(熊野古道) Kumano Kodo Trek

Kumano Kodo is a vast network of mountain trails connecting various mountain ranges. The experience is not as dangerous as it was a thousand years ago, but this time I am not seeking enlightenment but merely a chance to take a peek at their history.

Budget: JPY29,390 (~USD284)

JPY3,060. Bus, Tokyo to Wakayama. (One day allocated from Willer Bus Pass)
JPY3,980. Train/Bus, Wakayama Station to Kumano Kodo Visitor Center.
JPY500ish. Bus to Yunomine Onsen.
JPY700. Tsubo-yu Onsen fee.
JPY1,060. Bus/Train, Nachi falls to Shingu Station.
JPY500ish. Public bath fee, Shingu Station.
JPY4,590. Train, Shingu Station to Nagoya Station.
JPY15,000 ish. Train, Nagoya Station to Tokyo.

Hike Date / Difficulty (Elevation: 870m / 2,854ft)

April 27, 2019 to April 30, 2019
Difficulty: 3 out of 5

When to Go
Anytime during the year!

Special Notes

There's an endless amount of literature covering Kumano Kodo including the different trails. I read quite a bit and decided I wanted to do the traditional one - Nakahechi trek. If I get to do it all over again, I'd say:

All the information you need is where to start and the number of days you can allot.

This is if you are wild camping.
If you are not wild camping, then reserving the inns will take way more logistics as you'll need to know exactly which trail you are taking and what time you'll start/end. You can opt not to reserve during the off season, but I hear that getting a place to sleep at can be hard during the hiking season (May to November I assume).

Given that, just adjust depending on your speed, and use the map provided by the information center. There are plenty of exit points and buses and trails so you can increase/decrease your time as much as you want.

Weather forecast: Japanese. As the trek covers quite a distance, a weather on the overall area of Wakayama/Mie might be more appropriate.
There's not a lot of maps that will show the entire trail given how complex it is.
Trailheads. Quite a lot, and really, just follow the map. And the directions. I'll start you off with the main trailhead:

Kumano Kodo Visitor center. Google maps pin. We took our map here and decided our trip on the go based on that map.

Mountain huts.

Paid. This is a minshuku trek - similar to teahouse treks in Nepal where you stay in the homes of people in the villages nestled in the trail. Except that each stay costs at least JPY5,000.
Free. None.
Camping. Not a lot of official spots, but plenty of wild camping opportunities. Look for the old teahouse locations, not because there's a teahouse there (there's none), but because they are flat spots.

Hot spring. One main one - Tsuboyu/Yunomine Onsen. Share the experience with emperors, and take a dip at a world heritage site. Enjoy it, as people for thousands of years have.

Itinerary
I don't have a lot of pictures when I did this trip so the itinerary won't be as detailed, sorry.

Friday

10:00pm ish. Bus, Tokyo to Wakayama.

Saturday

08:20am. Our bus had a brief stop at Osaka, so we got off the bus to stretch our legs a little bit. We soon arrived at Wakayama Station, where we had plenty of time to kill before we took the train to Kii-Tanabe Station. Our target was the Kumano Kodo Information Center, and we mainly followed google maps (pin here).
11:40am ish. We were on the bus from Kii-Tanabe Station to the trailhead. We got into the visitor center, and started
02:00pm. Started our trek.
05:00pm ish. We decided to stop and camp for the night.

Sunday

06:00am. We were ready to go!
07:10am. We were waiting at the nearest bus stop as we decided to take the bus to cut a portion of the trail This was our designated bus stop. We took the bus to Tsubo-yu in Yunomine Onsen (google maps pin).
08:20am ish. Arrived at Yunomine Onsen, where we went straight to the Tsubo-yu reception desk to get our ticket. We had our breakfast while waiting, soaked at Tsubo-yu, went to the main onsen to actually wash ourselves with soap, and refilled our waters. I also tried the onsen boiled eggs while waiting.
10:00am. Back to our hike!
12:27am. Arrived at the big Torii of Kumano Hogu Taisha (google maps pin). There wasn't anything but a park behind it, so we went to the actual shrine less than five minutes away. We spent some time on the shrine and ate some snacks, and had a looooong walk next to the highway to the trailhead (google maps pin). A bus is available, but with trying to time it right with the bus, we decided to just walk.
02:00pm. Back to the trail!
05:00pm ish. Found a nice rest spot where we camped for the night. Not sure as to the accuracy of my map, but here's the google maps pin.

Monday

05:00am. We got up, made our breakfast, took time to find spots to do our business, and was soon on our way. We had to cross a bridge and found a camping ground (google maps pin) with a great toilet. We refilled our water and followed the signs to continue the trek.
08:51am. The trail started getting steep, as apparently we were crossing the highest point of this route.
11:30am. Finally arrived at Echizen-toge (870m). We started descending.
12:58pm. Arrived on a road that has big rest areas. We took a nice break.
04:00pm. Arrived at Nachi Falls - a rather crowded shrine.
05:00pm. We took the bus from Nachi Falls to Nachi Station, then the train to Shingu Station. Around the area, we went to a public bath and looked for a place to camp. We settled on a small cottage in Shingu Castle Ruins (google maps pin)
10:30pm. Arrived at the third shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha. It was closed though, so we just took some photos and went back to our camp spot.

Tuesday

05:00am. We got up, packed up, and went to the train station, where we took the train to Nagoya.
11:00am ish. Arrived at Nagoya Station. We walked around and had some sushi in the nearby wet market, then took the bullet train back to Tokyo. Done!