kumano kodo: on the pilgrimage
high priests casting offerings to the river at the foot of the sacred waterfall
the kumano kodo pilgrimage route is world famous, and justifiably so. a sister pilgrimage to the camino de santiago/compostela, you can collect a stamp proving you completed your journey at the base of the shrine. this area, with its 1000 steps to the top shrine, truly does feel sacred: the ancient forests, the silence, the majesty of the shrines, waterfall and grave markers. all that, and because it is japan there are also souvenir shops, buses unloading and loading, and many many photographers documenting it all. we charter our own private bus for a day’s excursion to the falls and temples, giving everyone a few hours to hike and explore on their own this little fraction of the pilgrimage route. a forest bathing experience combined with holy shrines. the photo grid above shows a river blessing we were just lucky enough to come across.
from the web:
Nachi Katsuura Town located in the southeast of Wakayama faces the Katsuura Bay on the southern coast of the Kii Peninsula. It has developed as a pilgrims' inn town for the worshipers of Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine.
For over 1000 years people from all levels of society, including retired emperors and aristocrats, have made the arduous pilgrimage to Kumano. These pilgrims used a network of routes, now called the Kumano Kodo, which stretched across the mountainous Kii Peninsula.
The walk itself was an integral part of the pilgrimage process as they undertook rigorous religious rites of worship and purification. Walking the ancient Kumano Kodo is a fantastic way to experience the unique cultural landscape of Kumano's spiritual countryside.
In July 2004, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes were registered as UNESCO World Heritage as part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" property.
