Spots in Kumano Kodo / Hongu Area

  • Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine
    rating-image
    4.5
    554 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouhongu
    This Shinto shrine is one of the Three Head Kumano Shrines which serve as the headquarters of all Kumano shrines nationwide. Known as the first stop on the penance-filled Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage, since ancient times this shrine has been visited by countless worshipers of the Kumano faith, which seeks to achieve self-enlightenment through penance. The main building was erected in the Asuka period and was relocated to its current location after being damaged in the Great Flood of 1889. After climbing 158 stone steps through a cedar forest, the shrine’s four hinoki bark-thatched buildings will appear, which enshrine Ketsumiko no okami and the shrine’s three other chief gods.

    This shrine is very nice and even 3 of 5 parts are from origin (saved by the flood) , this worth it to come. You can smell the tree odor in this shrine. Roof are amazing

  • Yunomine Onsen Tsuboyu
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouyunomine 110
    A public bathhouse located in the almost exact center of the Yunomine hot spring district through which passes the Kumano Highway. This unusual hot spring is also registered as part of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Routes World Heritage Site as it is used by pilgrims to ritually purify them. The bathhouse’ bath is quite simple in construction, consisting of a natural stone bathing tub and wood board walls. Only around two to three people can enter at a time; there is no separate men’s or women’s bath. The rules for usage of the bath are as follows: Bathers get a numbered ticket at the entrance to the hot spring district and, when their number comes up, may bathe in the tub for 30 minutes before they must leave and the next group of bathers is allowed to enter. The nice thing about this system is that during their time, a group has the bath all to themselves. As the waters of the tub naturally change color several times throughout the day, the bath is known as a “seven colored bath.” The legend of Oguri Hangan is also connected to the bath.
  • Yuzutsu
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    4.0
    12 Reviews
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Wakayama Tanabe-shi Hongucho Yunomine
    This is a hot spring that flows out of the earth at the foot of Yumoto Bridge in the town of Yunomine Onsen. Discovered in the fourth century, it is known as the oldest hot spring bathing complex in Japan, and even today, the surrounding townscape retains the look and atmosphere of former times. It is located a 60-minute drive from the Kamitonda Interchange on the Kisei Expressway via National Routes 42 and 311. It is surrounded by concrete on four sides and is used as a communal cooking spot. People enjoy boiling vegetables or eggs in the 90°C hot spring water comes bubbling out of the ground. They can even buy vegetables or eggs at nearby shops.

    秘湯とも言われる湯の峰温泉の公衆浴場です。以前つぼ湯に入った時にすごく好みの湯(含硫黄...

  • Tanabe Kawayu Campground
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    4.0
    2 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Wakayama Tanabe-shi Hongucho Kawayu 1288
    A paid campground surrounded by abundant nature located downstream from Kawayu Onsen. Customers can choose between three areas to pitch their tent: a first-come first-served campsite area that requires no reservation, an area with lots of shade and grass that is comfortable to sleep on, and a riverbed area which can even be driven to from a nearby parking lot. The grounds are replete with a shop, toilets, grills, and food preparation facilities. There's also a farmer's market selling local vegetables which many people visit to pick up food to make while camping or to buy souvenirs to bring back home. As the campground does not rent equipment, make sure you have everything you need to go camping before you come.

    熊野古道を旅した時に利用しました。 熊野の大自然を満喫できゆったりのんびり出来るキャンプ場です。 施設は綺麗な水洗トイレ、水道 駐車場があり芝生のテントサイトと車中泊サイトのエリアがあります。 目の前で川遊びができ、ペット同伴OKです。 分別ゴミステーションがあるのでゴミの持ち帰りが無いのが嬉しいです。 薪も¥600で売っていました 歩いて10分以内に公衆浴場があります 大人¥800 車¥700

