Stepping Out Of Babylon

Travel & Photography

Stepping out of Babylon

How to go from Yunomine to Osaka and Kyoto

From Yunomine to Tanabe:

You can start the day early from Yunomine and catch the first bus at 6:13 that drop you at Tabane at 8:00. It costs 1980 ¥… 6:13 is quite early but if you don’t want to spend one night in Tanabe this is the cheapest option, otherwise, you must use the train, which offers more flexibility.

From Tanabe to Osaka:

From Tabane to Osaka (stopping at Namba station and Osaka Station) there are direct trains several times a day, but if you don’t you have the JP rail pass, it’s cheaper to travel by bus.

There are 9 buses during the day departing from Tabane; the trip costs 2930 ¥ and takes about 3 hours.

If your destination is Kyoto Statin, there are also direct buses from Tanabe twice a day; the trip costs 3400 ¥ and takes about 3.5 hours.

Unfortunately even taking the first bus from Yunomine, you can’t reach on time (just for a few minutes) to catch the direct bus to Kyoto (7:30 am) and you need to wait in Tanabe until 9:30… but it’s not so bad as you have time to have breakfast! There is a /eleven just in the Kii Tanabe station, where there’s also a living room where you can wait. The buses to Osaka and Kyoto departure from the bus terminal just in front.

information about schedules and prices from the buses departing from Tanabe to Kyoto and Osaka

From Osaka (Namba) to Kyoto station:

If you take the bus from Tanabe you can stop at Namba Station or at Osaka Station. From both stations, you have trains connection to Kyoto. Apparently, the trip to Kyoto is cheaper by train than by bus.

I got off at Namba as I had plenty of time… and wanted to spot again at Namba Udon, one of the most delicious meal that I had in Japan!!

Namba Udon… a informal and basic restaurant close by Namba Station (metro) that i couldn’t miss when I pass by Osaka

From the bus terminal, I walk until Namba Metro station, took the Midosuji Line (180 ¥) to Yodoyabashi and there took the Keihan Main Line to Gion-Shijo Station (420 ¥), that is a bit further from Kyoto Station, but it drops me closer from my guesthouse. Maybe it isn’t the cheapest option but was the most convenient to avoid to take the metro in Kyoto… but it all depends on where your accommodation is located.

Here is a resume of the option given by the tourist information center in Osaka (inside the metro Namba station) that, by the way, is a good source of information also about Kumano Kodo and Koyasan.

Other ways to go from Namba to Kyoto Station

Kumano Kodo… walking the spiritual path?!

The Kumano Kodo is and ancient pilgrimage trails, with more than 1000 years, that link the three main shrines in Kii Peninsula: Hongu Taisha, Nachi Taisha and Hayatama Taisha, that since 2004 are classified as World Heritage by UNESCO as “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes of the Kii Mountain Range” that also includes the pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo that link these three holy places as also Koyasan.

Nowadays, Kumano Kodo is attracting more and more visitors from all over the world, most of them, more connected with the hiking experience than with the spiritual purification of a pilgrimage.

The Nakahechi trail is the most popular of the different routes of Kumano Kodo to reach Hongu Taisha, and starts in Takijiri Oji, located about 30 minutes by bus from Kii-Tanabe and ends at Nashi Taisha, also an important shrine, on the other side of the Kii Peninsula, the south most part of the Wakayama Prefecture.

Most of the people do the 30 km between Takijiri Oji andHongu Taisha in two days sleeping in Chikatsuya Oji, a small village with a few accommodations, and return to Tanabe by bus.

I choose a different strategy, considering my budget, the season (at the end of November the days are short) and the weather conditions as in the winter this area receives rain often… but also had to have in consideration the availability of the accommodations, that force me sometimes to change my travel plans, as in the weekends some areas are fully booked with only rooms left in the top range hotels.

So I use Tanabe as a base point of the first part of the Nakahechi Trail and then move to Yunomine Onsen to do the second part until Hongu Taisha, as also some secondary trails.

Kumano Kodo first stage: Tanabe

Starting early from Tanabe, where it’s easy to find budget accommodations, it’s possible to do the 23 km of the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail, from Takijiri Oji until the detour pass, overcomingChikatsuya Oji and return by bus to Tanabe in the same day. I finish the first hiking stage where the Nakahechi Trail makes a detour in the result of rock instability provoked by a typhoon in 2011, that force to close this part of the Kumano Kodo trail, more or less, forever…

But in fact, the most interesting part of the Nakahechi Trail that I did in this first day, was from Takijiri Oji until Chikatsuya Oji, as from there, most of the trail leaves the narrow mountain trails and goes along a paved road, with houses and cars, pushing away the mystic experience of walking in the deep forest.

The first kilometer of the trail is particularly steep until you reach Tsurugi Sutra Mound, but from there, despite the constants up and down the hill, you can experience some flat areas that are easy to walk providing an opportunity to enjoy more the surrounding natures.

But, the most challenging parts of the trail are also the ones that give the chance to face fears and overcome anxieties, offering an opportunity to go inwards and to reconnect... and the nature that surrounds us along this trail, dominated by massive cedar and pine trees creates the perfect environment to do inwards and reconnect with our being.

Along the way, many signs help you in orientation and it’s almost impossible to get lost along the trail, but watch out when the trail crosses the road, as sometimes the sign that points you the way is not so easily visible. As a tip, look to the pavement and you’ll find a stone path that leads you to the trail again.

Every 500 meters they’ve numbered marks that are also marked in the map (you must get one in the information point, in Osaka, Koyasan, Tanabe or somewhere else) that help you with orientation… sometimes these marks look that are almost two kilometers away from each other, but not! It’s just your tricky mind!!!

Kumano Kodo second stage: Yunomine onsen

The second stop of this Kumano Kodo experience was in Yunomine Onsen, considered the most ancient hot spring in Japan, with about 1800 years. Yunomine is not properly part of the pilgrimage route, but its location close by the Hongu Taisha that it became part of the experience as also a treat after a day of hiking.

With Yunomine as a base point, I did two days of hiking. The first one was to make 10 km more of the Nakahechi Trail from Akagi-goe junction (Hosshinmon Oji) until Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the most important shrines of Kumano Kodo.

