The walk of life in Japan

These mountain paths date back to the 10th century and link the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, Tanabe and Wakayama to the three grand shrines of Kumano. These three grand shrines - Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha - started out as popular pilgrimage destinations for the imperial family and aristocrats, before gaining popularity with commoners during the 15th century.


In 2004, Unesco declared the Kumano Kodo along with its sacred sites and shrines to be World Heritage sites - making this only one of two pilgrimage routes to achieve this status, the other being the more famous Camino de Santiago in Europe.

Many sections of the ancient mountain paths have been restored and with comfortable traditional guesthouses along the way (known as ryokan and minshuku) it is now possible to undertake your own pilgrimage and walk your way into a small part of Japan's history.

The beauty in undertaking this pilgrimage is threefold - you get to see amazing mountain scenery and actually have the time to appreciate it; you get to immerse yourself in the traditional Japanese way of life, including how they sleep, eat and bathe; and you get to take part in something much bigger than yourself, a sense of achievement that comes from successfully completing your pilgrimage, whatever your motives, as others did so many hundreds of years ago.

We started our adventure by taking the train from Kyoto to Tanabe. Near the train station there is an excellent tourist information office where they will answer any of your questions (in perfect English) and have many maps and brochures on the Kumano Kodo. We stopped here to have lunch before catching a local bus to our pilgrimage starting point, Takajiri.

Our four-and-a-half-day pilgrimage took us 70km along the Nakahechi route, through remote mountain paths and forests, past innumerable oji shrines and, most importantly, to two of the Kumano grand shrines - Hongu Taisha and Nachi Taisha.

The pilgrimage does test your fitness and endurance, with many long, lung-cleansing inclines followed by steep and slippery, joint-jolting declines. The scenery throughout the whole trail is breathtaking - from pristine mountain vistas, to misty wooded forests, to bamboo groves and lush river valleys.

We stayed in five quaint little villages along the Nakahechi route, where our hosts were always welcoming and very helpful, even if they didn't speak much English. Our dinner each evening was a gastronomical delight, each meal cooked freshly by our hosts and consisting of pickles, noodle soups, fried fish, tempura seafood and vegetables, sashimi and sticky rice. We washed down all this wonderful food with delicious local sake.

Each guesthouse had a lovely traditional communal Japanese onsen for bathing. An onsen is a hot spring bath, which the Japanese believe to have healing properties. Whether it does or not, soaking in a lovely hot bath is the perfect end to a tough day of hiking and a great remedy for aching muscles.

Each night we stayed in tatami mat rooms and pulled our futon mattresses out of the closet to convert our living room to a bedroom. We would leave the window open to enjoy the cool mountain breeze throughout the night, and slept the wonderful deep sleep of those who have earned it.

Our pilgrimage came to an end at the grand shine of Nachi Taisha, in a lovely little tourist town called Nachi-san and which is also home to the sacred Nachi-taki waterfall. Here we had a communal dinner with other pilgrims and shared stories of our experiences on the Kumano Kodo. We all agreed; it had been a tough but highly rewarding experience.

How to: Visit a Sento (Japanese Public Bath House)

At the end of a long day, a hot sento public bath can wash away your troubles, and that’s a pleasure worth sharing. Sento are a fading tradition but still dotted throughout Japanese suburbs, and even central Tokyo has a few ornate temple-like baths left. You’re likely to be the only non-Japanese at a sento, so to avoid standing naked and tongue-tied, find out what to bring, what to do there and which bath is electrified. Yes, electrified.

1. Pack your kit

You’re going to get naked. Completely. So the most essential item is a small towel to cover your privates. Everything else is optional. Most sento don’t provide soap and shampoo (although they sell them) so take these if you wish, along with a loofah, toothbrush and other toiletries. Don’t bring valuables, and expect some stares if you're heavily tattooed - many Japanese people still associate this with the yakuza, although it's highly unlikely you'll be mistaken for one.

2. Come to your sento

Sento range from small suburban baths to ‘super sento’ in the centre of Tokyo. When you enter, leave your shoes in a shoe locker. Pay the entrance fee (around ¥450) to either an old lady at a counter or at a vending machine for tokens.

3. Undress to impress

Men and women bathe separately, so look for the characters 男 for male and 女 for female to avoid embarrassment. Once through, you’ll find a change room with lockers for your clothes and belongings. After undressing, all you should be wearing is that small towel and a locker bracelet. Cross through the sliding doors with your toiletries to the tranquil baths.

4. Brush up on etiquette

The baths are a large, tiled space with deep rectangles of water and wafting steam. Speaking is kept to hushed, library levels. You’ll find open shower cubicles or basins lining the walls. Sit at a stool facing the wall and use the small bucket provided to wash yourself with warm water (soap optional). The baths are not for washing yourself in, so make sure you are sparkling clean before getting in. And find the toilets if you need to go! Hang up your towel and scrub yourself head to toe of any dirt, soap and shampoo.

5. The right bath

Enter a bath naked, or use your towel to tiptoe over if you are shy, but remember: the only thing that goes into a bath is your nude clean body. Choose your pool of water carefully. Maybe not the one with the lightning bolt symbol above it, unless a mild electric shock thrills you - the theory is that electricity contracts the muscles, thus relaxing you when you get out. Be careful also of the scalding bath - you’ll know it the moment you dip your pinkie in. Start instead with the hot bath, entering slowly to test the temperature. If there are other bathers, there’s no need to say a word or make eye contact, just enjoy. Relax, leave behind the world outside hurtling at bullet speed, and reflect upon the mural of ancient Mount Fuji.

6. Double dip

Once you have soaked enough in the hot bath, try the icy cold bath to snap you out of drowsiness. Some sento also have a mineral bath with rich, cola-black water.

Now step out and repeat the process, washing yourself again on a stool, then sinking into another bath - this is the centuries-old ritual of sento.

7. Lights out

To leave, go Japanese style - don’t wash off the minerals of your last dip, get changed into your pyjamas, try a milk from a vending machine, and stroll back to your bed, totally at ease with the world and ready for a deep sleep.