  • Kawayu Hot Spring Sennin-buro River Bath
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchoukawayu
    The Oto River, where spring source of more than 70°C constantly gush out from the bottom of the river. Only during December through February of every year, a part of the river is dammed up to create a large open-air bath. On a fine day, you can bathe while gazing at the clear sky or stars, creating a great sense of openness. Note that it may not be available due to weather conditions, water volume, or water temperature. Don't forget to wear a bathing suit when bathing.
  • Watarase Onsen Dairotenburo large open-air bath
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouwataze 45-1
    The largest open-air bath in Western Japan, situated on the grounds of a large hot spring inn. Non-guests can also enjoy a day trip of bathing in the inn’s baths. This natural hot spring bath is continuously filled from a hot spring source famed for its beautifying properties. In addition to the open-air bath, the inn’s popular reservable private open-air bath for families is also usable by non-guests. In the dining hall adjoining the open-air bath, visitors can enjoy mehari-zushi, a Kumano specialty of rice balls wrapped in mustard leaves, as well as onsen rice porridge.
  • Sangenjaya-ato
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    3.5
    3 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama prefecture Tanabe-shi Imonomiya
    This historic site is located at the junction of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route's Nakahechi Trail and the Kohechi Trail (Hatenashi Trail) that connects Koyasan to Kumano. Three tea houses once stood there, and today the new building acts as a rest stop along the way. A stone signpost from the Edo period stands right nearby. It provides directions for those coming from Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, and is carved with expressions used in Japan's feudal era. There's evidence it also used to be a barrier station. It's now being restored, modeled after the gate at the Kukigakuchi Checkpoint.

    中辺路と、高野山と熊野を結ぶ熊野古道小辺路の分岐点にあり、名のとおりかつて三軒の茶屋があって賑わっていたという。 現在は休憩所が整備されていて、トイレもある。 「右かうや十九り半 左きみい寺三十一り半」と刻んだ振り分け石の道標が立っているが、写真のように、劣化していて、分かっていないと、そうは読めないです。 かつては九鬼ヶ口という関所でもあった。 そして、行き交う者は10文を払って、通行手形を受け...

  • Hosshinmon Oji
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchoumikoshi 1652-1
    Hosshinmon Oji is one of the 99 shrines on the Kumano Sanzan pilgrimage route. Of these 99 shrines, five are considered to be the most prestigious and are called the Gotai Oji, of which Hosshinmon Oji is one. The walking path from Hosshinmon Oji to the Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine is a popular route because it has many gentle downhill slopes.
  • Yunomine Onsen public bath
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouyunomine 110
    The Yunomine hot spring was discovered by the regional administrator of Kumano, Oato no Sukune, around the fourth century, and is known as Japan’s oldest onsen. The hot spring is also famous as having been used by emperors throughout history to purify themselves when they came to visit the temples of Kumano, and since ancient times the hot spring has flourished with worshipers coming to see Kumano’s temples. The public bathhouse is located in the center of the area. There is a general bath, medicinal bath, reservable private bath, and relaxation bath. The Tsuboyu, a rock bath registered as a World Heritage Site, is located nearby. This bath is a popular tourist attraction thanks to its color changing properties—depending on conditions, the bath’s waters may change colors several times in a day, leading to its nickname, the “Seven Color Bath.” Visitors can also purchase hot spring water to take home with them.
  • Fushiogami-Oji ato
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    5.0
    1 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchoufushiogami
    "This historic site is along the Nakahechi Trail, part of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. The name is said to come from pilgrims walking the trail via Hosshinmon-Oji and Mizunomi-Oji. When they arrived at Fushiogami-Oji, Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine finally came into view, and the pilgrims would fall down in reverence. Today you can see Oyunohara at the spot where Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine once stood. There is a small shrine at Fuhiogami-Oji, as well as a memorial to the Heian Period (794–1185) poet Shikibu Izumi who stopped there to pray. Another must-see is the nearby house and tea field used as a shooting location for the NHK drama ""Honmamon."" "

    山里の茶畑を見ながら進み、草原を抜けると有人の茶屋があります。 茶屋前の石段を上がると伏拝王子です。 昔はここから本宮大社が見え、巡礼者が喜んで拝んだことから名付けられたそうです。 場所が変わったので、現在、大社は見えませんが、熊野の山が連なる景色がすばらしいです。 和泉式部の供養塔?があり、言い伝えから熊野権現は身分も性別も分け隔てなく受け入れる、大らかな神様だと分かります。 お茶屋では...

