1200 YEAR OLD PILGRIMAGE • 60+ MILES • 29 PASSPORT STAMPS • 100% JAPAN
- 2:16 Smell the centuries-old cedar trees at Tsugizakura Oji.
- 3:38 Meet the Forest Spirit.
- 4:13 Hear the Yatagarasu (3-legged crow) cheering for you above the largest torii gate in the world at Kumano Hongu Taisha.
- 6:49 Dip in the oldest medicinal hot spring, Tsuboyu. Almost 200 degrees F, potent mineral water, used for over 1800 years.
- 9:08 Summit Ogumotori-goe and meet the bodhisattva.
- 11:32 Be surrounded by hundreds of dragonflies while viewing the sea from the mountaintop.
- 14:29 Drink from the tallest waterfall in Japan, Nachisan, for long life.
- 15:45 Take the train to the final shrine, Kumano Hayatama Taisha.
That was just a tiny slice of our of 8-day journey. Stayed tuned for my top 10 photos from each day on the trail. You can sign up for Pretty Pictures emails in the footer below to get the series in your inbox.
Music Credits
- Cocoro by Uttara-Kuru
- Shrine by Uttara-Kuru
- Mendicant Priest by Uttara-Kuru
- The House of the Rising Sun (1972 live) by Asakawa Maki