Kumano is a sacred site for both Japanese indigenous religion Shintoism and Buddhism. Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Routes connect ancient capital Kyoto and Kumano. People make a pilgrimage to Kumano from all over Japan. In this tour, we will walk on Kumano Kodo to make a pilgrimage to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine from Hossinmon Oji.
Why is Kumano so sacred? Why Kumano is a sacred site for two different religions? How had it become so? I will answer to these interesting questions on the spot.
Check out what we are going to do.
Feel free to personalize this offer.
At your hotel or JR Tennoji Station or JR Wakayama Station
After meeting at your hotel, we will take JR train from Tennoji at 7:54 or from Wakayama at 8:50. Then, after arriving at Kii-tanabe, we will take a bus to Hongu.
Hossinmon Oji marks the entrance to the most sacred area of Kumano.
Pilgrims who walked through Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route renewed their spirit here and continued their pilgrimage to Kumano. We also walk on the pilgrimage route for 4 km from here to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine.
On the way, you will be able to have a distant view of the former site of Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine from Fushiogami Oji.
After following the same route as the ancient pilgrims, we will arrive at Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine which is one of the Three Shrines In Kumano (Kumano Sanzan). It was once simply called the Deity of Kumano. It is said that it enshrines the spirit of the sun, water, or trees. Legend has it that it was founded 2,000 years ago, and it had been strongly influenced by Buddhism after the 7th century.
Kumano Hongu Taisha was on the sandbank of a river until the shrine was washed out by a flood in 1889. After the flood, the survived four shrines buildings were relocated to the current location. Remaining here are the foundation of the shrine buildings which has a dignified atmosphere. Also, standing at the entrance to this place is the highest torii gate in Japan.
We will take a 16:40 bus from Hongu to Kii-tanabe. Then we will take JR to Wakayama or Tennoji (Osaka). We will some time to dine at Kii-tanabe and will back at Wakayama at 21:01 and Tennoji (Osaka) at 21:47.
At your hotel or JR Tennoji Station, JR Wakayama Station or other places (ask for details)
I will meet you at your hotel before taking the 7:54 train from JR Tennoji Station to Tanabe. Then we will take a bus to Kumano.
We will arrive at Fushi-ogami Oji on Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route around noon.
We will make a pilgrimage to Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine for 4km for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Then, we will have a quick lunch, we will visit and make wishes at Kumano Hongu Grand Shrine and its former site Oyunohara.
Kumano is located in Wakayama Prefecture, I used to work for Wakayama Prefectural Government as director of Cultural Heritage Management Division, and I was in charge of the Kumano World Heritage Project.
I have a lot of knowledge and information on Kumano. I know why and how Kumano had become so sacred and why Kumano and pilgrimage to Kumano have been so popular. You can learn a lot about Kumano on the spot.
guide fee,hotel pick up in Down Town Osaka
Insurance
Transportation Osaka approx JPY 14,000 Wakayama JPY11,000 per person for round trip plus the same amount for guide
Food and drinks
Kumano is located in Wakayama Prefecture, I used to work for Wakayama Prefectural Government as director of Cultural Heritage Management Division, and I was in charge of the Kumano World Heritage Project.
I have a lot of knowledge and information on Kumano. I know why and how Kumano had become so sacred and why Kumano and pilgrimage to Kumano have been so popular. You can learn a lot about Kumano on the spot.
As we will walk for about three hours, comfortable shoes are recommended.
Tours are NOT covered by insurance. Make sure to be covered by your own insurance.
Transportation fare, entrance fees and lunch are NOT included in the guide fee.
Direct payment will be occurred in CASH on the spot on the day of the tour.
