes, from business use to travel.

view the details Go to official website

Close to the seaside walking path
If you are traveling with several people, choose a twin room.
Convenient for business use
Dining room where the morning sun shines
Close to the seaside walking path
If you are traveling with several people, choose a twin room.
Convenient for business use
Dining room where the morning sun shines

Kiho-cho, where the inn for KihoTown Kodo tours is located, has many things to see, including mountains, the sea, and villages.
Take a historical walk through Kumano River, a river pilgrimage route (a world heritage site), and shrines with unique characteristics.
Tour Michi-no-eki (Sea Turtle Park) where you can see sea turtles for free and the scenic road along the coast.
Enjoy nature through hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities such as the ocean, mountains, rivers, and waterfalls.
Enjoy your stay in the countryside and visit hidden spots at your leisure.

Click here for KihoTown tourist brochure

: Kumano River and Sandanbo

: Mifunejima

: Shichirimihama

: Hiraoi Yakushido (Hiraoi Yakushido)

: konochi Shrine (Koyasu no Miya)

: Kinegatanisha

: Firefly dance

: Michi-no-eki KihochoUmigamePark Park

: Oeboshiyama Misagoiwa

: Hisetsu-no-takiFalls (Hisenotaki)

: Oozato Water Park

: KihoTown Furusato Museum “Midori no Sato”

Kumano River and Sandanbo

Santanho is the only boat in the world that allows you to cruise around the world's only river heritage site. During the Heian period, it was commonplace to visit Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine and Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine by river boat or santan sail, which carried the wind in its sails. It is said that until the 1950s, it was used to transport people and goods. Take a moment to reflect on the lives of people in ancient times during a quiet moment powered only by the power of the wind.

Enjoy the beauty of the Kumano River on your favorite course, such as a half-day tour with Santan sails, a full-day tour that includes sightseeing and a walk at the Shingu World Heritage Site, or occasional canoeing lessons. (Advance reservation required for both)

Mifunejima

The island is part of the grounds of Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, and is a festival site for Kumano Hayatama Taisha's annual Mifune Festival, and is also registered as a World Heritage Site. It floats about 2km upstream from the mouth of the Kumano River. There is also a course that goes around this island on the Santanho tour. At the Mifune Festival, which is held on October 16th every year, the highlights include the ``Harihari Dance,'' in which men dressed as women wearing red robes holding oars dance on the ``Shinkofune,'' which carries the object of worship, as well as a fast boat race.

route search

Shichirimihama

The beautiful beach, which stretches for approximately 7 ri (approximately 22 km), is the longest gravel beach in Japan and has been selected as one of Japan's ``100 Best Beaches'' and ``100 Best Natural Areas to Preserve in the 21st Century.'' It's fun to collect the colorful and beautiful "Mihama pebbles" that have been polished by the rough waves of the Kumano Sea. The gentle coastline facing the Kumano Sea is the Ise Route that runs from Ise to Kumano, and is registered as a World Heritage Site as the Kumano Kodo/Hama-kaido Road. This is the road where many people walked, believing that there was a Pure Land at the end of the sea.

Hiraoi Yakushido

Hiraoi Yakushido is located at the end of a long approach path lined with large trees that are hundreds of years old. The sight of a huge rock weighing down on the temple is breathtaking!
This hall was built in the 11th century at the request of Emperor Shirakawa when he visited Kumano Sanzan. The principal image, the Yakushi Nyorai statue, is one of the three Kumano Buddha statues and is said to be beneficial for ailments from the neck up, and is visited by worshipers not only from nearby areas but also from far away.

konochi Shrine (Koyasu no Miya)

konochi Shrine has a solemn atmosphere with trees that are full of life and huge rocks. It is one of the shrines that has a natural rock cave as its object of worship, and does not have a shrine building, so it is one of the shrines that still preserves the way nature was worshiped in the past. Immediately after passing through the stone torii gate, there is a huge tree with stones wrapped around its base that looks like it is holding a child in its lap. People constantly visit the shrine as the god of Koyasu and safe childbirth, and the shrine office is hung with many ``bibs'' donated by people from all over the country.

