Kumano Kodo with limited mobility

Can you enjoy the Kumano Kodo with limited mobility? This is for those with limited mobility who can walk but not perfectly, and not very far. Myself included.

I have had a fairly healthy obsession with Japan for many years. TV programm about Japan? I watch it. Travel to Japan? I scrape together the Euros and visit. I even started learning Japanese, and when the time came to do a professional university course, I figured I can do it in Nagasaki, and off to Nagasaki I went.

So it was in Nagasaki that one of my mates told me one lunchtime that his partner had gone to walk the Kumano Kodo. I thought what a dream! She returned, full of praise and great memories. She did a multi-day walk. And that is something I am not able to do at present and I don’t know whether I ever will be. So, I started looking into ways to visit the Kumano Kodo with limited mobility, maybe and do a shorter walk that would give me a representative Kumano Kodo experience.

My upcoming trip would be summer, and I was doubtful whether with the high temperatures, walking would be such a great activity, but I also thought, now might the best time to go before things may get worse.

What is the Kumano Kodo, and how do you get there?

The Kumano Kodo is a series of ancient pilgrimage paths on the Kii peninsula in Kansai. It links three major Shinto shrines, the Kumano Sanzan, in the Kii mountains and has been in existence for over a millennium, but was all but forgotten after the Second World War.

The centre of the Kumano Kodo is the Kumano Hongu Taisha, with its oversized torii (one of the tallest in Japan).

Further southeast, the Kumano Nachi Taisha probably is the most impressive visually, with a tall red pagoda in front of a very tall waterfall.

Kumano Hayatama Taisha is perhaps the most easily accessible, just a stroll from Shingu JR Station.

There are various routes, of which the Nakahechi Route or “Imperial Route” from Tanabe or Shingu across the peninsula to Kumano Hongu Taisha, is the most popular.

The Kumano Kodo Sanzan shrines have been in existence since the Asuka period, from around 6th Century CE, although they were rebuilt so frequently that the structures you see today are considered modern. As Shinto Shrines, they gained more popularity when members of the Imperial Family started visiting in the late Heian period, although they have always been open to everyone. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes became established in the Heian period, and there are now four major routes: The Nakahechi, the Kohechi arduous mountain route from Koyasan, the Ohechi coastal route( mostly on tarmac roads now) and the pretty underrated Iseji from Ise.

Until the 19th Century Meiji restoration of Imperial rule, Buddhist and Shinto religion always have been intermingled, so it comes as no surprise that the Kumano Kodo is seen as a pilgrimage route for both religions. Interestingly, it was a Canadian teacher who popularised the Kumano Kodo as a walking route, and thanks to his work and Wakayama prefectures tourism authority’s efforts it became UNESCO World Heritage in the 1990s.

Find a more detailed article on Kumano Kodo history here.

How to get to the Kumano Kodo region

The most popular route for those walking is Kii-Tanabe, and it is accordingly busy. If you are not doing the popular Nakahechi Route walk, and if you intend to visit Kumano Kodo with limited mobility, my suggestion is to go to Shingu and base yourself there. Shingu is served by two limited Express Trains, the Kuroshio Express from Shin-Osaka, and the Nanki Express from Nagoya to Kii-Katsura. Since these trains don’t run very frequently, with some being reservation-only, I highly recommend reserving seats in advance – I did same day reservations on the ticket vending machines, and even on the holiday weekend of Umi no Hi, the trains were not full.

I highly recommend buying the Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Wakayama Area Tourist Pass, a five-day pass issued by Japan Railways West which also includes some key bus routes and bicycle rental. I bought mine for 16.500 JPY at Kansai Airport Station and used it right away. This means you can get to Shingu from KIX with one change (at Tennoji) and you can transfer to the Shinkansen in Shin-Osaka or Kyoto, or in Nagoya if you are heading towards Tokyo. This will be helpful when travelling to Kumano Kodo with limited mobility as it reduces the number of transfers.

There are also buses from Kii-Tanabe running along the Nakahechi Route, but they are not included in the pas, while the Nakai-Gobo buses between Shingu and the major shrines are included in the pass.