To reach Nakahechi Trail from Yunomine you must hike the Akagi-goe (6 km) and on the return, you can enjoy the short but steep trail of Dainichi-goe (3.5 km). Like this you can make a loop, starting and finish in the Yunomine Onsen, that doesn’t take you more than 4 hours. This is an easy hike, that you don’t need to start very early and don’t need to rush. It has steep parts but offers very beautiful and impressive views, as you are deep inside the forest, surrounded by tall cedar trees whose high dense canopy filter the low winter light, creating a sense of isolation.

On the second day I did the missing part of the Nakahechi Trail, from the detour pass (Jagata-Jizo) until the Akagi-goe junction, which is about 6 km, but end up being more demanding as you also need to do the Akagi-goe trail  (6 km more). Unfortunately, or not, to do this part of the trail you have to go back the same way, as there isn’t the possibility to make a loop or to find a bus along the way to return to Yunomine Onsen…. but in the other hand you can enjoy the trail from a different perspective, and for sure you’ll spot thing that you didn’t saw before!!!

It’s a more demanding hike with long steep parts, practically to reach the Mikoshi-toge pass, so it’s better to get out of the bed early. But starting early morning, just a bit before the sunrise also bring great rewards, as you can spot monkeys and even dears, that at that time walk in the mountains before the arriving of the hikers. In the winter, the mornings start with the mist that very slowly comes off the forest.

Like this, I completed the Nakahechi Trail, from Takijiri Oji until Hongu Taisha, that is about 38 km… and had the amazing experience of the soak in the sulfur water of Yunomine Onsen!!!

Along the trails, there are several shrines where the pilgrims worship and play purification rituals “to rid one’s body and Sprit of impurities from past and present lives and to be ritually reborn and rejuvenated by the virtuous powers of Kumano deities”, mainly connected with Shinto religion, but where the images of Buddha are also present, as this deity was easily incorporated in the Shintoism. According to the tradition, evil spirits sometimes overcomes travelers in this area, and along the Kumano trails there are many stone craving statues of Jizo, a Buddhist deity who is the savior and protector of children and travelers. Many visitors make a brief stop in front of these statues to pay tribute to these entities, bowing and praying according to the Shinto rituals.

The pilgrimage it’s a path, usually hard and with obstacles, which are a way to test the confidence in yourself or in a spiritual entity and overcome your own blockages.
Spiritual or not, Kumano Kodo is a great place to be in contact with nature, observing the stillness of the tress and the quietness that warp these mountains where the sun hardly through the compact tree canopy that retain for hour the mist of winter mornings.

Along the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail you can find stamps at significant points of the trail, connected with shrines or statues. The stamps are inside small houses that are easy to spot, and you help yourself stamping your passport. You can get the official pilgrim passport at Kumano Travel offices, or in alternative at the entrance of the trail, in Takijiri Oji, although this one is not valid if you want to have the “completion of pilgrimage” official stamp of the Dual Pilgrim that connect Kumano Kodo with Camino de Santiago.

Official or not, it’s funny to find the stamps and slowly fill up the “passport”; it’s also a good souvenir from your experience as a pilgrim in Kumano Kodo.

Along the way, you’ll find toilets and places to rest (some of them covered), but drinking water is not so easily available.

At the tourist information offices in Osaka, Tanabe and Koyasan, as also in some hostels and guesthouses in the area of Kumano Kodo, you’ll find a booklet with all the detailed information about the Kumano Kodo trails. There’s one booklet for each trail, with maps, trail altitude graphics and all the detail information that you need while hiking. You can download The Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail here.

At Hongu Taisha, after finishing the first part of the Nakahechi Trail you can enjoy the “moude mochi” a red bean glutinous rice cake, dusted with brown rice powder which represents the Kumano spirits of warmth and humbleness that can only be found close by one of the three holy shrine of Kumano. It’s served with matcha and eaten with the help of a small carved wood stick.

Check for more detail information at Kumano Travel website:

Where to sleep in Tanabe:

Despite the lack of interesting things to do in Tanabe, in this city I had one of the best stays in Japan. The Buddha Guest House, located a few minutes from the Kii-Tanabe station is a lovely traditional wooden Japanese house, located in a residential neighborhood. There are three rooms, all shared, where you sleep in a mattress over the traditional tatamis. I found it very comfortable and cozy. There’s also a small backyard and a very independent cat in the house! Laundry (100 ¥) and kitchen facilities are available. 2300 ¥ per night.

Here, I confess that felt at home… and most of the time I have the house all for myself!!… but this guesthouse as also Tanabe in general is not the place to stay if you look for
social life.

See more at Tanabe… the starting point of the Kumano Kodo

Where to sleep in Yunomine onsen:

Yunomine is a small settlement along the road that runs parallel to a small river where the hot spring is located. There’s one small supermarket, one small grocery shop, one small restaurant… and onsens!!!

There are many accommodations in Yunomine; basically most of the buildings are accommodations, but the majority is ryokans style that provides also meals and has their own onsen. In terms of guesthouses or hostel with dorms, there isn’t much offer but the J-Hoppers Yunomine is an exception… and a good exception, as it offers very good conditions, with a big kitchen as a nice and a comfortable living room that is a good place to socialize a bit during the long winter evenings. In the evening there’s cooked rice for free, and rice porridge in the morning.

This guesthouse has three private onsen (basically the showers are there) with one of then open air. It’s great to wake up early morning and enjoy the relaxing inside the high temperature water while listening to the rain hit gently the roof.

Where to eat in Yunomine onsen:

Apparently, some of the ryokans have restaurants but I didn’t try as I found one place, very simple and informal that suite me perfectly.

It doesn’t have the name in western characters (but has a menu in English with pictures) but is a small bamboo construction just behind the Yunomine temple. There you can find several noodle soups, all of them delicious (several vegetarian options), with the prices from 550 ¥ until 800 ¥. Opens everyday from 7a.m. until 5p.m. The owner is far from look friendly but is indeed a very nice and gentle person.

In Hongu Taisha you have many more options to buy food as also a bigger choice of restaurants.

Shopping for hiking in Yunomine onsen:

Yunomine doesn’t have many options for shopping. The small supermarket closes on Mondays and doesn’t open early, so you need to prepare your stuff in the day before if you want to start early the hiking day.

