The fourth day hiking the Kumano Kodo trail was a recovery day and only 13.2 km/8.2 miles. Our legs were sore but our souls were refreshed after a night at the Yunomine Onsen, where we dipped in the calming hot waters of the hotel’s onsen and enjoyed a traditional 12-course Japanese meal.
The hike today involved a short bus ride to the Kogumotori-goe section of the trail, where we had perhaps one of the best views of the velvety green forested mountains. The look out area is called Hyakken-gura looks out onto the “Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku-ho” – a local expression which literally translates as the “3,600 peaks of Kumano” per our guidebook.
A small Jizo statue guards a stunning backdrop of the Kumano mountains
Since much of the hike is through thick forests, we did not have many views of the mountains except on this day. The word “gura” means “high cliff,” and from the Hyakken-gura we could see velvet green-covered peaks as far as the eye could see. It certainly was magical.
After the lookout, we continued back deep within the forests, hearing only the sound of bird and the occasional hiker.
The wind blew through the tops of the trees, creating an unusual, mystical sound and making them sway back and forth like giant toothpicks. Yet as promised, there were lots of shrines to keep us coming along the way.
It took us roughly four hours to complete the hike, and given the remoteness of the area, we had some time to kill before we would catch the one local bus that would bring us back to town for the night.
There, we met a friendly young entrepreneur who opened up his cafe bar alongside the bus stop, building it out of an old pickup truck. He had come to this part of Japan after hiking the Kumano Kodo and fell in love with its beauty. As a dual pilgrim (he completed both the Camino and the Kumano Kodo), his dream is to someday open a lodge following the donation model he saw in Spain.
We grabbed a beer, sat down, and basked in the sun until our bus arrived. Of course I had to take some shots of this young man. To attract customers and business, he dressed as a samurai and played a horn from below the bus stop where we would have been sitting for two hours had he not opened his bar, aptly named “Free Soul”.
Close to four o’clock, the bus (the one and only bus for the day) arrived, and it was an experience in itself trying to see perhaps three times the capacity of hikers try to cram and jam into the bus. Thank goodness we arrived early and were first in line or else it would be a long walk back to Ukegawa!
We arrived just in time for another 12-course traditional Japanese meal, and slept well for our last hike of the trek. It would be a long one but the best!
Stunning scenery!
Thanks so much for stopping by Sue! 🙂
😊
RUT!
Glad you did this “rest day” hike also. We couldn’t imagine just sitting around in Yunomine Onsen all day! We made two mistakes … we didn’t know about a ride to start the hike so we walked from the hotel to the start, and then we got to the end so early that we would have had over 4 hours to wait and we were told the bus might not ever come. Yikes! We found two other women after about an hour and we all called for a car to come and get us. We think we got scammed on the price but we didn’t care because there was nothing to do and we did not want to walk the whole way back. No sign of that little cafe bar which would have been fun!
Wow that does not sound fun! But that is what travel is all about, right? I was stunned by how many tourists tried to cram into the bus. It was pretty crazy. I enjoyed one night at the Onsen but would rather have had another home stay. Those were my favorite parts of the trip!
Same. Fun to experience the onsens but would have loved another homestay and a point-to-point hike that day. Still fun, though!
This “recovery day” actually looks just as fun and exciting. Despite the relatively short hike, you still got to see a lot. The owner of “Free Soul” seems quite a character! But what I really drool over is that photo of the 12-course Japanese meal you had.
The food at the onsens was insane. So many courses with so many different tastes. My daugher is a vegetarian so hers was even more customized. It was qutie the experience!
Outside of what sounds like another incredible meal, a visit to the hot springs is a perfect place to rejuvenate one’s spirit and soul. Another perfect mix of awe-inspiring scenery and encounters. The Hyakken-gura lookout, the peaceful forests, and your story of the “Free Soul” bar and its creative owner bring this section of the Kumano Kodo to life, along with your photos of the beauty of the area.
Those forest views and the Hyakken-gura lookout sound absolutely magical. And that little cafe bar story is the cutest, love how travel brings such unexpected moments. Thanks for taking us along on your Kumano Kodo journey!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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