5th of October to 10th of October 2024.
Distance: 84.4km. 6 days.
I then moved from a route that has passed into history to a route that still lives in it, Kohechi. One of the reasons for this is quite clear. Since the majority of the route is going up into the forested mountains in the middle of the Kii Peninsula, it has continued to exist, unlike Kiiji. For this very same reason, Kohechi is named the mountain route.
Map of the Kumano Kodo routes with Kohechi outlined.
This route originated from the purpose of connecting Koyasan to Kumano Sanzan. Koyasan is considered to be the sacred center of the Shingon school of Buddhism in Japan, where Kobo Daishi (the founder of the school) is said to be meditating in eternal sleep. Koyasan is for that reason also connected to the Shikoku 88 temples pilgrimage. It is normal to start from Koyasan and going south to Kumano Hongu Taisha, but I was going to walk it in the opposite direction.
The huge Otorii gate outside Ōyunohara was illuminated in the evening before I started on the Kohechi.
Kohechi is relatively short at 60 kilometers, but is still usually considered to be the hardest of the routes, if you exclude the Omine Okugakemichi. Each day on the route is characterized by a rather steep climb up to and over a pass followed by an equally steep descent. Which makes the stages more or less self-explanatory, it is normal to spend four days to walk it.
Kumano Hongu Taisha in Hongu.
View of the Otorii and surrounding mountains from a viewpoint found on a short detour from the trail.
The popularity of this route, as well as the fact that there is a somewhat limited amount of places to stay available, means that you have to book accommodation a good time in advance. Kohechi is also well waymarked in both Japanese and English, which also makes it more accessible to hikers from abroad. Make sure to have a plan for your lunch, as there are limited services available along the route.
A view through the woods from Kohechi.
A path in the mist, on the way towards the Hatenashi-toge pass.
When I start out from Hongu, it is under a grey sky bearing indications of imminent rain. Clouds besieges the mountains surrounding the old sacred site of Ōyunohara and its huge Otorii, which is looking even more impressive from a great viewpoint one can reach by walking a short detour from the official path. The two most popular Kumano Kodo routes are sharing the same path on the last steps to or first steps from Kumano Hongu Taisha, depending on the perspective.
Above Hatenashi, the village in the sky.
As the route is for the most part going up into the forested hills and mountains between Hongu and Koyasan, I mostly find myself walking on natural paths underneath the cover of the trees. The paths ranges from going on good tracks to uneven surfaces over gnarled roots or natural looking stairs of stones covered in moss, which can be slippery when wet. Down in the valleys between the mountain passes, however, walking on a hard surface cannot be escaped. The longest stretch of road walk is the about 8 kilometres between the Miura-toge and Hatenashi-toge trailheads.
Private onsen at the Gyoja Minshuku Taiyo-no-Yu in Totsukawa Onsen.
The Tanise valley between the Miura-toge and Hatenashi-toge trailheads.
The passes were often thick with fog when I hiked the Kohechi. As was the first one, the Hatenashi-toge pass, with a stupa and other ornaments enclosed in mist creating a mysterious aura. However, when I arrive at the quaint Hatenashi settlement, known as ‘village in the sky’, views opened up to a mountain scenery beneath dramatic clouds, shortly followed by heavy rain. Hiking in Japan can be a wet experience, but after the hike, it is a pleasure to be able to immerse oneself in a hot bath. The best wet experience is what you get if you stay at a place with an onsen (hot spring, bathhouse).
A Jizo statue covered in moss.
View from the Miura-toge pass.
Then to a little piece of Camino or Kumano magic, maybe just pilgrimage magic. In the small hamlet of Miura-guchi, I stay at a small accommodation that is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Minshuku Mandokoro. Pay heed to the wooden wall between the two guest rooms, it is over 300 years old. There were only one other guest. I walk north in the direction of Koyasan, the other one south in the direction of Hongu. At dinner we sit and look at each other, there is something familiar. Finally he ask me: ‘Have we met before?’, and then ‘Are you a Norwegian who walks with a camera?’. It definitely sounds like me.
The wind breaking cedar trees near the remains of Yoshimura's house.
Joe and me in Minshuku Mandokoro, we also met on the Camino Primitivo back in 2015.
Which indeed is the case, I met Joe on the Camino Primitivo when I walked it in 2015. One can only wonder what the probability is of that. Of all places, we meet again in a tiny place seemingly in the middle of nowhere in Japan walking in the opposite directions. It lead to a very pleasant evening with a lot of reminiscing. Joe lives in Japan with his wife (whom I also met in Spain) and their two children, and studies pilgrimage on a daily basis. We kept in touch afterwards.
A typical winding path of the Kumano Kodo, on the way up towards the Obako-toge pass.
At 1344 meters above sea level, Obako-dake is not only the highest point on the Kohechi, but also on the Kumano Kodo in general. In good weather it can offer a panoramic view of the Kii mountains. I was up on the summit both enshrouded by clouds and with a view of the surrounding mountains, having a lunch break in the basic hut below during a rain shower in between.
The first view of Obako-dake, covered in low clouds with no views to be had.
The second view of Obako-dake, now with views after some of the clouds has dispersed.
In terms of difficulty, the stage between Omata and Koyasan is probably the easiest one on the Kohechi. I walk most of it together with an American couple that I met at the Obako-toge pass, which I appreciate given the otherwise solitary walk so far, they are a pleasant company. On the way they show me a scenic spot with a waterfall, Koya Otaki.
Koya Otaki, a scenic spot with a waterfall on a short detour from the Kohechi.
There are around 120 temples in Koyasan, where about half of them offer accommodation. If you stay overnight at a temple, you will be served tasty vegetarian food (shojin ryori) and have the opportunity to participate in the morning prayer, as well as a meditation in the afternoon. I had booked a stay for two nights at the Koyasan Sanadabo Rengejoin temple.
Danjo Garan in Koyasan.
Old tombstones and stupas in the Okunoin at Koyasan.
In addition to the large temple complex in the center of the town, Danjo Garan, it is the ancient cemetery, Okunoin, which requires a visit. I wander among moss-covered old stupas, both large and small, on the outskirts I find graves that are slowly disappearing into nature, while in the evening lamps light up the darkness.
Niutsuhime jinja, which is normally on a detour from the original Choisimichi path.
I leave Koyasan by walking the Choisi-michi down to Kudoyama, which I had previously walked up when I did the Shikoku 88 Temples Pilgrimage, passing by the same ancient signposts of stone. A part of the trail was closed, probably due to erosion, which forced me to take a detour that took me to Niutsuhime-jinja on the way. I was not discontent about the detour at all, as I had planned to visit the famous shrine anyway. As dusk settles on the sky, I arrive at the Jison-in temple marking the finish of the Kohechi for my part.
On the Choisimich on the way down to the Jison-in temple and Kudoyama, in the eyes of the ancient stone signpost I would only be a person passing by in the blink of an eye due to its age.
Note: At this point I had in the end decided to skip doing the Omine Okugakemichi. I spent the night in Hashimoto, as planned, but there I rearranged my plan trying to make it fit with the accommodations that I had already booked for the Nakahechi route. From Hashimoto I first took a train to Wakayama and from there a train to Tanabe to start walking the Ohechi. In Tanabe, I had time to walk a short section of the Nakahechi to Inabane-ōji, but that I will cover in a later section.
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