For fruit, tofu (here you can find goma-tofu, that is made with sesame), cookies, chocolates and snacks there is also a small grocery shop.

The J-Hoppers Guesthouse sells a few things that you can use as a dinner as also to bring with you to eat during the day when you hike. They sell eggs, instant soup, rice, etc…

How to go from Yunomine back to Tanabe or Hongu Taisha:

How to more around Yunomine Onsen by bus:

(link)

Luggage store and luggage delivery:

Most of the foreigners do the Kumano Kodo on foot, doing all the trails with a backpack and sleeping along the way. Between the Japanese is more common come by car and visit some of the shrines that easy to reach by the road along the Kumano Kodo.

I found it difficult to do it with my 12 kg backpack, so I choose two places as a base point for daily hikes… I wish I had more time to do all the Nakahechi Trail until Nashi Taisha!!!

But there are other options: or you can leave your luggage at the guesthouse and hike for a couple of days or so, and then come back to pick the stuff… or you can hire the services that drop-off your luggage at specific places. Ask more details at Kumano Travel (Tanabe) or on their website.

How to go from Koyasan to Kumano Kodo by bus

From Koyasan to Tanabe:

Just to make it clear: Tanabe is the name of the city, but Kii-Tanabe is the name of the train station, as there is another station in Japan with the same name. Many places in this area have the “kii” prefix to identify them as being part of the Kii Peninsula.

You need to take three buses to reach Tanabe form Koyasan: once in Gomodanzan and then in Kirari-Ryujin (Ryujin Onsen). But don’t worry as all this is extremely well organized you don’t wait more than 10 minutes to get on the next bus. There is a combined ticket for the entire trip; it means that you pay only once, at the beginning of the trip to Koyasan. 

The bus departure from Koyasan station at 9:45; change at Gomodanzan that departure at 11:05, arrive at Kii-Tanabe at 13:11.

The trip costs in total 4520 ¥.

The bus from Koyasan station stops also in Senjuibashi and in Okunoin-mae.

This bus service between Koyasan and Tanabe runs only until the end of November. It’s better to reserve in advance, not because of having too many guests (at the end of November I was the only one in the last part of the trip) but for them to organize and be waiting for you every time you change buses.

bus stop at Okunoin-mae, Koyasan
from Kirari-Ryujin to Tanabe instead of a bus is a mini-van due to the reduce number of passengers… in the end of November I was the only one going to Tabane
Combine bus ticket from Koyasan to Tanabe
Gomodanzan

From Koyasan to Kumano Hongu Taisha:

The bus departure from Koyasan station at 9:45; change at Gomodanzan that departure at 11:05 to Hongu Taisha-mae at 14:22.

The trip costs in total 5590 ¥.

The bus from Koyasan station stops also in Senjuibashi and in Okunoin-mae.

bus to Ryujin Onsen from Gomodanzan

Tanabe… the starting point of Kumano Kodo

Tanabe is the second biggest city in Wakayama Prefecture, but this doesn’t offer any enthusiastic lifestyle, being a quiet place where the streets are empty most of the time. Still, it was a good base point to do part of the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail.

Kumano Kodo is an ancient pilgrimage trails with more than 1000 years, that link the three main shrines in this area: Hongu Taisha, Nachi Taisha and Hayatama Taisha, that since 2004 are classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, attracting more and more visitors from all over the world. Along the trails, there are several shrines where the pilgrims worship and perform purification rituals, mainly connected with the Shinto religion.

The Nakahechi trail is the most popular of the different routes of Kumano Kodo to reach Hongu Taisha, and starts in Takijiri Oji, located about 30 minutes by bus from Kii-Tanabe and ends at Nashi Taisha, also an important shrine, on the other side of the Kii Peninsula, the south most part of the Wakayama Prefecture.

The symbol of Kumano Kodo: a crown with three legs

Most of the people do the 30 km between Takijiri Oji and Hongu Taisha in two days sleeping in Chikatsuya Oji, a small village with a few accommodations, and return to Tanabe by bus.

I choose a different strategy, considering my budget as also the weather conditions (in the winter this area receives rain often)… and the availability of the accommodations, that force me sometimes to change my travel plans, as in the weekends some areas are fully booked with only rooms left in the top range hotels.

Nakahechi trail of the Kumano Kodo

So I stayed in Kii-Tanabe, and did the 23 km of the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Trail, overcoming Chikatsuya Oji and return by bus to Tanabe in the same day, as here it’s easy to find budget accommodations and meals. On this first day, I finish the hiking where the Nakahechi Trail makes a detour in the result of rock instability provoked by a typhoon in 2011, that force to close this part of the Kumano Kodo trail, more or less, forever… This hike took me 8 hours.

After, I move by bus to Yunomine Onsen and stayed there to do 8 km more of the Nakahechi Trailuntil Kumano Hongu Taisha, one of the most important shrines of Kumano Kodo. To reach Nakahechi Trail from Yunomine you must hike the Akagi-goe and on the return, you can enjoy the short but steep trail of Dainichi-goe. Like this you can make a look, starting and finish in the Yunomine Onsen, that don’t take you more than 4 hours.

Yunomine was also the base point to complete the final part of the Nakahechi Trail, before reach Hongu Taisha. From Jagata-oji to the intersection with the Akagi-goe there are not more than 4.2 km but it took me 6 hours do do it, as you can’t use buses for the return trip or can’t also do it as loop, so you need the return thought the same way.

marks along the Nakahechi Trail, every 500 meters
The purification by water is one of the most common rituals of the Shintu religion, and as Tanabe, located by the sea is a starting point for the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage, here the ritual is performed with salt water
Kozanji Buddhist temple
Ajikoji area in Tanabe

See more at:

Kumano Kodo… the Nakahechi Trail

How to go from Koyasan to Tanabe by bus:

check this link

Where to sleep in Tanabe:

Despite the lack of interesting things to do in Tanabe, in this city I had one of the best stays in Japan. The Buddha Guest House, located a few minutes from the Kii-Tanabe station is a lovely traditional wooden Japanese house, located in a residential neighborhood. There are three rooms, all shared, where you sleep in a mattress over the traditional tatamis. I found it very comfortable and cozy. There’s also a small backyard and a very independent cat in the house! Laundry (100¥) and kitchen facilities are available. 2300 ¥ per night.