Kumano Kodo with limited mobility: suitable sites

First of all, don’t let your limited mobility put you off from visiting Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Routes. Kumano Kodo with limited mobility can be done! They are a UNESCO World Heritage, and while they may not be as straightforward as some city destinations, you can visit.

First of all, consider the three main Kumano sacred sites, the Kumano Sanzen. These are three major Shinto Shrines with good accessibility. Let’s start with the easiest.

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

This lovely shrine on a compact plot is in Shingu, a small seaside town on the Kii Peninsula.

Shingu has some nice hotels and easy access by several train lines, including the JR Kuroshio Limited Express if coming from Kansai Airport or Osaka, or the JR and Ise Railways Nanki Limited Express when coming from Tokyo via Nagoya and Ise. It’s then a 5-minute bus ride to the Shrine entrance.

Of the Kumano Sanzan, this is by far the easiest to visit. It’s very compact, with paving most of the way and one single step at the gate which can be bypassed by ramps. It’s never really very busy.

According to folklore, the shrine was founded by Keiko-Tenno, who may or may not have existed in real life, and was regularly rebuilt until the Kamakura period, but that was stopped due to lack of funds until the Shogunate era. The current buildings are from the Showa period (1950s).

A number of kami (Shinto deity) are worshipped here, maybe about five. Also, the spectacular Kamikura Shrine (high up above town, very inaccessible unless you can walk well) is a sub shrine of this one.

The Shrine sits very peacefully in a park, and is very green, which makes a lovely contrast to the bright red shrine buildings. It looks like it’s been recently renovated. The goshuin office and shop have some lovely things for sale, the usual ema – this one has the Kumano Kodo animal, the three-legged crow (yataragasu), on it. There are very nice looking omamori, tenugui and very pretty ofuda (paper amulets) which are a work of art.

Kumano Nachi Taisha and Seiganto-ji

This is the one you see on many photos, a tall red pagoda in front of a very tall waterfall in the hills – that’s the Five-storied pagoda of Seiganto-ji, a Buddhist temple right next to the major shrine of Kumano Nachi Taisha.

It takes a bus (from Kii-Katsura via Nachi) or car ride to get there. While the bus drops you off on the road, leaving you to tackle a pretty steep staircase to the main shrine, there is actually a tarmac back road that cars can use with permission, dropping you off at Seiganto-ji, from where it is less than 100 metres to Kumano Nachi Taisha, which is a gravel plot. There is an accessible toilet as well.

At Kumano Nachi Taisha, the symbiotic relationship between Shinto and Buddhism is most obvious, with Seiganto-ji right next to the main shrine buildings and people praying at both.

There is another smaller shrine right by the waterfall, which is only accessible on some very steep uneven stairs, which can be challenging. I met many older people struggling with them, and I admit I struggled a bit, too. There were lots of recycled wood and bamboo walking sticks free to use, which saved my legs.

You can get a lovely view from a spot just behind Seiganto-ji, which is wheelchair-accessible and if you can walk a short distance, walk towards the Five-Storied Pagoda a bit for some lovely views.

Now the time of my visited coincided with the Nachi no Ogi Matsuri, one of Japan’s many summer festivals. At this festival, some oversized stick-like Mikoshi are taken from Nachi Taisha to Hiro Shrine next to NAchi Waterfall, accompanied by giant flaming torches. It’s quite a spectacle, although a very short one – the festivities last all day, the actual torches burn for maybe five to ten minutes.

What’s more, it gets super busy, this being one of Japan’s most famous festivals. I am glad I experienced it, but it took a lot of planning – arriving very early on the bus, arriving early near Hiro Shrine where space is limited, a lot of walking and then queing for the bus back. It probably warrants an extra post, or feel free to ask me about it.

As I said, the actual torches burn for 5-10 minutes, understandable, as they are really heavy and super hot to carry. I am glad I went, but it may not be a great event if your mobility is limited. There was a lot of walking for me on that day, and I am glad I found the Nachi Onsen afterwards. The Gion Matsuri, although busy, would be a much nicer festival to see, as its sites are spread out and you have much more of a chance to speak to locals, and you are never far away from a cafe and bathroom

Kumano Hongu Taisha

Kumano Hongu Taisha sits at the centre of the pilgrimage routes – this is where they all come together, and being deep in the countryside, you pass some lovely scenery on your way there.

