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Kumano-Kodo Nakahechi Route (Chikatsuyu-Oji - Kobiro-Oji Section)

Location & practical

A Pilgrim’s Road Through Old Japan

  • Ancient imperial pilgrimage route.
  • 800-year-old sacred cedars.
  • Traditional villages and mountain shrines.
  • €0 / person
  • Chikatsuyu and Nonaka, Nakahechi, Tanabe
  • Pilgrimage trail
  • 120–180 minutes

Chikatsuyu was accommodating imperial pilgrims long before Japan had a tourism industry. More than 900 years ago, parties of up to 300 travellers stopped in this mountain village, washing away their impurities in the Hiki River before visiting the local shrine. Even an imperial pilgrimage came with certain discomforts.

The Nakahechi route follows the old road uphill, past traditional houses and small wooden plaques identifying former Edo period inns. The surrounding hills are thick with trees, though the road itself is largely paved. This is rural Japan going about its daily business, with a thousand years of pilgrimage history running through it.

The real reason to linger is Tsugizakura-oji. In 1109, the courtier Fujiwara Munetada recorded the unusual sight of a cherry tree grafted onto a cypress, giving the shrine its name. Today, it is the cedars that steal the show. Some are believed to be 800 years old, with trunks measuring up to eight metres around. Their branches famously point south towards the sacred Nachi Falls, earning them the name Ipposugi, or one direction cedars. Remarkably, they almost disappeared in 1906, when a government programme to consolidate shrines threatened the grove. The naturalist Minakata Kumagusu, an early champion of conservation, helped save them.

Beside the shrine, the thatched Toganoki-jaya recreates a traditional teahouse, complete with a sunken irori hearth. Occasionally, a local volunteer is there to offer tea. A short detour downhill leads to Nonaka-no-Shimizu, a mountain spring counted among Japan's hundred famous waters.

From here, the road continues towards Kobiro-oji, where the more demanding forest trails begin. This seven kilometre section of the Kumano Kodo offers a gentler introduction to the ancient pilgrimage, with village life, centuries of history and a rather extraordinary collection of trees. The sort of walk that rewards curiosity as much as a good pair of shoes.

Good to know.

Location
Nakahechicho Nonaka, Tanabe, Wakayama 646-1401, Japan
Open map & directions
Contact
tb-kumano.jp
Parking
Public parking is listed near the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Art Museum, with additional parking by the A-Coop grocery store along Route 311 in Chikatsuyu. Both require walking to the Chikatsuyu-oji start; a one-way walk also requires a plan to retrieve the car.
Getting around
Local buses from Kii-Tanabe and Shirahama serve Chikatsuyu-oji and Nakahechi Bijutsukan-mae. The Nonaka Ipposugi stop on Route 311 is about 20–25 minutes on foot downhill from Tsugizakura-oji; Kobiro-toge has a separate bus stop for the eastern end of this section. Services are limited, so confirm the day-specific schedule and the walking connection between Kobiro-oji and Kobiro-toge bus stop before setting out.
Arriving
Begin at Chikatsuyu-oji in the village of Chikatsuyu and follow the Nakahechi pilgrimage markers towards Nonaka, Tsugizakura-oji and Kobiro-oji. This is a one-way walk of approximately 7 km; the first 4 km to Tsugizakura-oji climb roughly 216 m. Allow about 2–3 hours including stops. To finish at Kobiro-oji rather than continue into the mountain forest, organise onward or return transport in advance. Carry the official Tanabe City map rather than relying only on generic pedestrian routing.
Accessibility
Although much of this section follows paved roads, the climb out of Chikatsuyu is sustained and there are uneven stretches and steps around Tsugizakura-oji. The complete pilgrimage walk has not been verified as wheelchair accessible or step-free; ask the local tourism bureau for an individual assessment.
Travelling with children
Families may walk the public route, but it is a sustained uphill outing with narrow country roads, occasional uneven paths and shrine steps. Supervise young children near traffic and steps, and choose a shorter Chikatsuyu to Tsugizakura return walk if the full one-way distance is too much.

Worth knowing

  • Entry to the public, self-guided pilgrimage route is free: EUR 0 minimum and EUR 0 maximum. The quoted range excludes optional guided walks, bus fares, meals, luggage transfer and accommodation; those are separately priced services, not mandatory entry charges.
  • The route from Chikatsuyu-oji to Kobiro-oji is approximately 7 km and is predominantly paved. The tourism bureau separately measures Chikatsuyu-oji to Tsugizakura-oji as 4 km, about 1 hour 15 minutes and roughly 216 m of ascent. Budget about 2–3 hours for the longer section, including shrine and teahouse stops; this is an editorial planning estimate.
  • Tsugizakura-oji is the standout stop for the Nonaka-no-Ipposugi cedar grove; Toganoki-jaya is a reconstructed period teahouse. A volunteer may occasionally serve free tea, but no refreshments or staffed opening hours are guaranteed.
  • Nonaka-no-Shimizu is below Tsugizakura-oji and involves a downhill detour; allow for the climb back if continuing east. It is recognised as one of Japan’s celebrated natural drinking-water springs.
  • Buses serve Chikatsuyu-oji, Nonaka Ipposugi and Kobiro-toge on the wider route, but stops are not interchangeable and departures can be sparse. Check the current timetables and the exact trail-to-stop walking connection before planning a one-way itinerary.
  • Take drinking water and food, wear comfortable walking shoes with grip, and check the weather and official detour notices. Toilets, food options and shops are easier to find in Chikatsuyu than on the road farther east.
  • The Nakahechi is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, inscribed in 2004. The designation concerns defined heritage components; do not assume every paved metre of this modern walking itinerary is individually inscribed.
  • Check local trail updates immediately before departure. A status notice checked on 30 October 2026 reported no Nakahechi closure between Takahara and Hongu; weather and local works can change conditions without notice.
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