Tag: pilgrimage

Friday the 8th of October 2021

I started the day slowly, as I had decided to finish the walk by yesterday. Being slow proved to be a bit of a mistake as I missed a train, and there was quite a bit of time until the next one. I decided to stroll through the quiet town of Katsuura for a while.

For those considering public transport to Shingu for visiting “Kumano Hayatama Taisha,” I would recommend going to Shingu on the same day after visiting Nachisan. Instead of staying in Katsuura, make sure to catch the last train from Nachi station, which is quite early, at 17:22 at the time of writing this blog. Then you might be able to put your feet in the ocean while looking at the sunset, and the next day you can walk to the shrine without carrying big luggage, leaving it at the accommodation.

However, I think walking the Kumano Kodo Iseji may not be a bad choice. Looking from the train window, the seascape was truly beautiful. I got off the train at Shingu station and headed to the shrine. It was another warm day that made me rather thirsty and uncomfortable, especially in that somewhat sleepy town. Yet, traffic was busy, and there were almost no pavements and no trees. Later, I realised that parallel to the street I walked, there is a pedestrian-only shopping street with a roof, yet it is actually quite pedestrian compare to the other livelier towns. The lack of historical buildings not only affects this town but many towns in Japan, creating a lack of character. As a tourist, I could not enjoy much and didn’t want to stay longer nor explore. The municipal government must understand how important it is to preserve and not disturb the good historical aesthetic, especially if they expect more tourism.

After visiting the shrine, I saw an old house, an Unagi (eel) restaurant, with a nice smoky aroma wafting out. I decided to have a slightly early but expensive lunch. While waiting for the food to be served, more customers arrived, and soon the small restaurant became full. Apparently, it is a quite popular place. I was lucky to get a table without waiting, but I felt somewhat unwelcome because I was alone and occupying a whole table. At the next table, there were two guys, quite large even by Japanese standards. They were almost inhaling the food and talking about what they were going to have next, either ramen or udon. Clearly, they were traveling by car, as I could see the car keys. I do eat slightly more when I walk or cycle I consume more than usual, yet people still need to eat when they drive. And these guys were clearly eating way more than I do. I think someone should find a way to generate electricity from excessive diet, so people can charge their cars. Converting my few thousand Japanese yen into energy, now I can walk to the station.

My plan was to go to Ise by train, then take a night bus to Tokyo. On the map, it looked like a simple one-train ride, but I had to change a couple of times. First at Kii-Nagashima station, where I had a chat with the station manager as he noticed my stick. He told me that he used to trail run, and Kumanokodo Iseji is beautiful with more old paved trails. Back in my head, I thought, “that’s more pain on my foot and knee,” however, it was a good chat, and the waiting time at the empty station passed quickly. Then, after I transferred at Taki station to another train to Ise, it was already dark.

I had never really been interested in hiking or walking trails. That does not mean I hate it. However, somehow I thought about walking the 88, and after that, I felt that I had to walk Kumanokodo.

People tend to think pilgrimage is a religious thing, I does relate to religion in most places. However, religion and belief are one thing; spirituality is another. So anyone can walk to open up individual spirituality. The 88 is a great pilgrimage trail, tough and designed very well over 1200 years, a glimpse of one life cycle. In contrast, I felt that Kumanokodo is after life. You walk through the calm, beautiful Kii Peninsula’s nature, and there is no clear starting point and end.