Here, I confess that felt at home… and most of the time I have the house all for myself!!

Buddha Guest House
Buddha Guest House

Buddha Guest House

Where to eat in Tanabe:

Most of the Tanabe restaurants are concentrated in an area called Ajikoji, where scattered along narrow and mazy streets you can find also bars, more properly “izakaya” that is a type of restaurant that also serves alcohol, mostly sake and beers.  I try the Ichiyoshi, which has an English menu, with many vegetarian and even vegan options. The food was delicious and a meal costs around 1200 ¥.

Most of the izakaya style restaurants only open for dinner. So if you want to have a simple meal during the day, in a local environment, they’re a small eatery on the main street from the station called “barg” but without a sign in western characters. It’s just next to a pharmacy and serves warm udon with raw egg and butter, for 350 ¥. Looks vulgar but it was so much tasty that the usual udon!

Tourist information center in Tanabe:

At the Kii-Tanabe station you have the tourist information center that can give you good orientation about the Kumano Kodo trails as well about the Wakayama province.

There you can also get the schedule of the buses in the Kumano Kodo area, from Tanabe until Shingu, passing by Yunomine Onsen and Hongu Taisha, as well as prices and schedules about long distance buses to Osaka and Kyoto (departing from the bus terminal just in from of the train station).

How to go from Tanabe to Osaka and Kyoto:

How to go from Yunomine to Osaka and Kyoto

Koyasan… the holy mountain

Kobo-Daishi (also called as Kukai) it’s a name to definitively you will hear (and read) if you come to visit Koyasan. He was the one that created Koyasan (that means mount Koya) after traveling through China to learn more about Buddhism. Located around in the mountains about 900m of altitude, Koyasan was chosen for being surrounded by eight peaks, that represent the eight petals of the lotus flowers on the top of what Buddha is represented.

In Koyasan we can find the Shingon-shu Buddhism, that more or less means “Esoteric Mantra Buddhism”, that is one sect from the Shingon Buddhism, whose mentor was Kobo-Daishi, that dedicates his life not only to religion but was also with credits as poet, artist, calligrapher and was responsible for the construction of may temples.

In the center of Koyasan, it’s the Danjo Garan, a complex that includes 20 temples. One of them is the Fudo-du Hall, which is not the most impressive but it’s the oldest, and the only one that survived to multiple fires and catastrophes that during centuries destroyed the original constructions. Some of the present buildings are already the fifth reconstruction!!!…

Daito Pagoda
Danjo Garan
Danjo Garan
Danjo Garan

But inside the Danjo Garam, what stands up is the Daito Pagoda (the great Pagoda design by Kobo-Daishi), with its original pagoda shape and the Mie-do Hall with the impressive Buddha statues. But the place itself, with many other temples and buildings all made in wood, surrounded by big cedar trees and umbrella-pine tree offer a pleasant walk.

The massive but mot so elegant Daimon Gate, is the official entrance of the Koyasan temple area, located in the extreme West side of the village. If you walk along the Women Pilgrimage course (Nyonin-michi), which corresponds to the way that the women used to reach Kobo-Daishi Mausoleum, as during many years Koyasan was a place exclusive for monks and access was forbidden to women, you’ll find Daimon Gate along the way. This hiking course can easily be done in 3 hours, and offer a pleasant stroll in the forest, taking ridge of some of the mountains that surround the sacred place of Koyasan.

Women Pilgrimage course (Nyonin-michi)

The Kongobu-ji, the headquarters of all the monasteries in Koyasan, isn’t used anymore by monks but only for special ceremonies. Although you can visit the interior, including the kitchen area, as well the different rooms where the walls are decorated with delicate paintings related to Kobo-Daishi’s life and also nature scenes. But the most impressive is the rock garden (Banryutei), where blocks of granite that mimic a dragon coming out from the water waves.

rock garden (Banryutei) at Kongobu-ji

But from all that Koyasan as to offer, for a visitor, the place that I visit more times was surprisingly the Okuno-in cemetery. Apart from being a nice place to walk, in the middle of the cedar and pine forest, where the stones that mark the graves are covered with moss it’s also the only way to reach the Kodo-Daishi Mausoleum. It’s a kind of magic place, where you easily can spend one hour, exploring the different stone paths, crossing bridges, going up and down gentle steps, observing the thin rays if sun crosses the dense canopy.

After cross the Gobyo-no-hashi Bridge you enter the sacred place, as according to the followers of the Shingon-shu Buddhism, Kobo-Daishi, born in the year 774, is still seated in deep meditation since the retired from the world with the of 62. This makes Koyasan a mandatory point for Buddhist pilgrims, which come here all year round, making this place part of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage route.

Okuno-in cemetery
Entrance of the Kodo-Daishi Mausoleum, where the monks repeat every morning the ritual of bring food for Kobo-Daishi
Okuno-in cemetery
Buddha statues at the entrance located before the Gobyo-no-hashi Bridge, where the visitors sprinkle the statues with water symbolising the river crossing that was necessary to do before the construction of the bridge
Okuno-in cemetery

Koyasan has enough to see and to do if you have curiosity or if you feel the connection with Buddhism, and it’s a nice place to stay for three days or more, enjoying the nice vegetarian food, the temple ceremonies, and hikes in nature.

Okuno-in cemetery
Okuno-in cemetery

And Koyasan is also the starting point for the one of the Kumano Kodo Kohechi, one of the routes that crosses the Kii Peninsula, in the southern Kansai region, to reach Kumano Hongu Taisha. Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage route is now a World Heritage site classified as “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes” in parallel with Camino de Santiago.

Koyasan visitors ticket pass:

It costs 1500 ¥ that can be used in several days… it worth it if you want to see all the temples as also join the Jukai Ceremony (accepting the 10 Buddhist precepts that cost 500 ¥, ask at the Daish Kyokai).

  • Kobo-Daishi Mausoleum, Okuno-in cemetery and Lantern Hall: free
  • Danjo Garan: free, but to get inside the Daito
    Pagoda or Mie-do Hall is 200 ¥ each.
  • Kongobu-ji: 500 ¥

Everyday you can hear the morning chants in the shukubo, but you can also experience this magic and hypnotic moment in Kododaisho Mausoleum, everyday from 6 until 7 in the morning, for free.