Transportation fare; Osaka approx JPY14000 Wakayama JPY11000 plus same amount for guide
Our group of 3 had a fascinating day with Hiroyuki walking the shrines,temples and waterfall of Nachi. The relationship of Buddhism and Shintoism became much clearer to us. He was an expert in explaining the history and significance of the Kudo Kumano Pilgrimage. Additionally he picked a great restaurant for lunch and was very helpful in getting us settled at our hotel. I highly recommend him
First of all, thank you very much for coming to Japan in this kind of situation. I sincerely hope that you had enjoyed not only Kumano but also other places in Japan. It was my pleasure to explain about Shintoism and Buddhism Unite Theory in Kumano. Even in Japan, many of us do not know whether we are Shintoists or Buddhists. And thank you very much for writing such a kind review in the middle of your tour. I appreciate it very much. Say hello to Chris-san and Thomas-san. Looking forward to seeing you again in the future. Hiroyuki
I greatly enjoyed my trip to Koya-san with Hiroyuki-san. He is a fine and learned gentleman. He was happy to share his wisdom on esoteric Buddhism, it's concept of 'universe,' and the history of Koya-san, which added context and enhanced the experience. He was also happy to listen about the culture and practices of my country, making the experience mutually enriching. Koya-san is a mystical place. Hiroyuki-san made me appreciate its sacredness the moment we entered Daimon Gate, which is the starting point. Walking alongside Hiroyuki-san through its quiet streets, amidst light snowfall, visiting its snow-capped shrines and temples, and having warm tea and conversation with him, are memories I will treasure. As we left Koya-san and reentered the world below, I felt that I became a slightly better human being. Thank you, Hiroyuki-san, for this experience.
Daniel-san, Thank you very much for everything during the tour. I am very glad that you liked Koyasan very much. I myself enjoyed the tour and conversations with you. I learned a lot about Philippines and Philippine culture from you. As I am interested in culture and food, I googled cultural heritages and food in Philippine after going home. I found that they are very attractive. Especially, historic city of Vigan and sweets such as buko pie, ensaimada and halo halo attract me a lot. Thank you very much for such a great review. Your review encourages me a lot. Please keep in touch, I look forward to seeing you again. Arigato, Matane!
Hiroyuki was the absolute best, we are so grateful and happy that we booked him as our tour guide during our stay in Koyasan. Having just one day, we wanted to make sure that we saw the most important sites. He gave us such a thorough and full-circle tour of Koyasan. Before spending the day with Hiroyuki, I did not know much about Buddhism. And if I hadn’t had my tour with Hiroyuki, I would just be wandering around the beautiful sites that Koyasan has to offer, all without the beautiful meaning behind it all. He gave context and history to everything we were seeing.. Hiroyuki’s English is amazing, to say the least.. he is also so knowledgeable with Buddhism and the history of Koyasan, even down to the dates! He was very timely and made sure that we spent the right amount of time at all of the sites so that we could see the most, but at a relaxed pace. After the tour ended, he left us with an amazing packet of information that we have brought back to New York to remember this beautiful day in Koyasan. It was such a special experience to gain a friend in Hiroyuki, we will definitely be calling him for a tour in Koyasan or any of the areas where he has expertise. He was even so kind to send us amazing photos of us exploring. We absolutely cannot thank him enough...
Taylor san, How are you two doing? Thank you very much for posting such a great review and everything during the tour. I also enjoyed a lot in Koyasan. Arigatou gozaimashita. By the way, I have a friend who works at Kumamoto government. If you are interested in finding your relatives in Kumamoto,let me know. There might be something I can do for you for free. Thank you very much once again, I look forward to seeing you again. Matane! Hiroyuki
He crafted an itinerary specific to our desires, kept us on time, was very knowledgeable due to his foreign relations background, simply an elegant, educated, and kind man. I would very highly recommend him, and I’m planning on engaging his services again when we go on a longer trip to Osaka and Kyoto.
Claudio san, I was very lucky to have met such a nice couple like you as the first customer on TripleLights. And thank you very much for posting the great review and for everything during the tour. I showed you just a very small part of Osaka. There are a lot more to see in Osaka, Kyoto, Koyasan and Kumano. How about macha parfait in Kyoto next time? Please say hello to your family for me. Thank you very much once again. Looking forward to seeing you two again.