  • Obaku-shu Gokokuzan Tokoji  Temple
    Travel / Tourism
    Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture hongu Yunomine 113
    A Tendai Buddhist temple located in the Yunomine Onsen area. The temple’s principle object of worship, the three-meter-tall Yunomine Healing Buddha, is said to be mineral deposits from the surrounding hot spring waters which accumulated and took the shape of a Buddha. Some 1,800 years ago, it is said that the famed priest Ragyo discovered the hot spring waters welling forth from a hole in the chest of Bhaisajyaguru, the Healing Buddha. Each year, the Eight Day Festival of Bhaisajyaguru is held on January 8. During the festival, hot spring water is offered in prayer for the prosperity of Yunomine Onsen and the fulfillment of the wishes of worshipers.
  • Oyunohara
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouhongu
    "Oyunohara is a historic location that was the original site of the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine in Hongu Town, Wakayama Prefecture. The shrine was situated on a sandbank at the confluence of the Kumano River, the Otonashi River and the Iwada River. In Japan, Torii gateways are used to mark the boundary between sacred areas and the mundane world; Oyunohara is notable for its huge Torii gate, which is 34m high (roughly the height of an 11-story building). This area is linked to the story of the Yatagarasu, a raven that guided Emperor Jimmu when he was lost in the mountains of Kumano, and Yata Fire Festival is held here every year in August. Oyunohara's connection with a mystical event in which humans were guided towards happiness attracts many visitors to this ""power spot"" (a place that is believed to bestow power on the visitor)."
  • Sabo Chincho-an (Hongu Branch)
    Gourmet / Alcohol
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouhongu 1110
    A Japanese confectionary shop established in 1951 located in front of the torii gate of the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine in Hongu Town, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. The shop’s Kumano-mode-mochi rice cakes are often eaten by shrine visitors before worshipping at the shrine; simple in flavor, they consist of sweet an bean paste wrapped in mochi pounded rice and dusted with brown rice flour. The perfect place to take a break, Chincho-an also serves matcha green tea and mehari-zushi rice balls in pickled mustard leaves, a local dish, while still warm. Inside, the shop has a modern and quiet atmosphere with tables for customers.
  • Mori no Sato Miruriina
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    4.5
    9 Reviews
    Gourmet / Alcohol
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouotsuga 5-3
    This cafe and restaurant provides a great view of the majestic Kumano River from its windows. Located in Hongu Town, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, it is close to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine as well as the hot springs Yunomine Onsen, Watarase Onsen, and Kawayu Onsen, allowing visitors to relax amidst the grandeur of nature. The wooden, warm interior has a children’s play area and picture book space, so visitors are free to bring their kids. The food options include hamburgs, curry, pizza, udon noodles, and more. There are also meals made with Kumano beef, popular with tourists.

    熊野本宮大社に途中にある、ログハウス風の外観のレストラン。行った日はたくさんのツーリング客で賑わっていました。メニューは熊野牛を使ったものから、麺類、デザートまで豊富です。 今回は唐揚げ定食を頼みましたが、ご飯を特盛にすることが出来たので、かなりのボリュームになり、食べ応えありました。味も最高で文句なしでした。 次回は熊野牛のステーキを食べたいですね。

