Discover the History, People, Food & Coastal Life of the Town Where Your Kumano Journey Begins
For many travelers, Kii-Tanabe is simply the place where they get off the train, buy a few supplies, and catch a bus toward Takijiri-oji to begin walking the Kumano Kodo.
But it is worth slowing down.
Kii-Tanabe is not merely a gateway to the mountains. It is a historic coastal town where Kumano pilgrimage, local religion, scholarship, martial arts, food culture, and everyday Japanese life have come together for centuries.
Spending a day here before setting off on the Nakahechi route gives you an opportunity to understand the region before you enter the forested mountains.
Rather than rushing straight to the trailhead, why not spend your first day discovering the town that has long stood at the meeting point of the sea, the mountains, and the pilgrimage route?
1. Arrive at Kii-Tanabe: The Gateway to Kumano
Your journey can begin at Kii-Tanabe Station, the main gateway to the Nakahechi route.
The station area has a completely different atmosphere from the major tourist centers of Kyoto or Osaka. It feels like a working regional town—a place where people actually live, shop, eat, and go about their daily lives.
Outside the station, you will find a statue of Benkei, the famous monk warrior traditionally associated with the Kii Peninsula.
From here, the mountains of Kumano lie to the east.
But before heading into them, take some time to explore Tanabe itself.
The town provides an interesting introduction to the landscape you are about to enter: a place shaped by pilgrimage, the ocean, forests, and local communities.
2. Tokei Shrine: Where the Kumano Pilgrimage Meets the Town
Your first major stop should be Tokei Shrine (Tokei-jinja).
The shrine is particularly important to the history of the Kumano pilgrimage.
Rather than being simply another beautiful Japanese shrine, Tokei Shrine is closely connected to the Kumano faith and the historical development of Tanabe.
This makes it an excellent place to visit before walking the Kumano Kodo.
The pilgrimage you are about to undertake was not simply a long-distance hike. For centuries, people traveled through this region as pilgrims heading toward the sacred sites of Kumano.
Standing at Tokei Shrine gives you a chance to begin thinking about that journey before your own walk begins.
A useful perspective
When you later walk through the forests of the Nakahechi route, you will encounter countless small shrines, stone monuments, paths, and settlements.
Understanding Tokei Shrine first helps put those places into context.
3. Aridoshi Shrine and the Historic Town
From Tokei Shrine, continue exploring the historic center of Tanabe.
Antsu Shrine (Aridoshi-jinja) offers another glimpse into the religious landscape of the town.
One of the pleasures of walking around Kii-Tanabe is that these places are not isolated tourist attractions. Shrines, small shops, restaurants, houses, and narrow streets are woven into the living town.
This is one reason it is worth exploring on foot.
Instead of seeing Tanabe as merely a transportation point, you begin to understand it as a local community connected to the much larger cultural landscape of Kumano.
4. Meet Minakata Kumagusu
One of the most fascinating people associated with Tanabe is Minakata Kumagusu.
He was a naturalist, scholar, collector, and unconventional intellectual whose interests ranged across biology, folklore, religion, and the natural world.
The Minakata Kumagusu Archives provide an opportunity to learn about his extraordinary life and his connection with Tanabe.
For travelers walking the Kumano Kodo, Kumagusu is particularly interesting because his work encourages us to look at the landscape differently.
The forests, plants, shrines, and traditional communities of the Kii Peninsula were not simply scenery to him.
They were part of a complex natural and cultural world worth observing and protecting.
This makes Kumagusu a fascinating bridge between nature, local culture, and the intellectual history of the Kii Peninsula.
5. Kozan-ji: A Temple with Two Remarkable Graves
Continue uphill to Takayama-ji Temple.
The temple offers another connection to Minakata Kumagusu: his grave is located here.
But there is another remarkable figure buried at Kozan-ji.
Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, was born in Tanabe.
For visitors interested in Japanese martial arts, this provides an unexpected connection between a quiet temple in Tanabe and one of Japan’s best-known martial arts traditions.
Two very different figures—Kumagusu, the eccentric scholar of nature and culture, and Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido—are both connected to this same town.
That is one of the things that makes Tanabe so interesting.
It is a relatively small regional city, yet its cultural history extends far beyond what you might expect.
If you are especially interested in Aikido
You can also consider visiting the Morihei Ueshiba Memorial Museum, located near the coast.
It provides another perspective on Ueshiba’s life and his connection with Tanabe.
6. Walk Down to the Sea: Ogigahama Beach
After exploring the historical center, head toward Ogigahama Beach.
This is an important part of understanding Tanabe.
The town is a gateway to the Kumano mountains, but it is also a coastal town facing Tanabe Bay.
The contrast is striking.
Tomorrow you may be walking beneath towering trees on the ancient Kumano Kodo.
Today, you can stand beside the sea.