In the evenings, there a Cemetery Walking Tour (2000 ¥) guides by monks that can tell you the myths and superstitions of the cemetery as well to understand a bit more about Kodo-Daishi and the Shingon-shu Buddhism. This tour is organized by Eko-in, and departure from there.

Each 21st day of each month, it’s considered a special day as it’s the day of the
anniversary of the death of Kobo-Daishi, and Koyasan receives more visitors to assist to the special changings that include particular rituals way more rich and complex that the usual morning chants. So if you can manage to be in Koyasan in this day you can attend the
chants that start at 9 o’clock in the morning. In the evening before (20th) there is also a special ceremony at Kododaisho
Mausoleum around 7:30/8:00.

Koyasan Bus pass:

The trip from the cable car until Okuninmae (basically until the end of the village) costs 420 ¥ (one way).

There are passes (3 days = 3000 ¥) but the Kaoyasan as about 3 km from the Dai-mon Gate to Okuninmae, where is the entrance Okuno-in cemetery, and that can be made easily on foot.

Where to sleep in Koyasan:

But most of the visitors stay in Koyasan only one night and choose to stay in the traditional pilgrim accommodation, the shukubo. It’s for sure a remarkable option but a bit pricy, so I choose to stay in a guesthouse, that in fact is very rare in Koyasan.

Koyasan Guesthouse Kokuu, it’s located in Okuninmae (very close by the Okunomi cemetery and from a bus stop), 200 meters from the bus stop, and offer rooms and dorms in capsule style. The building is super cool, design by the Japanese Alphaville Architects. They offer also an amount of detail infromation about Koyasan, religious activities, mediation, hiking trails, etc…

Where to eat in Koyasan:

As many people (almost everyone) stay in one of the 52 shukubo (temples lodging) that include breakfast and dinner, there are not many options for dinner in town. But the convenience stores (there are at least 3) provide quite good options for food.

But for lunch, if you want to try the monasteries food, shojin-ryori, a totally vegan meal compost by several small dishes matching the five cooking methods (raw, stewed, boiled, roasted, and pickling) five flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami), and five colors (green, yellow, red, black, and white). A work of art!!

The Sanbou Restaurant offers delicious shojin-ryori meals. At first glance, the meal set available look a bit small but it a perfect portion and provides the chance to taste a wide variety of flavors as well the different kinds of tofu. The prices range between 1250 ¥ to 4000 ¥. The Sanbou Restaurant doesn’t have a sign in Latin characters but is located very close by the Ichijo-in Shukubo (check the image below). It’s only open for lunch (from 11:00 until 14:00). Try the famous goma-tofu, very silky tofu made from ground sesame paste!!! Something new!

shojin-ryori meal at Sanbou Restaurant
Sanbou Restaurant

Koyasan for the sweet tooth:

There aren’t many shops in Koyasan but the ones that exist, apart from restaurants are dedicated mostly to sell religious souvenirs (some of them a bit cheesy) as well as sweets, that apparently are the most popular souvenirs from Koyasan. There are several options, but my favorites were the yaki-imo made from sweet potato and cinnamon and the amazake manjyu, filled with sweet bean paste.

Some of these sweet shops are also factories, so try to find one of them (you can see people work inside, as here everything is fresh. Try Mirokuishi, a traditional Japanese confectionary, located on the main road, more to the East part of Koyasan…. and there you can also get a tea if you chose to eat the sweets inside!!

yaki-imo on the left andamazake manjyu in the center where my favourite sweet from this confectionary, where you can drink tea for free while taste the sweets

Mirokuishi, a traditional Japanese confectionary
Koyasan Curry… a vegetarian version of the traditional Japanese curry, that is sold packaged and just needs to be heated and accompanied with rice. A good souvenir form Koyasan!!

How to go from reach to Koyasan:

There are two options to arrive to Koyasan by public transportation:

  • Taking the Nakai Line, direct from Namba to Koyasan… this is the best option if you want to stay more than one night in Koyasan, or if you plan to move forward,
    instead of getting back to Osaka. It cost 1390 ¥ and includes the cable-car to
    Koyasan. The trip takes in total 2h.

At Koyasan station you need to take a bus to your accommodation… it’s a 2.5 km distance to reach the center of Koyasan, and 5 km to reach the easternmost point of Koyasan.

The bus from Koyasan station (the terminus of the cable car) to Okunoin (cemetery) cost 420 ¥, one way.

  • Buy the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket, which is the best option if you just want to stay one night is Koyasan. 2900 ¥ and includes the return train trip, the cable car
    and the bus pass to move around Koyasan for two days.

Note: The Nakai Line trains to Koyasan departure from Namba Station, but don’t mistake with JR Namba. Nakai is a private company and has it’s own station (the JP rail pass ins not valid here) that is linked with JR Namba by the Namba Walk, a long-long tunnel that takes around 15 minutes to walk, where you can find shops and restaurants along the way.

Yakushima… like a dream!

Looking for a magic place?!?! Japan has a lot of beautiful landscapes, but Yakushima Island exceeded expectations. It’s like a dream, a fairytale…

Shiratani trail

By some mysterious reasons, there are places, located a thousand kilometers away at different latitudes, that look that are connected by a strange bound, sharing the almost the same scenery and offering similar experiences… like the Living Root bridges of Nongriat, in India and the Mossy Forest of Gunung Brinchang, in Malaysia.

Shiratani trail

Yakushima, an island located south from Kagoshima Prefecture don’t have more than 100 km perimeter if you go along the road that goes all around the island, and its basically mountains, covered by a dense green forest, where the populations only occupy some small places along the coast. All the interior of the island remains almost untouched.

Basically there only two roads that go inside the island: one to Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine and the other one to Yakusugi Land, that also gives access to Arakawa trail, to reach the famous Jomon Sugi (the oldest tree in the island, and one of the oldest in the world) that is also the highest peak on Yakushima, at an elevation of 1,934 m.

Shiratani trail
Shiratani trail

This island is basically all covered with cedars trees and here you can find specimens with more than 1000 years, and the oldest are sign along the trails. One of the most famous, apart from Jomo Sugi, is the Kigensugi Cedar that has an estimated age of 3000 years, or the Buddha Cedar with 1800 years.