  • Kawayu Onsen Public Bathhouse
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchoukawayu 1423
    This is a public bath along Prefectural Route 241 in Kawayu, Hongu Town, Tanabe City. It is a retro style bath with water pulled in from the riverbed allowing bathers to be submerged in pure alkaline water from source. It is beneficial for conditions such as nerve pain and diabetes.
  • Oshokuji Shimoji Hongu-ten
    Gourmet / Alcohol
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouhongu 285
    This Restaurant is located along National Route 168, only a two-minute walk from the entrance to Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine. It looks like a traditional storehouse from the outside, and its high ceilings and wood-based interior decor create a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Its signature menu item is the Kumano Beef Sukiyaki Dinner. Its Udon noodle dishes are made in-house with wheat flour produced in Kagawa Prefecture. Popular noodle dishes unique to the area include Kumano Sweetfish Udon, which contains glazed sweetfish, and Kodo Udon, which contains mountain herbs and pickled plums. The souvenir counter sells Usukawa Manju (steamed sweet bean buns), which have been made locally for three generations, along with other famous local products and locally-produced sake.
  •  Yunomine-oji ato
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama Pref. Tanabeshi Honguchouyunomine
    "Yunomine Oji is one of the ninety-nine oji (princes) enshrined as the Son of Kumano no Kami (deity), and is part of the World Heritage Site ""Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains"". It is located about five minutes up a mountain road from Yunomine Onsen ""Tsuboyu"". It is also mentioned in the legend of the Hangan Oguri, who is said to have recovered from a serious illness thanks to the blessings of a Kumano pilgrimage and the medicinal properties of the Yunomine Onsen."
  • Nanakoshi-mine Peak
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama Tanabe-shi Hongucho Takayama
    This peak is a 60-minute drive from the Kamitonda Interchange on the Kisei Expressway via National Routes 42 and 311. It stands to the east of Kumano Hongu Shrine and at the southern edge of the Omine Mountain Range. It is one of the Eight Scenes of Kumano Hongu, and it affords a view of Kumano Hongu Shrine and the old shrine site Oyu-no-Hara, the largest tori (shrine gate) in Japan and the village around the shrine. Nankoshi-no-mine Forest Park on the 260-meter peak boasts nearly 2000 cherry trees of different varieties, so it is a popular spot for people to view the spring blossoms. At the summit of the mountain, which enshrines the bodhisattava Enmei Jizo, is a stele featuring a poem by the 12th-century priest and poet Saigyo Hoshi.
  • Yatagarasu Post Box
    Travel / Tourism
    Wakayama Tanabe-shi Hongucho Hongu 1110 Kumano Hongu Taisha
    "This is located a 60-minute drive from the Kumano-Odamari Interchange on the Kisei Expressway via National Routes 42 311 and 168. It is a black post box set up under the sacred tree, Tarayo, of Kumano Hongu Shrine. Black is a sacred color, the sum of all colors, the color of Yatagarasu, the big legendary crow with three legs, said to be the incarnation and messenger of the god, and the color that symbolizes the ground that the shrine stands. The Japanese word for ""postcard"" (""hagaki"") means ""leaf writing,"" and it comes from the idea that people wrote on the underside of the leaves of Tarayo with their fingernails. The shrine office sells Yatagarasu Post votive plaques that can be sent through the mail as postcards and will provide commemorative stamps for travelers' albums."
  • Ki no Sato
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    4.0
    2 Reviews
    Shopping
    Wakayama Tanabe-shi Hongucho Hongu 228-1
    This is a large souvenir shop located next to Kumano Hongu Shrine. It stocks things such as pickled plums, products made from unique local citrus fruits, Kisei plum wine, local sake, and other souvenirs of the Kumano area. Light meals are available inside, and since the interior is large, visitors can take their time looking over the merchandise. The shop is equipped with a parking lot that accommodates eight buses and 60 cars, and walking a bit from the parking lot and going up the stairs brings one to Kumano Hongu Shrine.

    熊野本宮大社のお参り後に訪れました。迷ったあげく、レモンシャーベットを頂きましたが、みかんアイスバーにすれば良かったです。

Wakayama Areas

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Wakayama prefecture unites pilgrims, food lovers, and culture buffs in a tranquil corner of Japan at the base of the Kii Peninsula. The setting for many a Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail, Wakayama invites those in search of spirituality from one side of the prefecture to the other, from the 100-plus Buddhist temples of the sacred Mount Koya in the west to the inspiring temples of the Kumano Sanzan set among breathtaking nature in the east. Once the grueling hike is complete, make a beeline for Wakayama city to savor some of the country’s most delicious ramen noodles.

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