Category: Kumano Kodo

• Kumano Kodo: Day 6 / Tamaki Shrine
• Elevation:  4,300’. Snow on the ground!
• Weather: 40-60°  /  sunny & winds 10-15 mph 

Tamaki Shrine.

• Kumano Kodo: Day 6 / Tamaki Shrine by car
• Elevation: 3,400’
• Weather: 40-60°  /  sunny & winds 10-15 mph 

Tamaki Shine funded by Saburo’s great grandfather and grandfather is on the Kumano Kodo.

• Kumano Kodo: Day 6 / Kumanogawa Town to Hayatama-Taisha Shrine by boat
• Distance:  9 mi 
• Total mileage:  65.2 miles
• Time: 1h 30m
• Weather: 40-60°  /  sunny & winds 10-15 mph 

We earned a dual certificate for walking the Kumano Kodo and the Santiago de Compostelle Camino. 

• Kumano Kodo: Day 6 / Kumanogawa Town to Hayatama-Taisha Shrine by boat
• Distance:  9 mi 
• Total mileage:  65.2 miles
• Time: 1h 30m
• Weather: 40-60°  /  sunny & winds 10-15 mph 

Conical hats…

• Kumano Kodo: Day 6 / Kumanogawa Town to Hayatama-Taisha Shrine by boat
• Distance:  9 mi 
• Total mileage:  65.2 miles
• Time: 1h 30m
• Weather: 40-60°  /  sunny & winds 10-15 mph 

OVERVIEW 

1. DRIVE:  45m from Totsukawa to Kumanogawa Town
2. BOAT:  1h 30m Kumano River Boat Tour from Kumanogawa Town to Hayatama-Taisha Shrine
3. ROUTE: Kumano-gawa River
4. BUS: 30m from Hayatama-Taisha Shrine to Kumanogawa Town
5. DRIVE: 45m from Kumanogawa Town to Tamaki Shrine (Saburo’s great grandfather and grandfather’s gift)
6. TOUR: Tamaki family shrine
7. DRIVE: 30m from Tamaki Shrine to Totsukawa
8. TOUR: Walk from Namiyo & Saburo’s home to Totsukawa community shrine 
9. SLEEP: Namiyo & Saburo’s home 

A thousand years ago only emperors traveled to Hayatama-Taisha Shrine by boat. Now it’s a VISA opportunity for all. 

• Kumano Kodo: Day 5 / Nachikatsuura to Hayatama-Taish Shrine
• Distance:  13 mi 
• Total mileage:  56.2 miles
• Ascent:  764’ / Descent: 756’
• Time: 8h 30m (moving 6h 10m)
• Weather: 30-50°  /  sunny & winds 20-30 mph with gusts over 40mph

Celebrate walking the Kumano Sanzan with raw fish, sushi. Incredibly delicious. I’ve learned not to ask what I am eating until I’ve cleaned my plate…eel.  Now home to watch the LA Dodgers play Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on TV. So Japanese.

• Kumano Kodo: Day 5 / Nachikatsuura to Hayatama-Taish Shrine
• Distance:  13 mi 
• Total mileage:  56.2 miles
• Ascent:  764’ / Descent: 756’
• Time: 8h 30m (moving 6h 10m)
• Weather: 30-50°  /  sunny & winds 20-30 mph with gusts over 40mph

Climbing 500 brutally steep and irregular shaped stone steps to hopefully our last shrine of the day has mustard all my willpower. 

• Kumano Kodo: Day 5 / Nachikatsuura to Hayatama-Taish Shrine
• Distance:  13 mi 
• Total mileage:  56.2 miles Ascent:  764’ / Descent: 756’
• Time: 8h 30m (moving 6h 10m)
• Weather: 30-50°  /  sunny & winds 20-30 mph with gusts over 40mph

Having walked 55 arduous miles, we have arrived at our last Kumano Sanzan, the trio of the three great Kumano shrines. 

• Kumano Kodo: Day 5 / Nachikatsuura to Hayatama-Taish Shrine
• Distance:  13 mi 
• Total mileage:  56.2 miles
• Ascent:  764’ / Descent: 756’
• Time: 8h 30m (moving 6h 10m)
• Weather: 30-50°  /  sunny & win

These aren’t the California surfing waves of the Pacific Ocean. Surfing season is typhoon season August to October. 

• Kumano Kodo: Day 5 / Nachikatsuura to Hayatama-Taish Shrine
• Distance:  13 mi 
• Total mileage:  56.2 miles
• Ascent:  764’ / Descent: 756’ Time: 8h 30m (moving 6h 10m)
• Weather: 30-50°  /  sunny & winds 20-30 mph with gusts over 40mph

Whale watchers from this look out point sent smoke signals immediately after detecting a whale to inform people on the beach and fleet where the whales were. Can you imagine traditionally people got in the water to harpoon whales?