歩くのは昨日までとしていたので少しゆっくりめな始まり。宿をさっさと出なかったのが原因で電車を逃す、時間があるので街を少し見てみる事にしたが駅前の商店街はとても静かだ。

もし同じ様なルートで那智山から次の日に新宮に電車で行こうと考えているなら、勝浦に一泊するよりも那智山を訪れたその日のうちに新宮まで行く事をお勧めする。次の日の朝に荷物を宿に置いて熊野速玉大社行って来れる。

車窓から海を眺めていると伊勢路を歩くのも良さそうだ。新宮で降りて神社に向かう、閑散とした町でも交通量は多い、歩道はほとんどなく木もないので汗ばんで喉が乾く。少しして平行に屋根付きの商店街があることに気づいた。観光地として古い建物が無いとやはり魅力と価値は下がってしまう。地方自治体は新たな開発、再開発よりも景観保存を重要視すべきだ、景観、外観また内観、素材を保ちつつモダナイズする事もできるはずだ、魅力がないところに観光客はあまり長居はしない。

神社の後に古い建物の鰻屋を見つけた、煙が出てい美味そうな匂いに誘われて少し早く高めの昼にすることにした。注文を待っている間に次から次と客が入り小さな店はすぐにいっぱいになった、ちょうど待ちもせず店に入れたのは運が良かった、一人でテーブルを占有してしまったからか店員はあまりいい気がしなかったのだろうか。隣に座った大きめの二人、この次はラーメンかうどんかと話している間に鰻重がミルミルと飲み込まれていく。テーブルに置かれた鍵から明らかに車で旅している事がわかる、歩いている時、また自転車に乗っている時は当然普段よりエネルギーを使うのでよく食べるが、彼らは明らかに十二分に摂取している様に見える。食べ過ぎたからだから電気を発電し車のバッテリーをチャージする方法を誰か見つけるべきだと思った。私は日本円をエネルギーに交換したのでまた駅まで歩くことにした。

予定では伊勢まで電車、そこらか夜行バスで東京と思っていた、地図で見ると一本で行けそうだったが2回ほど乗り換えなければならなかった。一回めは紀伊長島、人気のあまり無い駅で駅長が話しかけてきた、杖を見て歩いているとわかったらしい、彼はトレイルランニングを以前にしていたらしい、伊勢路は綺麗な石畳が結構残っているとのこと、頭の中で結構足や膝に来てつらそうだと思いながら、そうですか次回は挑戦してみたいですと言う。　そして次に多岐で乗り換え、伊勢に着く頃には暗くなっていた。

トレッキング、ハイキングなどそれまであまり興味を持たなかった、嫌いという事ではなかったが。突然なぜか四国八十八を行ってみようと思った。その後に熊野古道に行かなければと思った。巡礼の旅はやはり宗教的と考えると思う人が多いし、宗教と密接に関係している。私は宗教、信仰と精神性は違ったものだと思う。だから誰もが宗教などに関係なく歩き精神性開くことに挑戦できると思う。四国八十八は、きつく、1200年の間うまくデザインされた道、人生の一周を少し垣間見る事ができたようだ、熊野古道はあの世を垣間見れるのかもしれない長閑な紀伊半島の自然を歩く、明確な始まりも終わりもない。

Thursday, the 7th of October 2021. 

It had rained earlier, and a patch of blue sky appeared with the morning sunlight, and mountains were exhaling mist.

Just 500 meters from the accommodation, steep stairs suddenly appeared at the side of the road. There was always an invisible border or barrier between the regular tar road and the trail. With one deep breath and a firm poke of my stick into the ground, I crossed the border. Endless green stairs followed, one after another, gradually leading into the clouds. It was quiet, the only sound I could hear, was movement of myself. I felt that I was inhaling the fog, and my body was perspiring, making the fog even thicker. There were several rest areas, but I did not take a break as the benches were either damp or in poor condition, so I continued walking. I lost track of my altitude and sense of time until I reached the viewpoint, Funamijyaya. It must offer a magnificent view of the sea on clear, sunny days, but all I could see were clouds. The bench there was also in bad condition, therefore I did not stop for a break either. Afterward, the trail descended, and while I typically descend quickly on trails, stairs are a different story. Descending stairs is quite challenging for my feet, so I tried to walk alongside them as much as possible.

