Two days ago, I wrapped up a five-day hike on the Kumano Kodo trail on the Kii Peninsula. I went with eleven other Americans (including my cousin Kate) and two Japanese guides who work for Mt. Sobek. Since we finished the hike, I’ve had a hard time starting this post. I saw and learned too much to know where to begin.
We started in Osaka and traveled by train and bus to the visitors center in Takijiri where the trail begins. This hike follows an imperial pilgrimage path that has been followed for centuries. The trail connects many shrines (Shinto) and temples (Buddhist) and is dotted with “ojis,” which are sub-shrines that host stone deities called Kami. The sculptures are very cute and most of them wear red aprons that are sewn by the caretakers. The hike was more challenging than I expected because the trail is covered with roots and slippery rocks and gravel and ascends very quickly. For most of the hike, I was pitched slightly forward hiking up, up, up, and then dropping to a careful low center of gravity to make my way down the path.
The first day we hiked to a ryokan called Kirin-o-sato Takahara, a really funky (in a good way) place with maybe 10 rooms and a nice onsen (community bath, separated by gender) that looked out at the mountains across a valley. One of the owners was an extraordinarily high energy dude who plays Spanish guitar and talks impossibly fast. The next day we did a longer portion of the trail and returned to Takahara. On day 3, we hiked to the most important of the three shrines on the trail, Hongu Taisha, with a Shugendo monk. He was a very chill guy who runs a cafe, B&B, and tour guide company in Hongu. He’s also a kayaking instructor. Shugendo monks are expected to have jobs so that they experience what other people experience.
That night, we stayed at Fujiya Ryokan, which had another dope onsen bath, this time facing a river. The next day we visited the other two important shrines and took a boat trip down the Kumano River.
That day was epic. After the second of the two shrines, we took a public bus to a strange little fishing town where we caught a boat that was shaped like a turtle to an enormous vacation resort. The resort was sort of shabby by comparison to other places we stayed but it had old casino vibes and was filled with (what I assume were) elderly clerical/working class people on vacation. The onsen there looked out onto a very angry Pacific Ocean. It was mesmerizing to watch the waves slam against the rocks below the cave that held the pools, and it was also mesmerizing to watch two dozen old naked ladies also watch those waves, transfixed by the energy of the ocean. Not surprisingly, no cameras were allowed in there but you can see a picture here.
After 5 days of hiking (approximately 22 miles with elevation gain/loss of 625-1300 ft each day), we took the train to Kyoto and crammed in a few more shrines for good measure. I didn’t set out to write a review for Mt. Sobek when I started this post but just detailing what I have here reminded me of all the insanely good food I ate and how well organized it was. Our guides Kana and Tomo were the sweetest and most organized people I’ve ever met, and their patience for some nonsense was admirable. They are both freelancers, so if you are going to Japan and want a guide recommendation, let me know, and I will put you in touch.
On to other thoughts. These are random so be forewarned.
I think the 7-11 love is unwarranted. It’s true that there a wide variety of “to go” Japanese food that is easy to eat on the run, but I’m not convinced it’s more nutritious than what you’d find at an American 7-11. There’s very little fresh food, almost no produce, and the limited protein didn’t look that appetizing. It’s novel but I wouldn’t want to subsist on it. It’s just fast food.
The bathroom situation is in fact next level. The toilets have bidets even in the public rest stops, heated seats are everywhere, and many toilets have a “flushing sound for privacy” function. That said, they are still toilets, and I wonder if Japanese people think it’s weird that the rest of us are so enamored of their toilets. Or more likely, they think we are gross for using the bathroom without donning toilet slippers.
Another phenomenon: when my fellow hikers were not raving about how wildly different some things are (toilets, food), they were trying to find similarities between their religion and the ones they were being invited to learn about. This is probably specific to hiking on a pilgrimage trail but it was frustrating to listen to folks asking questions that indicated that they couldn’t wrap their heads around Shinto or Buddhism. It was disappointing to them that there was not a clear catechism that could be recited, that “sin” doesn’t hold resonance, and that matters like “who created the earth” are not matters of concern to Shinto believers. It made me realize that we are always evaluating new things based on whether they are similar to or different from what we already know, and that we rarely try to come to something new with a fresh and open mind about what it offers. Tl/dr: I think Shinto makes sense and I’m glad I learned more about it.
I will be here in Kyoto for a few more days and then go to Tokyo. If you like the pictures, please feel free to follow me on Instagram.