World Heritage Kumano Kodo Iseji Route:The Magose-Toge Pass
Have you heard of the old proverb "Seven times to Ise, three times to Kumano” before? In the past, people in Japan desired to visit Ise Jingu once in their lifetime. In 2004, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes, connecting the sacred sites Kumano Sanzan and Ise Jingu were registered as a World Heritage Site under the name “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”. This time, we hiked on the Magose-toge Pass along the Iseji Route, a noticeably less crowded World Heritage Site, and stopped at Mt. Binshiyama, which has a breathtaking viewpoint of the surrounding mountains and the sea dotted with islands. We were impressed with the historical stone pavement, pristine nature, and spectacular scenery, and recommend nature lovers walk along the same route to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
A huge 1000-year-old camphor tree at the entrance of Owase Shrine
We found the shrine calm and peaceful after our hike.
Ya Ya Matsuri is a well-known festival with more than 300 years of history. It is held every year from 1 February for five days at the shrine. To pray for a good harvest, men ram into each other fiercely during the festival. If we have the chance, we would love to come back to Owase to check out the festival in February.
Ya Ya Matsuri is held at Owase Shrine on 1 Feb every year.
How to reach the Magose-toge Pass
The easiest way is to drive from Nagoya or Osaka to Michi-no-Eki Miyama directly, and it takes approximately 2 to 2.5 hours from Nagoya and around 3 hours from Osaka. It is also possible to descend to Owase City after climbing up to Mt. Binshiyama and take the bus back to Michi-no-Eki Miyama, but the bus is not very frequent. Please check the bus and train timetables in advance. Public transportation is available and the closest train and bus station to Michi-no-eki Miyama is Aiga station and Miyama bus station, respectively. From Iseshi station, it takes about 2.5 hours to arrive at Aiga station and it is about a 25-minute walk from there to the start of the hike.
Wrap Up
All in all, it takes at least 5 hours to finish the trails mentioned above. Hiking on the Kumano Kodo Iseji Route is one of the best ways to experience Japanese culture. It is such an amazing experience to spend a day in unspoiled nature as if we were samurai from the Edo period. The view from Elephant’s Back was the highlight of our Mie trip as well. If you are planning your next hike to the Magose-toge Pass, please wear hiking shoes and comfortable sportswear as the moss-covered cobblestone trail can be slippery after rain. Since there are no vending machines or restaurants on the hiking trails, please prepare drinks and food in advance as it requires stamina to finish the hike. We hope you can include the Magose-toge Pass in your next trip to Japan!