The trail eventually merged with a road and entered a large park with a spacious car park. There were hardly any people around, I finally decided to take a lunch break as I could see decent benches there. After lunch, I walked through the park and re-entered the trail briefly before reaching Nachi. Whenever I hear the name “Nachi” and see the symbol of a Buddhist temple, my inner childish dark side conjures images of Dr. Strangelove, Peter Sellers. The iconic three-storied pagoda and Nachi Falls came into view. Clouds were moving swiftly on the mountain above, and I was walking beyond those mountains. Thankfully, I didn’t get lost or end up on the other side of the waterfall.

At Kumano Nachi Taisha, I saw a Miko dance. Miko are female workers for the shrine, and I can not quite describe those music and dance whether it could call it rhythm, speed, or slowness, it is unique tempo. That is a ritual they perform at specific times of the day. However, I rarely have the opportunity to witness these dance, which is intended for the gods and the otherworldly.

After spending some time on a bench in the shrine, I decided to walk to Katsuura. I didn’t have a clear plan for what I was going to do, I had contemplated taking a train from Katsuura to the Shingu area, perhaps even having bit of splash at the beach, but I wasn’t sure if I’d make it in time for the infrequent trains. I could have taken a bus since it was no longer a trail but simply a road. However, having become accustomed to walking, I didn’t feel like checking the bus schedule and waiting. Therefore, I made the choice to spend the night Katsuura.

Kumanokodo Ogumotorigoe.  27.08km Katsuura

雨が降っていた様だ。雲の切れ目から青空が見え朝日が入る。山々は霧を噴き出していた。宿から500mぐらいの所で道の脇から壁の様な緑の階段が現れる。道路と山道には目に見えない境界がある様に感じる、深く呼吸し、杖で押し境界を超えて終わりがない様な階段を雲に向かって登り始めた。辺りは静かでうるさいのは自分自身の動く音。霧を呼吸し体から汗となって周りの霧をさらに濃くしてる様に感じた。いくつか休憩できるところがあったが、どこも湿っていたりベンチの状態が良くなかったのでそのまま歩き続けた。時間の経過と、どのくらいの高さのところを歩いているのか分からなくなる、船見茶屋跡に辿り着き景色が広がる、晴れていればその先には海が見えるはずだが、見えるのは雲。そこからは下り、山道の下りは得意だが、階段は別だ、なるべく階段の脇を歩く、熊野古道は世界遺産となっていて保全の観点からはよくないかもしれないが、歩いてみると階段は人間の脚には合っていない。山道から抜けると公園の大きな駐車場に出る、ほとんど人はいない、そこでやっと昼にすることにした。

食事して、公園を少し行くとまた森に入るがすぐに那智に出る。那智と寺のマークを見るとついドクターストレインジラブのピーターセラーズが思い浮かんで一人でこっそり笑ってしまう。象徴的な朱色の三重塔と那智の滝が目の前に現れる。雲は山上を速く流れている、丁度自分が歩いていた辺りだろうか、もし道を間違ってあの滝上に出なくてよかったななど考えてしまう。

熊野那智大社で巫女が雅楽で踊るのを観る、毎日決まった時間に行っていることなのだろうが、そう普段見る事がないのでどこかに座りたかったがそのまま見ていた。リズムといのとは違い不思議なテンポだ。鈴の音が神と彼方の世界に向かっているようだ。

それから少しの間ベンチに座り考えた、勝浦から電車で新宮に行く事もできなくもない、海に入る事も可能かもしれないが、電車の時間に間に合わないかもしれない、またバスの時間を調べて待つのもなんとなく面倒に感じ、勝浦まで歩いて一泊することにした。

Wednesday, the 6th of October 2021

Breakfast was rice porridge and pickles. As soon as I left the hostel and stepped onto the street, I was greeted by a mystical sight. The steam rising from the hot spring river merged with the morning mist from the mountains, creating an enchanting atmosphere.

