A forgotten pilgrimage trail, ancient power spots and authentic rural communities are waiting to be explored this hiking season on the Iseji Trail. Stretch your legs and tickle your spirit to welcome the green season on one of the Kumano Kodo’s finest routes, minus the crowds.
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Imagine walking on a moss-covered cobblestone path that winds its way up a mountain pass and down through a dense forest passing many small wooden shrines and Buddhist stone statues. Suddenly the trail opens to a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean with intriguing rock formations along the coast-line. You walk through quaint hamlets with bamboo groves and paddy fields and meander through the narrow streets of sleepy fishermen’s villages in quiet bays.
This is the ancient Iseji Trail, a centuries-old pilgrimage route on the Kii Peninsula part of the Kumano Kodo network of trails. While there are many walkers on other routes, the Iseji is still an insider’s path.
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Rekindling a Lost Tradition
The Iseji “walk of prayer” connects the Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture with the Three Kumano Grand Shrines at Hongu, Shingu and Nachi, now Wakayama Prefecture. For centuries pilgrims have traversed the nearly 200 kilometers between Ise and Kumano to petition Shinto and Buddhist deities at these places of worship.
What’s more, some pilgrims did not end their spiritual quest in Kumano, but continued on with the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage’s 33 Buddhist temples. This is another old pilgrimage route through the Kansai Region; its starting point is at Seiganto-ji Temple at Nachi.
During the Edo Period (1603-1868), the Iseji experienced a real boom, when going on a pilgrimage became popular amongst common people. However in the last century, the number of pilgrims decreased dramatically and the trail fell into disuse.
In recent years, concerted revival efforts have been made to attract more hikers and adventure seekers to a region that, albeit easily accessible, is still off-the-beaten path.
Highlighted Walks
Walking the whole Iseji would take one to two weeks, but there are easy access points from JR trains stations for selected parts of the trail for shorter durations. A good way to get started on the Iseji is to check out some shorter walks in the central and southern section of the Iseji, plus a visit to the Kumano Sanzen (Kumano’s three grand shrines).
- Magose-toge Pass and the Mount Tengurasan observation point, a protruding rock where ascetic monks trained, has splendid views of the Pacific Ocean (5.1 km.).
- Hadasu-no-michi is considered to be the oldest part of the Iseji with a Kamakura-Era (13th Century) cobblestone path (4 km.).
- Matsumoto-toge Pass and the mysterious Onigajo and Shishiiwa (Monster Castle and Lion Dog) rock formations on a breathtaking 25-km. long Shichi-rimihama pebble stone beach leading to Hananoiwaya (Flower Cave) Shrine (3.5 km.).
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Spiritual seekers might want to linger near nature spots considered sacred—like old trees or large rocks—and engage their senses to trace the roots of Shinto nature worship and animism and feel Iseji’s aura of myth and legend.
These stretches of the Iseji, and some others covering 32.9 kilometers of trails, were registered as part of the UNESCO Heritage Site called “Sacred Sites & Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains.”
Beyond the Pilgrimage
The transformational pilgrimage experience and many nature delights are more than enough to draw travelers, but if you need one more reasons to put the Iseji on your green season bucket list, then explore the treasure drove of authentic community activities.
Enjoy cooking with locals, making mehari-zushi (a traditional regional dish of flavored sushi rice wrapped in pickled Takana mustard leaves) and sipping local tangerine juice. There are also exciting outdoor experiences like sea kayaking or riding a traditional sandanbo (sailboat).
Essential Info
WHEN TO GO
The trail is open year round but spring and autumn are the best seasons to walk the Iseji. The area receives high amounts of rainfall, which makes a walk on slippery cobblestones a dangerous undertaking, so it is better to avoid rainy days and the days after. Accommodations along the trail are limited, hence plan and book well ahead of your journey to avoid getting stranded if you plan to walk the entire Iseji Trail.
GETTING THERE
Take the Kintetsu Limited Express to Matsusaka Station from Nagoya (70 min.), from Osaka (Namba (90 min.) or from Kyoto (an hour and 50 min.) and change for Iseshi (13 min.) where the Ise Grand Shrine is located. Change to the JR line in Matsusaka and go south to access the Iseji Trail in either Kii-Nakashima, Owase or Kumanoshi, all located in Mie Prefecture.
Alternatively, take the JR train from Nagoya or Matsusaka all the way to Shingu in Wakayama Prefecture. From there, use local busses to access the Three Kumano Grand Shrines.
WEB CONNECTION
Heartland Japan offers Kumano Kodo Iseji Pilgrimage Walking Tours: heartlandjapan.com/trip/kumano-kodo-iseji-pilgrimage-walking-tour/
For self-guided travelers, Mie Prefecture runs a website dedicated to the Iseji with information about each stretch of the trail and downloadable maps: www.kodo.pref.mie.lg.jp/en/