While its easy to get to Hongu on the bus from Shingu, access to the shrine is not as straightforward because it is a rather long staircase from where the bus drops off, and the plot is large and covered in gravel.

So, you need to head to the car park near Haraido-Oji, where there is a back entrance with a compacted gravel path leading to the shrine.

Kumano Hongu Taisha sits on a large park-like plot and is perhaps the most pared down in style – no flamboyant red like for the other shrines, but a discreet natural wood with gold accents. It’s the least visually stunning, but it is buzzing, and at the same time very peaceful. The main Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Office is also located here, so if you have any pilgrimage queries, it is the best place to ask.

It is also the “youngest” of the Kumano Sanzan, probably dating back to the Heian period. Again a lot of Kami have taken residence here, among them Kuni-no-Tokotachi and a variety of water, fire and soil kami.

Some resources

Good site for general Kumano Kodo information, including bus schedules and accommodation options, is https://www.tb-kumano.jp/en.

The web site for the river pilgrimage (no walking) is https://www.shinguu.jp/en/spots/detail/A0008.

Kumano Kodo routes with some mobility

As someone who struggles to walk far but wanted to get a taste of the Kumano Kodo, I chose to walk the short “princess route” to Kumano Hongo Taisha. This is the shortest route you can do to qualify for the Dual Pilgrim Certificate.

Hosshinmon-oji to Kumano Hongu Taisha

The Dual Pilgrim is a Pilgrim who has walked both the Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago. The Camino de Santiago actually allows you to cycle or travel on horseback, so there is hope for me, and I wanted to be able to complete the dual pilgrimage at some point, Other than that, there is no certificate to complete portions of the Kumano Kodo, but you can get several stamp booklets at the Kumano Kodo Information Center in Kii-Tanabe and try to fill them. So I hopped off the train in Kii-Tanabe to get some material and the pilgrim passport, only to find them later in a rack on one of the buses.

The Princess Route is a good route for the mobility-challenged and (about 8km) without too many climbs and the prerequisite for the pilgrim stamp – it’s a bit the easy way out, but with difficult mobility, 7,5km is a lot for some people!

There are also several points where you can bail out, walk to the road and take the bus back to Hongu.

You can see some more information on this route here.

So, being a bit mobility-challenged, I did this walk and this is my experience… let me tell you, it took me way over two hours to complete the walk!

I set off nice and early from Shingu, on the first bus, to have some leeway for breaks and also enough time for the onsen afterwards, and arrived Hongu after a very scenic one-hour and a bit bus ride. Soon, the bus to Hosshinmon-oji pulled up and despite being a national holiday, just a handful of people got on. Hosshinmon-oji is the only larger shrine of note on this route, and quite picturesque, also has an ice cream and a drinks vending machine, and toilets.

After some photos and the first stamp, I marched on, very easy, on little tarmac countryside road with little to no traffic. Only the rain was a bit bothersome, but this being summer, I welcomed the slight cooling effect of the rain.

After the next stamp station at Mizunomi-oji, the trail became very nice, bouncy forest trail very gentle inclines. This I could have done for ages, it was so lovely.

Then it was tarmac again, and a lovely wayside cafe at Fushiogami-oji. Definitely stop there at the lovely ladies cafe, a nice rest stop with coffee and cold drinks and toilets.

I was showing first signs of leg fatigue so I saved my strength and did not go the detour, only to be back in the first on a trail that became increasingly steep – sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill, with lots of uneven stone steps or roots.

I really wanted the view of Hongu so I walked the second little detour, when it started raining quite heavily again. Cue some more sliding, mostly downhill from here. Also, did thes e stone steps get higher and wonkier? Some if them were up to 40cm, leaving me a bit to struggle. I really recommend walking sticks here, unless you have superbly steady legs.