Opting for a shortcut from Yunomine Onsen to Kokumotorigoe Pass via Kawayu Onsen, instead of going back to Hongu area via Dainichigoe. I found the Kawayu area to be even more mystical. Hot spring water gushed from the white gravel in the river. The clear, blue-green water looked rather cold but it is warm ish.

I reached a larger road, which was part of the Kumanokodo Kokumotorigoe. Shortly after, there should be an entrance to the old mountain pass. I was on the lookout for a shop to purchase lunch before getting into the forest. Unfortunately, there weren’t many stores around. There was a convenience store, but it had closed down. I thought I might have to go back towards to Hongu area to find food. Fortunately, there was a very small grocery store just across the street, and they also sold Bento. Fully prepared to enter the mountains, or so I thought, I missed the entrance to the pass. It turned out to be a narrow stairs in between houses. Instead, I followed the road along the river, which eventually ended in a residential area. Spotting a lady, I had asked if I was on the right path. She told me I had taken a wrong turn, and while there was a pass to Kogumotorigoe from there, it was seldom used and overgrown with grass, making it less than ideal for walking. She kindly offered me some steamed sweet potatoes.

pon returning to the correct pass entrance, I walked to the summit in one go without break. The weather was pleasant, with clear skies and dry conditions. As I neared the peak of Toge, I looked for a spot to have my lunch, even though the map indicated no designated seating areas. Just after the peak of Toge, I discovered a spot with a breathtaking vista, with a kind of place I can sit on. About halfway through my Bento, I suddenly heard a loud, deep buzzing sound and saw a giant hornet right in front of me. It was my first encounter with one of these creatures. I remained still until it flew a short distance away, then quickly packed up my meal and vacated the area. Some 20 minutes or so later, I came across a table and benches and decided to stop and finish my Bento. Another person was also taking a break there, he had a traditional umbrella hat. When I walked 88, I had worn a similar hat, but it was very cheap one. These old school hats are not only tradition for the pilgrimage but in general. They provide excellent protection from both the sun and rain, as they do not directly touch the head, allowing for better ventilation. Their only drawback is their vulnerability to strong winds. Apparently, his hat was made in Kiso, and there are only a few artisans producing them. I would like to get one if I ever go on another trail walk. He asked me if I had completed the 88 pilgrimage, noticing my walking stick. He turned out to be an occasional professional guide for Kumanokodo.

After the break, the trail descended rather steeply, which I quite enjoyed as I can go down faster almost like skiing as long as there are no stairs. By 3 o’clock, I arrived at Koguchi, where I would spend the night. The accommodation was rather unique, the building was a school before. The room I stayed was quite spacious as it was a class room, but due to its large windows facing west, the afternoon sun hit directly. For some reason, I can’t recall if the air conditioning was unavailable or not free of charge, so I had to leave the windows and door open for a considerable time. Dinner turned out to be quite an interesting experience as well. There were several guests, all of whom seemed to be pilgrims. We all sat in rows, much like in a classroom. Perhaps it was due to the ongoing pandemic, but no one engaged in conversation. Instead, we all faced one side of the room and silently enjoyed our meals.

Kumanokodo Kogumotorigoe.  20.27km Koguchi

朝食は粥と漬物。ホステルを出て道に出ると幻想的な光景を見た。温泉の川からの湯気と山からの霧が朝日の中で混ざり合っていた。大日越えで本宮に戻らず川湯温泉経由で小雲取越に向かうことにした。川湯温泉も非常に幻想的な景色だった、青い川沿いの白い砂利から温泉が湧き出ているようで、湯気が朝日に照らされていた。

