Journal · Hongu · Shingu · Nachi
Kumano Sanzan by train and bus: Hongu, Hayatama, Nachi and Katsuura
You can see all three grand shrines of Kumano without walking the whole trail. Here's how the pieces connect, and where the climbing actually is.
The Kumano Sanzan are the three grand shrines at the heart of the Kumano pilgrimage: Kumano Hongu Taisha in the mountains, Kumano Hayatama Taisha in the coastal city of Shingu, and Kumano Nachi Taisha beside Nachi Falls. After our walk in April 2018 we saw all three, mostly by bus, boat and train. You can do the same without setting foot on the long trail sections.
Hongu Taisha
Hongu sits at the top of a long flight of stone steps lined with banners, with halls roofed in cypress bark. The giant torii at Oyunohara, the shrine's original site, is a short, flat walk away across the fields. Buses from Tanabe and Shingu stop right below the steps.
Down the river to Hayatama
From the Hongu area, we took a traditional wooden boat down the Kumano River toward Shingu. It runs about 90 minutes and is the old way pilgrims traveled between the two shrines. It's a sitting activity, which made it the perfect follow-up to a day of stairs. Check the season and book ahead; it's weather-dependent.
Hayatama Taisha, in Shingu, is bright vermilion and mostly flat, one of the easiest shrines on this trip to walk around.
Nachi Falls and Seiganto-ji
Nachi is the most dramatic and the most vertical. The waterfall drops 133 meters, and the classic view is the red three-story pagoda of Seiganto-ji with the falls behind it. Buses run up from Kii-Katsuura Station.
Katsuura and the coast
Kii-Katsuura is a hot-spring port town on the JR Kisei Line and a practical base for Nachi. We stayed by the bay, and the sunset over the water was a welcome change after days in the forest.
Making the connections work
- Buses are infrequent in the mountains. Screenshot the timetables the night before and keep a power bank charged.
- Forward luggage when you can, so stairs and bus steps happen with a daypack only.
- IC cards (Suica, ICOCA and their phone versions) work on JR trains, but some rural buses still want cash. Carry coins.
Anker Nano Power Bank (10,000mAh, 45W, built-in cable)
Navigation, translation and photos can drain a phone by early afternoon. A 10,000mAh bank with its own cable means one less thing to forget.
Osprey Daylite Plus Daypack (20L)
A small, ventilated daypack is the right size for a trail day when your main bag is being forwarded to the next inn.
Eagle Creek Pack-It Original Cube Set (XS/S/M)
When you sleep somewhere new every night, cubes turn unpacking into pulling out one bag. They also make it easy to split a one-night kit into your daypack when the big bag goes ahead.
Drive Medical Adjustable Folding Cane with Seat
Lines in Japan can be long: shrine stamp counters, ramen queues, bus stops in the countryside. A cane that opens into a small tripod seat means you can rest anywhere it is polite to stand.
The kit for this guide
Also in this guide
Opening hours, routes and rules change; check before you go.