The Shiratani is famous for the moss covered forest, an area with more humidity (even more than the rest of Yakushima), but walking further you can reach a high point the Taikoiwa Rock from where you can have a wide view… and see finally the sunlight (in a clear day) as the forest here is so dense that is hard to see the sun!

Shiratani trail
Shiratani trail

The main village in Yakushima is Miyanoura and is where you’ll arrive if you choose to come by ferry (the Yakushima 2 or the Hibiscus). Here is also where you can find a bigger concentration of restaurants and supermarkets, as well the tourist information (there also one Tourist office at the exit of the airport as also close by Anbo harbor).

To visit Ohkono-taki waterfall, you only have one bus that goes there. Its departure from Miyanoura at 8:41, arrives at 10:22 and returns from the waterfall at 11:00. So this is the only schedule possible, otherwise, you need to walk from the previous stop Kuriobashi. Is time enough to visit the waterfall.

On the way back I stop at Nakama beach and also check the Nakama Gajumaru Banyan, a group of ficus trees whose roots are connected, forming an arch. It’s nothing impressive especially after you walk along the Yakushima trails, and force you to break the bus trip from Ohkono-taki waterfall, forcing two hours waiting for the next bus.

Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine trail

  • One way: departure at 8:10 and arrives at Shiratani at 8:45… but you don’t need to start so early and there’s a more convenient bus at 10:45, that allow you to hick all the courses and finish on
    time of the last bus.
  • Return: the bus’s last departure from Shiratani at 16:10 and take about 30, to arrive at Miyanoura.
  • There are 3 trails in Shiratani. The longest takes you to the Taikoiwa Rock, passing by the moss covered forest and is the most interesting of all. The other
    long trail, takes you to the Sanbon-yarisugi cedar, passing by several of very old
    cedar trees. The short course it’s very easy as most of it is steps and paved
    trail to reach the Yayoisugi Cedar.
  • This is a good option if you arrive at Yakushima early in the morning in the Hibiscus ferry, as it gives time to reach the guesthouse, get information in the tourist office (open at 9am) as well the bus pass and still have time to go to the supermarket (also open at 9am, and it’s close from the tourist information building) to buy some food for the hick.
  • Fee for Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine: 500 ¥
Yakusugi Land

Yakusugi Land trail plus the visit to Kigensugi Cedar, 6 km further

In fact, Yakusugi means trees with more than 1000 years old and in this area there a big concentration of these old cedar trees.

Inside Yakusugi Land you have five different trails, a couple of them with about 1km, that are paved and easy to walk; the longest one as 4.4km, basically going up and down the hills using the tree roots as steps. The longest trail includes almost all the length of the shorter ones. It’s an easy walk that took me 4 hours with several stops for photos and to enjoy the views.

But after doing the long trail I realize that I wouldn’t have time to reach Kigensugi Cedar on time to catch the last bus to return. So hitchhiking and was lucky with one of the few cars that do that road.

If you are in Miyanoura, these are the possible bus schedules to visit Yakusugi:

  • One way: departure at 8:41, and change at Gochome at 9:20 to another bus that reachs at Yakusugi at 10:07.
  • Return: departure at 15:15, arrive at Gochome at 15:58, and then you need to wait until 16:32 for the bus to Miyanoura.
  • This schedule allows you to walk along all the trails without a rush. You can also start later (12:51) or leave from Yakusugi earlier (11:05).
  • Fee for Yakusugi Land: 500 ¥

But the most famous trail is Jomo Sugi, an 11.5 km trail that reaches the 1300m, starting in Arakawa. It takes all day, and in the wintertime the days are short… so I didn’t’ even try… maybe next time. You need to departure from Miyanoura (this bus starts at Sea Side Hotel, stop number 19) around 4:45 to catch the fist bus to Shinenkan, and there change bus at 6:00 to Arakawa Tozanguichi that takes just 35 minutes. To return you must be at the bus stop at Arakawa at 15:30… maybe too short to hike 11 km!??!?

Yakusugi Land
Yakusugi Land

Onoaida Onsen:

There is about 8 onsen (natural hot springs) in Yakushima, most of them are in the sea… as it was November, thes options didn’t show up much pleasant, despite the winter in Yakuhima being more gentle that in other parts of Japan.

But couldn’t resist to visiting twice the Onoaida onsen, located on the south coast of Yakushima, being the most famous of all the onsen between the local population. The poll isn’t that big, but the water is so warm that no one can stay there for more than a couple of minutes. You can see the bubbles from the sulfur hot spring coming from the bottom of the poll between the basalt pebbles.

Here people use more the water from the hot spring to wash rather than using the shower, pouring buckets of water over the body from the pool.

Onoaida onsen is located a bit away from the main road, close by the forest, but doesn’t have any exterior pool. The building, all made in wood with a high ceiling, where the floor and wall are covers by the black volcanic rock, offers a cozy ambiance, where you can try to interact with the local population, and relax from a hiking day!!

I also try the Kusugawa onsen but doesn’t recommend, is it’s more like a public bath with warm tap water, in a dodgy building.

After a hike, there’s nothing better than a very hot bath, and the onsen provides that treat!!!! You end up almost melting on the way back to your guesthouse.

Fee: 200¥ but you need to bring a towel and soap.

Nakama beach

How to move around Yakushima by bus:

In fact, the main issue that I face in Yakushima was transportation. Some buses go around the island, from Nagata to Ohkono-taki waterfall, but they are not very frequent with sometimes gaps of 2 hours and finish very early.

So this can really be an obstacle to explore the island, making short hikes of 4 hours, like Yakusugi Land and Shiratani-trail, take you all day, as you probably need to wait more than one hour for the bus back. So basically you need one day for each of the trails… and depending on your location, and one extra day more to the visit the Ohkono-taki waterfall.