国道に出る、本宮からの小雲取越の一部、すぐその先で山道に入るはずで、その前にどこかで昼を買える所はないかと探す。閉鎖されていたコンビニが一軒、もしかしたら本宮まで戻らなければないかと思ったら斜向かいに商店が一軒営業中、なかなか品揃え良く弁当も売っていた。これで峠越えの準備ができたと思っていたら地図を読みちがい、その先の家の間にある細い階段、登り口を見過ごして川沿いの道を進んで行ってしまいどん詰まりの住宅地、見かけた女性に尋ねたら通じている道があるみたいだが誰も使わないから草が生い茂っておそらく通れないとの事、蒸したサツマ芋をもらう。

引き返して、峠の頂上まで一気に登る。天気は湿度も少なく気持ちのいい晴れ、頂上付近で何処が昼にできる様なところはないかと探す、地図で見ると椅子がある様なところは見当たらない。少し行ったところで素晴らしい眺望に出てくる、ちょうど山側に腰掛けられるので弁当を食べることにした。突然大きな低音がすると目の前に大スズメバチ、初めて見た。静かにしていて少し離れたところを飛び始めたところで弁当をゆっくり片付けて待つ、隙をみて撤収、そこら20分ぐらい先だっただろうか、休憩所を見つけた残りの弁当を食べることとした。一人先に休んでいる人がいた、彼はとても良さそうな傘を持っていた。自身も88ヶ所では安いのを被っていたが、日差しでも雨でも素晴らしく、頭に密着していないから通気性がいい。問題は風の時だけだ。彼は木曽で手に入れたらしい、今は作れる人はあまりいないとのこと。もしまたこの様な歩き旅をする事があれば手に入れたいと思う。彼は私が四国88に行ったかと尋ねてきた、杖からわかったらしい。ただの棒で収納に困るが、よくある伸縮する山歩き用の杖とは比べ物にならないくらい頼れる。彼は熊野古道のガイドをしているらしい。

休憩の後は下り。階段が無ければ速度が乗ってスキーの様に降りていけるので非常に好きだ。3時ぐらいに小口に到着。宿は昔学校だった建物、部屋は元教室なだけあって広い、窓から西日が入って暑かった、エアコンが壊れていたか、有料だったか今となっては覚えていないが、入り口のドアと窓をしばらく全開。夕食もまた面白い経験、客は何人かいた、全て熊野古道を歩いている者達だと思うが、教室の様に一方向を向いて座り誰一人として話をしない。疫病ということでの措置かもしれないが。

On Tuesday, the 5th of October 2021, I found myself struggling to get a good night’s sleep, perhaps due to either too much food or simply the fatigue accumulated from the previous days. My hand still throbbed and swollen from that horsefly bite.

Just before sunrise, I opened a window, and I saw an astonishing sight, I thought it is quite artificial. It resembled the vibrant images in some Asian restaurant’s walls, or the overly saturated photo prints on the staircase of Yodobashi Camera. Nevertheless, the tranquillity and the cool moisture in the air gave a sense of depth upon this landscape which I felt that almost falling into. I have enjoyed the view for while but when the sun light hit the magic dissolved. There were some time till breakfast so I had tried to sleep little bit more. 

My departure was later than my usual schedule, I walked out of this quiet village, and crossed the red bridge which I saw from the window, and returning to the trail, then I began climbing towards Hatenashi Toge. It was sunny and steamy when I walked through the tiny village, which has an iconic view of Kohechi. I wasn’t particularly intrigued by the view, I just wanted to enter the forest pass to escape from the heat.

For the past two days, I didn’t encounter many people on the trail. However, as I got closer to Kumano shrine, I saw more people. I reached the peak in about two hours from the starting point, a bit too early for lunch, so I pressed on. After coming down from the Toge, I arrived at the river that I had seen from the summit. I walked along its banks, looking at the murky yet vivid blue water, wondering why it is so vivid, water should not be so deep, almost as if someone had spilled paint.