After another half hour, finally, the nack gate of Kumano Hongu Taisha. The sign said “you must be tired”. And although I had just walked 8km, I certainly was.

So I visited the shrine, which can take half an hour or less, and bought the usual tchoktches and good luck charms, then crawled down the long staircase to the bus stop. I was in so much pain by now. It had taken me over four hours to complete the walk, but I was so happy to have seen the Kumano Kodo.

Side Trip to Yunomine Onsen

From Hongu, I got on a bus to Yunomine Onsen, which tales 20-30 minutes, Some buses go via Kawayu ONsen, where the hot springs emerge from the river bed and you can dig up your own bathing spot, and Watarase Onsen, which has one of the largest public rotenburo (open air baths).

In Yunomine, I headed straight for the public bath, less than 50 metres from the bus stop. The onsen is one of the smallest and very cheap – I paid 400 JPY for the public bath. You need to bring your own towel but shampoo is provided. The spring is a mildly sulphuric sodium bicarbonate water at 92 Celsius and considered good for a lot. I might have felt a bit faint after trying the hotter bath, but my pain – all gone after my soak, no sore muscles or joints the next day. I just happily fell asleep on the bus back to Shingu.

From what I read on the price list, you have the option to take a private bath as well, which might be an option for guests with tattoos.

More Onsen

There are quite some onsen in the area, but some are not promoted by the tourist office.

The first one I visited on my return trip from the Nachi no Ogi Matsuri at Kumano Nachi Taisha. I had to change buses in Nachi, and the JR station actually has a great onsen on its second floor. Put ２階 丹敷の湯 into a map to find it, or walk into the small shop/tourist information in the station and ask for an onsen ticket.

It has an alkaline spring and some nice sea views, and makes for a lovely break if you are changing buses or trains.

The second onsen not promoted much is close to Kumano Hongu Taisha and  about 200m from the Hongu bus stop – put 蘇生の湯 into a map to find its location. Its very local, with a Japanese website only, not really set up for tourists. Know the onsen etiquette well and bring your own shampoo and towel.

A sample three-day itinerary

This is a sample itinerary, adding a half day on each side for getting to and from Shingu. It gives you a little bit of a buffer to get the best weather condition for your walk, and as always, my itineraries are rather leisurely, so you could do this in two days at a push.

Arrival Day

Arrive in Shingu by bus or train. Take a small stop – I stopped in Wakayama and Yuasa, and both towns aren’t really touristy but are well off the beaten (tourist) track. There are some great restaurants very close to the station, so why not stop for some food? I really liked Yofuku Sushi – it’s right next to the very good Tourist Information Centre. Check into the hotel and if you feel energetic, pay a visit to Kumano Hayatama Taisha, on the edge of town.

The area south of the shrine is a lovely older residential area, perfect for a leisurely walk on small smooth roads. Walk as far as Nakahori Shaved Ice and enjoy one of their wonderful concoctions, and drop by a temple or two. And have an early night

Day 1: Walk part of Nakahechi Route

Take the earliest possible bus to Kumano Hongu Taisha and from there to Hosshinmon-oji. Walk what you can ( see details above), visit Kumano Hongu Taisha and the giant torii. Then take a bus to Yunomine Onsen and soak the tired muscles in its small public baths.

Day 2

Take a bus to Nachi and transfer to the bus to Kumano Nachi Taisha. For the shrine, just get off at the final stop. This is the most touristy of all shrines, and perhaps in the most scenic locations, deep in the hills. Take your time visiting. If you use a wheelchair, it is adviseable to take a taxi from Nachi and ask to be dropped off at Seiganto-ji.

If you wish to get closer to the waterfall and Hiro Shrine, take plenty of time, as the stairs are pretty steep and uneven and only a tiny portion has railings. It’s only 50mm or so, but almost the entire walk is stairs.

You can fund similar stairs that you see in many social media videos and hire some Heian-era garb at Daimonzaka – for this, just get off at Daimonzaka.

Allow yourself plenty of time, as it’s a fair walk from bus stop to the shrines, and Daimonzaka is a bit of a hike. There are plenty of cafes in the area, and loads of drink vending machines.