Here is some info about buses in Yakushima:

  • Kotsu Bus
    Pass    : the bus is the only way to move around Yakushima, but this service is scarce, with several places having only two buses a day. Apart from that, the bus is expensive, as a trip around the island (from Okonotaki waterfall to Miyanoura) costs 1900 ¥. So it’s better to get the bus Kotsu Pass, that allows an unlimited number of trip, with several options:
    • 1 day: 2000 ¥
    • 3 day: 3000 ¥
    • 4 day: 4000 ¥
  • You can get the Kotsu Bus Pass at the Information office of Miyanoura, Ambo Port and the Airport; at Miyanoura, the Yakushima Visitor Center (a kind of souvenir shop located on the left side of the main road, about 100m further from the Information Center, but this shop opens earlier, at 8 am) and also at the Youth Hostel.
  • It’s easy to navigate by bus as all the stops have a number that is also in the bus schedule.

More information about the bus schedule at: http://yakukan.jp/doc/pdf/2019gw_yakuko_en.pdf

Where to sleep in Yakushima:

I choose to stay at Miyanoura. It’s not a charming place but it very close to the harbor, which reveals convenient when arriving and departures as you don’t need to de dependent on the buses. Miyanoura, wherever you stay, it’s a walking distance from the harbor.

I stayed at Sudomari Minshuku Friend, It’s a local guesthouse, with traditional Japanese shared rooms, some with beds others with tatamis. A quiet place where I felt at home. Laundry is for free and you can use the kitchen. The manager is very friendly but doesn’t speak much English, so you can’t count much on him to get help with how to move around. It’s continentally located just in front of one Kotsu bus stops and it’s about 1.2km from the Hibiscus Ferry port. 3300 ¥ a night.

Where to eat in Yakushima:

As an Island, Yakushima speciality is the fish, and there are several restaurants in Miyanoura, but some of them only open for lunch.

The supermarket (there are two) are a good option if you need to buy food for the hiking. Some places offer bento box but the price is a bit high.

At the Community Plaza, a small shop located a few meters further from Sudomari Minshuku Friend Guest House, they serve also food for a very cheap price. The usual dish is curry (meat) but if you are in the mood for a snack you can try the sweet potato set, that also include a tea and a delicious sweet, also made form sweet potato… only 100 ¥ (it closes around 4pm).

Things to know when you arrive at Yakushima:

  • The tourist information in Miyanoura, that you gonna find on the right side of the road when you leave from the harbor, has the door closed with a sign “closed today”; go around the building (along the left side), as the main door is the opposite side; the Information office is open from 9 am until 5 pm,
    everyday.     Here you can get the maps of the trails, the bus schedule as also the Kotsu Bus Pass.
  • There are two big supermarkets at Miyanoura, and they are open from 9 am until 10pm; there you can find ready-made meals for take-away.
  • Money: It’s better to get cash before the trip, as in Yakushima the only ATMs are in the post office spread along the
    island, but they charge 220 ¥ commission for each withdraws.

How to reach Yakushima by ferry boat:

click this link:

How to go From Kagoshima to Yakushima by ferry

There are three options to arrive in Yakushima by boat (there’s also the option to reach the island by plane):

  • Toppy & Rocket (High-speed boat)
    • One way: 9200 ¥
    • Return trip: 16600 ¥
    • Duration: 3h
    • Departure: Kagoshima High-speed boat Terminal (Kousokusen) located 700m north from the ferry terminal)
    • Arrives at Miyanoura or Anbo, depending on the schedule
    • There are 6 boats daily, each way. It’s a passenger boat.
  • Ferry Yakushima 2
    • One way: 6100 ¥
    • Return trip: 11000 ¥
    • Duration: 4h
    • Departure: Kagoshima Ferry Terminal (Minamifuto)
    • Arrives at Miyanoura Port
    • There is only one boat daily, each way.
  • Ferry Hibiscus (slow ferry)
    • One way: 3900 ¥
    • Return trip: 7800 ¥
    • Duration: 13h to Yakushima (overnight trip) but the return trip takes 6.5h (it departures from Yakushima in the morning)
    • Departure: Taniyama Port
    • Arrives at Miyanoura Port (Yakushima)
    • There is only one boat a day, each way.
    • It’s a cargo boat, very basic, no seats, with some room for passengers.
    • To Yakushima it’s an overnight trip and it stops at Tanegashima island for cargo operation);
    • During the stop at Tanegashima Island, the passengers to Yakushima can’t leave the boat… I mean, they can but can’t board again with the same ticket!!
Ferry Hibiscus

Ferry Hibiscus tickets… if you buy return ticket you must exchange the payment receipt at the Miyanoura Port before boarding into the boat

Ferry Hibiscus Schedule:

  • departure 18:00 from Kagoshima and arrives at Yakushima at 7:00
  • departure 7:00 from Yakushima and arrives at Kagoshima at 14:40

My choice was for the “super slow” Ferry Hibiscus, as it allow me to save one night in accommodation sleeping in the boat, at as it arrives early morning I could start to explore the island in the same day that I arrive, with time enough to drop my stuff at the guesthouse (I choose to stay in Miyanoura as it is more convenient in terms of accessibilities).

How to reach the Ferry Hibiscus harbour (Taniymakou):

But the Hibiscus ferry as one disadvantage as its departure from a harbour 13 km south from Kagoshima, and also far from the nearby trains line (Ibusukimakurazaki Line). But from Kagoshima-Chuo, there’s a direct bus to Taniyama Port:

  • The bus doesn’t have a number, and just make this route 3 times a day.
  • The most convenient time is the 15:48 (and also the last bus of the day), and it arrives at the harbor around 16:34… just on time for you to get the ticket and board in the ferry; the boarding start at 17:00.
  • This bus stop at the bus station nearby Kagoshima-Chuo, from the East side, at stop number 16 (East 16); it’s easy to identify the bus stop, but don’t expect to find information in western characters. When I took this bus it arrived 2 minutes later than scheduled and didn’t stop more than one minute, as there wasn’t another passenger to board.
  • The bus trip costs 380 ¥, one way; you pay on board at the end of the trip; the Taniyama Port is the last stop.
Bus stop at Kagoshima-Chuo Station
Bus stop at Taniyama Port
The bus that links Kagoshima-Chuo to Hibiscus Ferry harbor

The Hibiscus Ferry doesn’t have the usual passenger seats; instead, there are a few rooms, with a kind of carpeted platform where you can lay down. Blankets and pillows are provided. Maybe at first glance, it looks a bit basic, but the conditions are good enough for a good night of sleep… maybe disturbed by the cargo activity on the ship basement. The toilets are reasonably clean with toilet paper and soap. It’s a nice and easy trip!!!!