I reached a parking area “Michinoeki”, offering not only a “park view” with cars and motorcycles but also a river view. There were seating areas, toilets, and many vending machines, as is often the case. It was the perfect time for a bento lunch. After lunch, I walked on the tarmac for a while, only to realise that I had missed the right turn to rejoin the trail. Backtracking was always painful, especially on foot. It was merge point with the “Nakahechi,” the most common route. From there, the trail changed, looks like more “Kumanokodo,” a gentle downhill path through cedars and ferns leading to Kumano Shrine.

The old shrine, once stood on an island in the river, had been washed away in a flood long time ago. Now, only the gate remained, it is new, and metal. It was still quite impressive, especially after several days of walking to reach this point. I couldn’t spend too much time at the shrine, also I didn’t want to walk around too much, as I had to walk the “Dainichigoe” Pass which is not long, and the shortest route to reach Yunomineonsen, where I had booked a hostel. Glancing at the sun, and I was thinking how much time I have, once the sun goes down, it will be difficult to see the ground in the forest so I was rushing. When I got to the peak which is not high but I was greeted by the sunlight filtering through the trees. I guesstimated that I had about 15 minutes left, and when I got out from the trail in to someone’s back of hose, dusk was settling in.

The hostel featured an outdoor onsen bath, no view but really nice. Yunomineonsen area lacked nearby restaurants, so I bought small curry from the reception. It was a lighter dinner compared to the  previous two nights. It was just 3 days, but I felt that I had walked for a week or so.

Kumanokodo Kohechi Section 4 & Dainichigoe.  Approx 20km Yunomine Onsen

日の出前に目が覚める、疲労か過食かよく眠れなかった。アブに刺された手は腫れていて痛む。

窓を開けるとまるで絵の様な景色だ、アジアンレストランにかかっている様な、その彩度はヨドバシカメラの階段に掛けてあるプリントみたいに鮮やかだ。静寂と冷えた朝の湿度が妙に深い落ちていきそうな奥行きを与え、しばし眺めていた。朝日が直接当たると魔法は溶けていく。朝食まで時間があるのでもう少し寝る事にした。

出発はいつもよりも遅め。静かな村を出て窓から見た赤い橋を渡り古道に入り果無峠を登る。天気も良く湿度も上がる、写真で見る小辺路の石碑のところに来た、時間帯のせいだろうかそれ程印象的では無かった、それよりも早く涼しい森の中へと先へ進む。

二日間歩いている時はほとんど人を見かけなかったが熊野本宮に近づくにつれ人を見かける様になった。宿を出てから2時間ほどで峠を越える、昼にはまだ早いので下り川に出る、頂上付近から見えたところだろうか。川沿いを歩きながらあまり深そうでもない川なのにどうしてこんなにも青いのだろうかと思い進む。

道の駅に着く駐車場だけでなく川も眺められトイレもありテーブルもあり当然の用にいくつもの自販機。昼にする。そこから先も舗装の道を行くのだが途中曲がり角をすっかり見過ごし引き返すのは歩きでは一番きつい事である。ちょうど中辺路と合流する地点でそこからは熊野古道らしくなる、シダと杉の間を心地よく熊野本宮に向かって緩やかに降りていく。

中洲に元々あった神社は大水で昔になくなったらしい、今は金属の新しい鳥居が立っているだけ。ただやはり見応えある、特に歩いてここに到着すると。色々見歩くと時間も体力も使ってしまう、宿は湯ノ峰温泉のホステルに取ったので大日越、本宮から湯ノ峰への最短で丘を越えていく道だ、太陽を見てあとどれぐらい時間があるのか考える、上りから下りに差し掛かるあたりで木々の間から夕日が差し込む。あと15分くらいだろうか、丁度森から民家の裏に出る頃には夜の帳が下りてきた。

ホステルは小さいながらも温泉露天風呂があり休まる。湯ノ峰温泉付近は旅館のみなのだろう食事ができる所は無いので受付でカレーを買って食べる、今までの二晩とは違い軽い夕食。三日目だがすでに一週間くらい旅をしている様な気がする。