Kumano Kodo
I really like my prefecture, Mie, which is set in the Kii Peninsula, for several reasons: it’s one of the most important places in the religious history of Japan (I’m not so religious, though), its rich nature serves us fresh seafood and edible wild plants, and the people in Mie are generally mild.
Before long, one more reason will be added to the list above. Kumano Kodo, the generic term for many old routes in the Kii Peninsula, is likely to be designated a World Heritage this summer. Some fourteen trails are in the southern part of Mie. I’ve tried three of the trails before and I enjoyed the scenery from the top of the mountains very much. Each trail has unique features: Ohbuki Pass, for example, has very beautiful bamboo woods, and Magose Pass is famous for its old stone-paved road. While walking, I also enjoy small talk with other hikers as well as talking with my friends.
These days I see many posters of Kumano Kodo at train stations, local bookstores and travel agencies. I’ll be really happy if Kumano Kodo becomes a World Heritage. My friends and I are planning to take on the toughest trail, Yakiyama Pass, before we graduate from university.
Comments
The Magose Pass image reminds me of a hiking trail near Murou-ji in Nara Prefecture. Just outside the forest there was a horde of monkeys — I didn’t trust them to be friendly, so I picked up a good solid stick …
Ayumi-san — trust me on this: any damage that tourists may ever have done to this country’s heritage pales into insignificance compared to what Japan’s builders and developers have been up to, which is nothing short of scandalous and threatens the very basis on which tourism could thrive.
I’ve just noticed that Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture is part of the the inventory up for World Heritage inclusion. That’s a very beautiful place!
There may be people who clean Kumano Kodo, I think. So what I say is that visitors should bring back their trash. But I would like many people to come to Kumano Kodo and see the beautiful sights and the sea.
I want many people to know about Kumano Kodo, but I’m afraid some of the trails may be ruined by the visitors. Actually, Magase Pass has changed a little after it became famous. Its stone steps were covered with beautiful moss, but now the moss has dissapeared because many people walked on it.
Yukiko, I enjoyed looking at the pictures you posted, thks. By the way, when are you planning to take the trip? How many people are going there?
Oli :: June 6, 2004
The Kumano Kodo is great, huh. I actually made some web pages for the Kumano Gaku Forum, a group that discusses the promotion and preservation of the Kodo.
The pages were meant to be on Kassay.org but sadly I don’t think they were ever used =(
I agree with Rudolf about Japan’s needless construction and
pork barrel politics. Why did they spoil beautiful Kounohama beach (and many others) with ugly concrete tetrapods?
I haven’t decided when I’ll go on a hike yet, but it will be nice to go in fall or in spring. (I don’t like summer. It’s too hot and humid to go out!)Usually one of my classmates and I plan the hiking trip, and we ask our friends if they can join us.
Yukiko, I want to join the hike, but we cannot have so much time to go to Kumano. We have teachers’ examination in July and teaching practise in October. How about September? Is it too hot? I am looking forward to walking Kumano Kodo.
Ahh, the Kumano Kodo is great! I saw some pictures last September and decided that it looked really neat, but I couldn’t find information in English. I did find this site from Mie Prefecture though. Some maps were easy to understand and the photos were nice, so a few months ago I went to Nikishima and then I walked to Oodomari.
All in all, I got lost about three times, and it took me about four hours to walk (and almost eight hours on the local trains - next time I’ll get an express!). I also went alone, and I didn’t see another person the whole time I was on the trail. I hope I can go with some friends next time.
Yukiko, I must have chosen a fairly unpopular route because the stones were covered in moss!
Oli, I just never have figured out the tetra-pod thing. I think a big politician must have owned a concrete business. That’s the only way I can understand it. …but I’ll still go to the beach. Maybe I’ll see you at Kounohama some time!
Oli :: June 14, 2004
Dylan - the tetrapod thing is supposedly done to protect houses becide the beach from big seas, eg during a typhoon. I’m often surprised how close people build to the sea here - it seems pretty obvious that storms = big waves = no more house ;-) The strangest thing about Kounohama is that (apart from the ends) the beach is backed by a golf course. I think between the concrete sea wall and the golf course, the tetrapods are overkill. I kind of wondered if they were put there to make all those surfer bums go elsewhere (hehehe), but you see them all down the coast to Wakayama too.
The worst thing is that people sometimes get sucked into them by the swell, are trapped and drown (be careful!). It’s ironic that something intended to protect people spoils the use of the beach (no waves anymore), is ugly, and dangerous too! I just hope Japanese people wake up before all of Japan’s rivers, beaches and mountains are concreted, and the construction industry retires to Okinawa with all our tax money…
;-)
Listen!! Kumano Kodo was designated a World Heritage yesterday. I’m very excited at this news!
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Yeah, we enjoyed walking Kumano Kodo very much! We took many photos and had a very good time. I am happy that Kumano Kodo becomes a World Heritage. But I fear that many people coming there will throw away trash. I want Kumano Kodo to be clean and beautiful forever.