Once you are done, take the bus back to either Kii-Katsura or Nachi. Nachi Station has a very cool small onsen. On some days, there is a tuna market in the harbour of Kii-Katsura (open until 16.00). Buses and local trains to Shingu are frequent, so you can look around Kii-Katsura and visit an onsen on the peninsula if you only spent half a day at Kumano Nachi Taisha.

Day 3

If you haven’t visited Kumano Hayatama Taisha yet, now is the time. Even better, you can take the historic pilgrimage route by traditional boat. For this, you need to take the bus to Hongu and get off at Dorokyokaido Kumano-gawa River roadside station, then ride a traditional wooden boat to the banks of Kumano Hayatama Taisha. PLease note that you should book this ten days in advance.

Alternatively, take a trip to Ise and visit the stunning Ise-jingu. It’s a three hour trip, and it’s best to take a taxi from Ise-Shi-Station, otherwise it’s an 850m walk from the bus stop. Toba (where the first pearls were cultured) and where the ama freediving ladies still dive for pearls and seafood, are on the nearby coast, too too.

Travel onwards to Osaka, Ise or Nagoya

The fastest train leaving from the Kii Hanto is the Kuroshio Limited Express. There are about five a day. With some being reservation-only, I highly recommend making a reservation.

Finding suitable accommodation on Kumano Kodo

The following are recommendations that I stayed in myself, with a few alternative options that I have at least visited. The best base is the small town of Shingu, which has good rail and bus connections to all three major Kumano Kodo sites and to Tanabe where most hikers start their walks.

I also understand that accommodation can be a bit scarce on these routes, so with the exception of some fine onsen near Hongu, I recommend staying on the coastal side. There are some very large onsen resorts on a peninsula off the coast of Kii-Katsura popular with Japanese visitors.So I stayed in Shingu. It has the major train stations, restaurants, some shops.. and some very lovely accommodation.

My first accommodation was the Temple Hotel, which is perhaps a bit of a misnomer. The guest accommodation is just two rooms in a rather drab looking road-facing building with a bit of a bachelor pad vibe. However, my room was huge, had a kitchenette and huge amounts of free alcohol included. The room can accommodate up to four people. There are lots of temples in the area, which is a lovely traditional residential area, plenty small restaurants, and it’s a short pleasant walk to Kumano Hayatama Taisha, one of the grand Kumano shrines. The hotel is, in fact, run by the monks of the temple on the same compound, and the temple is lovely and free to visit, but the accommodation is modern. What’s also good is that the bus stop for the Kumano Kodo sites is less than 100m from the hotel. I paid 51 Euro for one night, pretty okay given my relatively late booking, the size of the room and the amenities and tourist-friendly location.

Then I spent two nights in the low key but superb Shingu Guest House Sou, a traditional Japanese House with just three rooms. I would say that proved the best value for money on the entire trip. I paid 62 Euro for two nights for a huge private room with access to full size kitchen, a huge lounge, free bicycle hire and a laundry room. The room was really nice, traditional, simple small town style, but I loved it. The only drawback was climbing down the stairs and crossing the entire house every time I wanted to visit the bathroom.

Another accommodation I had actually booked but then had to cancel is J-Hoppers in Yunomine Onsen. Yunomine Onsen is the most charming of the onsen villages around Hongu, but apart from admiring the scenery and soaking in the hot springs there isn’t a lot to do, but there are regular buses to Tanabe and Shingu, so it is a good place to stay of you want to do the short Kumano Kodo Walk.

The Small Print

I visited the Kumano Kodo sites in July 2024 as part of my Kansai trip. I paid for all cost of the trip myself, no part of this is sponsored. There are some affiliate accommodation links to Booking.com in this post.

I have tried to describe access to the Kumano Kodo with limited mobility as best as I can. There is no guarantee that all sites are fully wheelchair accessible. If in doubt, it is better to ask the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau or Shingu Tourist Information on how to access the Kumano Kodo with limited mobility.

This post contains some affiliate links to Booking.com. I have stayed in two out of the three accommodations I have recommended in this post.

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