A Guide to Hiking the Kumano Kodo travel.gaijinpot.com

Buddhist monks and other religious pilgrims have walked the roads of the Kumano Kodo for over 1,000 years to reach some of Japan’s most sacred shrines and temples.
Also known as the Kumano Old Road, the Kumano Kodo is a collection of interconnecting ancient trails in Western Japan.
Connecting modern-day prefectures like Osaka, Nara, Wakayama, and Mie to Mount Koya, Ise Grand Shrine, and other spiritual sites, the Kumano Kodo takes hikers through breathtaking landscapes, rural villages, and relaxing onsen.
All of the Kumano Kodo routes eventually lead to Kumano Sanzan (The Three Grand Shrines of Kumano) in the mountains of southeastern Wakayama.
There are four main sections of the Kumano Kodo open to hikers.