Passengers room at Hibiscus Ferry

Hibiscus ferry from Yakushima to Kagoshima:

  • The ferry arrives at Kagoshima at 14:40
  • The bus leaves Taniyama Port (aka Taniyamakou) at 15:16 and arrives at Kagoshima-Chuo at 16:02…. with a bit of delay due to the traffic.
Hibiscus ticket office at Taniyama Port
time table of the Bus from the harbour to Kagoshima-Chuo

At Kagoshima-Chuo (Shinkansen train station) there’s an information desk that can provide all the information and point the right way to find the bus to Taniyama Port. They can also give you pamphlets of the island with maps.

There’s no need to reserve a ticket for the Hibiscus ferry (neither for the Yakushima 2), as there are less than a dozen passengers on each trip… once I did the trip alone from Yakushima to Tanegashima!!!

Food:

Be prepared with food for the trip. Inside the boat, there only machines selling instant noodles and drinks. At Taniyama Port you fins more or less the same options.

So it’s better to buy food in Kagoshima before taking the bus. There’s a FamilyMart just outside the train station (East side) and another one crossing the road.

At Kagoshima-Chuo station there are a few restaurants for several budgets.

Money:

It’s also good to get cash before the trip, as in Yakushima the only ATMs are in the post office spread along the island, but they charge 220 ¥ commission for each withdraws.

Things to know when you arrive at Yakushima:

  • The tourist information in Miyanoura, that you gonna find on the right side of the road when you leave from the harbor, has the door closed with a sign “closed today”; go around the building (along the left side), as the main door is the opposite side; the Information office is open from 9 am until 5 pm, everyday. Here you can get the maps of the trails, the bus schedule as also the Kotsu Bus Pass.
  • Kotsu Bus Pass: the bus is the only way to move around Yakushima, but this service is scarce,
    with several places having only two buses a day. Apart from that, the bus is expensive, as a trip around the island (from Okonotaki to Miyanoura) costs 1900¥. So it’s better to get the bus Kotsu Pass, that allows an unlimited number of trip, with several options:
    • 1 day: 2000 ¥
    • 3 day: 3000 ¥
    • 4 day: 4000 ¥
  • You can get the Kotsu Bus Pass at the Information
    office of Miyanoura, Ambo Port and the Airport; at Miyanoura, the Yakushima Visitor Center (a kind of souvenir shop located on the left side of the main road, about 100m further from the Information Center, but this shop opens earlier, at 8 am) and also at the Youth Hostel.
  • There are two big supermarkets at Miyanoura, and
    they are open from 9 am until 10 pm; there you can find ready-made meals for
    taking away.

Where to sleep in Yakushima:

I choose to stay at Miyanoura. It’s not a charming place but it very close to the harbor, which reveals convenient when arriving and departures as you don’t need to de dependent on the buses. Miyanoura, wherever you stay, it’s a walking distance from the harbor.

I stayed at Sudomari Minshuku Friend, It’s a local guesthouse, with traditional Japanese shared rooms, some with beds others with tatamis. Quiet and homy place. Laundry is for free and you can use the kitchen. The manager is very friendly but doesn’t speak much English, so you can’t count much on him to get help with how to move around. It’s continentally located just in front of one Kotsu bus stops and it’s about 1.2km from the Hibiscus Ferry port. 3300¥ a night.

Hiroshima… more than memories from the war

Hiroshima wasn’t in the initial plan of this trip, as usually I avoid war related places in my travels. But I realize that I need to make a stopover somewhere to break the long trip from Fuji until Kagoshima, in the south of Japan main land. So Hiroshima pop up in the map as a good place to spend one day and also a good opportunity to feel a bit more the urban vibe after a long time focusing in nature and landscapes.

And it end up being a good choice, as the city offer a more warm weather, with a relax atmosphere and laidback people, almost making us forget that we are in a city with more than one million of inhabitants.

Atomic Bomb Dome

We can say that the city is strongly connected with the atomic bomb drop in 1945, with many sites and memorials evoking this sad event. Nowadays the life runs as usual in a modern Japanese city but still the memorial to the bomb victims is visited daily not only by tourist as also by locals that come here to pay there respects.

And in fact, the Atomic Bomb Dome, a kind of iconic image of Hiroshima and a subject impossible to overcome, produce a certain impact and it’s difficult to be affected by the energy of the place, that despite being surrounded by a beautiful park nearby a rive, still carry a negative memory.

Not far from this memorial, we can reach the Hiroshima Castle, a replica of the one destroyed during the war.

Hiroshima Castle

And walking a bit more we reach the Shukkeien Garden, a traditional Japanese garden constructed in XVII century, and rebuild after the war. The design of the garden allow you to observe different perspective while you walk around the pond, which is the center of this type of Japanese gardens, where the trees are placed and were chosen according a tradition the miniaturized natural landscapes.

It’s a very calm place where you can easily spend one hour walking along the narrow paths and go up and down the small artificial hills, where small shrines can be spotted in the middle of the vegetation.

Shukkeien Garden

The Hondori-Dori is the center of the commercial life in Hiroshima, and a good place for a first approach to this city to feel the local vibe. Along this street and also the nearby alley you have a wide choice of restaurants, where is possible to find good udon with a reasonable price, at Chikara restaurant, for example.

Hondori-Dori

There’s not much to see in Hiroshima in terms of sightseeing, but the city offer a chill vibe, very relax and with the highest concentration of bicycles that I saw until now in this country… and people here cycle fast, crossing streets and sidewalks, away from the usual formal Japanese style!!!

Where to sleep in Hiroshima:

As far I am concerned, when I plan to stay in a place for a short period (like one or two nights) I prefer to stay close by the train station, as like that I don’t need to walk much with the backpack. Then, after drop my luggage I can easily move around by walking or taking local public transportation.

So my choice was to Hiroshima Hana Hostel. It’s located 600 meters from the Hiroshima train station. From here you can in 205minutes reach the Hondori-Dori, the main commercial street. The Hiroshima Hana Hostel is simple, not very modern but has a very good atmosphere and a super friendly and helpful staff.