Kinegatanisha

This is a sacred area that can be said to be the birthplace of Kumano worship, second only to Mt. Kamikura in Shingu. It is said that the god Kumano, who descended on Mt. Kamikura in Shingu, moved here about 2,500 years ago, and then moved to the main shrine and Shingu about 1,900 years ago.
Along the promenade are the ruins of Udono Castle and the graves of the Udono clan, making it a recommended spot for a historical stroll.

Firefly dance

In KihoTown, you can see three types of fireflies: Genji fireflies, Heike fireflies, and Hime fireflies from early May to late June, when rice planting begins every year. In particular, from early May to late May, the wild dance of Genji fireflies flying over the rural valley rivers of the Hiraoi area is a sight to behold. In addition, while Genji fireflies and Heike fireflies fly to the water's edge, in mid-June you can see Himebotaru fireflies, also known as forest fireflies, shining a silver light in the mountains within the town.

route search

Michi-no-eki KihochoUmigamePark Park

A rare Michi-no-eki in Japan where you can see real sea turtles for free. You can see sea turtles from above the pool and from the underwater window, and their cute appearance will soothe you. Sea turtle touch experience events (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), which are free of charge, are very popular with children.

We sell special products such as various types of mandarin oranges that can be harvested throughout the year, morning vegetables, and locally produced rice, and there is also a light meal restaurant. Recommended sweets are Meyer lemons, which are made with a mellow lemon that is a natural cross between an orange and a lemon. The kettle-fried whitebait bowl, sanma sushi, and Mehari-sushi that you can eat while looking out at the Kumano Sea are also delicious!

Oeboshiyama Misagoiwa

Mt. Oeboshi offers a thrilling view. Park your car at the `` Michi-no-eki KihochoUmigamePark Park'' and head to the Hirami trailhead. You can enjoy a light climb of about 2 to 3 hours, going from the carrying stone to the summit of Mt. Oeboshi, to Ushinose, to Misagoiwa, to the Ueno trailhead. The view overlooking the Kumano Sea from the top of Misago Rock is amazing! It is a photogenic little-known spot known only to those in the know.

Hisetsu-no-takiFalls (Hisenotaki)

The word ``yūgen'' is apt for this waterfall located to the west of Asari Shrine, which is 30 meters high and 12 meters wide, and where water falls from the sky like falling from the sky.
Long ago, Tokugawa Yorinobu (Nanryu Lord), the lord of the Kishu domain, visited this waterfall and was struck by its beauty. When the wind blows, snow dances like droplets,'' he wrote in a Chinese poem. Because of this, it came to be called `` Hisetsu-no-takiFalls''.
Campgrounds and promenades have been developed around Hisetsu-no-takiFalls, and new bungalows and direct sales facilities will be built in spring 2018, so stay tuned!

Oozato Water Park

A park developed to take advantage of the natural beauty of the Ainoya River upstream. In spring, cherry blossoms in full bloom are reflected in the water, pleasing the eyes of visitors. You can enjoy forest bathing while listening to the murmuring sounds. In the natural pool created by damming up river water, you can enjoy swimming and enjoy nature by observing the ecology of sweetfish, haya, and other fish.

KihoTown Furusato Museum “Midori no Sato”

"Midori no Sato", located across from Tashiro Park Lawn Square, exhibits the culture of KihoTown that we want to pass on to the future.
Approximately 500 items, including folk tools, agricultural tools, buried cultural assets, and industrial equipment that convey the way of life in the past, are exhibited by theme and can be viewed within the museum.
There is also a folklore hall where you can practice pottery, a Japanese-style room that can be used for tea ceremonies, flower arranging, and computer classes, and a panel gallery.

The water is clean, the rice is delicious, and the fishing port is nearby. Don't miss out on the delicacies from the sea, mountains, and KihoTown!

: A local dish that has been loved as a lunch box for those working in the mountains. It's a rice ball wrapped in pickled mustard greens, and its name comes from its eye-popping deliciousness.

: Healthy saury is pickled in salt and then pickled in the famous mandarin vinegar. The visual of sanma on top of vinegared rice is very impressive!

: Various types of mandarin oranges are grown in KihoTown and can be eaten all year round. Be sure to try our 100% fresh juice.

: Sushi made from fermented saury or sweetfish and rice. The key is to use lactic acid fermentation without using vinegar, which gives it a unique aroma and addictive texture. Great for snacking with alcohol!

Events, flowers, fireflies, etc., please check out the seasonal information!

紀宝町地域おこし協力隊