This combination of mountains and ocean is fundamental to the character of the Kii Peninsula.
Take a slow walk along the beach, enjoy the view, and let the pace of the journey change.
You don’t need to fill every hour with sightseeing.
In fact, this may be one of the best things you can do before beginning several days of walking.
7. Evening in Tanabe: Taste the Local Town
As evening arrives, return toward the station.
This is when another side of Tanabe comes alive.
Ajikoji, the local restaurant and nightlife district, is a good place to experience the town after dark.
Rather than looking for a polished tourist district, this is an opportunity to experience ordinary local dining culture.
Small restaurants and bars line the streets, creating an atmosphere quite different from the major tourist destinations of Japan.
For a traveler staying overnight before the Kumano Kodo, this can be a particularly enjoyable way to spend the evening.
8. Try Mehari-zushi
One local specialty worth looking for is mehari-zushi.
These rice balls wrapped in pickled mustard greens are associated with the southern Kii Peninsula.
They are simple, portable, and deeply connected to the food culture of the region.
That makes them especially appropriate before a pilgrimage walk.
Food on the Kumano Kodo has historically been shaped by what could be grown, preserved, carried, and eaten along the route.
So rather than thinking of mehari-zushi simply as a local snack, consider it part of the wider food culture of the Kii Peninsula.
9. Taste Wakayama’s Ume Culture
Tanabe is also closely connected to Wakayama’s ume (Japanese plum) culture.
If you enjoy alcoholic drinks, look for an opportunity to taste local umeshu, or plum wine.
This introduces another important element of southern Wakayama’s food culture.
The Kii Peninsula is a region where preservation, fermentation, seasonal ingredients, and local agriculture have long shaped everyday food and drink.
For travelers interested in gastronomy, this is a small but meaningful introduction to the region before continuing farther south.
Umeshu Shope: Umeko
10. Finish with a Traditional Japanese Sweet
Before returning to your accommodation, make time for a traditional sweet.
Suzuyakashi-ten is one of the local confectionery shops worth knowing about.
This is another reason I recommend exploring Tanabe at a relaxed pace.
A trip through rural Japan isn’t only about visiting temples and scenic viewpoints.
Sometimes the most memorable discoveries are found in a small confectionery shop, a local restaurant, or a quiet street where residents have been going about their daily lives for generations.
A Day in Kii-Tanabe Before the Kumano Kodo
You could arrange your day something like this:
| Time | Experience |
|---|---|
| Morning | Arrive at Kii-Tanabe Station |
| 10:00 | Tokei Shrine |
| 11:00 | Aridoshi Shrine & historic town |
| 12:00 | Local lunch |
| 13:30 | Minakata Kumagusu Archives |
| 15:00 | Kozan-ji Temple |
| 16:00 | Walk toward Ogigahama Beach |
| 17:00 | Return to the station area |
| Evening | Ajikoji and local dinner |
| After dinner | Mehari-zushi, ume-related drinks, or local sweets |
The exact timing can of course be adjusted according to your arrival time and interests.
If you have more time, the Morihei Ueshiba Memorial Museum or a visit to Tenjinzaki can be added.
Why Stay in Kii-Tanabe Before Walking?
There is a practical reason to stay here.
But there is also a cultural reason.
Many travelers arrive in the Kii Peninsula and immediately think about the trail:
Takijiri-oji → Chikatsuyu → Kumano Hongu Taisha.
But the pilgrimage does not begin emotionally when you put on your hiking shoes.
It begins when you start to understand where you are.
Kii-Tanabe provides that introduction.
Here, you encounter the relationship between:
the sea and the mountains
local food and agriculture
shrines and pilgrimage
nature and scholarship
traditional culture and modern local life
The following morning, when you leave Tanabe and head toward the trailhead, the mountains will feel a little less like an isolated destination.
They will feel like the continuation of the town you have just experienced.
Related post:
Why Were Pilgrims Willing to Walk on Kumano Kodo for Weeks?
The Next Morning: Into the Mountains
The next morning, make your way to Takijiri-oji, one of the traditional starting points for the Nakahechi route.
From here, the landscape begins to change.
The coast and urban streets gradually disappear.
The road enters the mountains.
And your Kumano Kodo journey truly begins.
But you will carry something with you that many visitors miss:
an understanding of the town at the gateway.
That makes the walk different.
You are no longer simply hiking through a beautiful forest.
You are following an ancient route that connects town, sea, mountain, shrine, food, and community across the Kii Peninsula.
Related post:
Kumano Kodo Guide: Walking Through Japan’s Living Traditions
Kii-Tanabe as the First Chapter of Your Kumano Journey
For travelers who have several days available, I would strongly recommend thinking of Kii-Tanabe not as a place to pass through, but as the first chapter of the Kumano Kodo journey.
Spend a day here.
Walk through the town.
Visit its shrines.
Meet the people and stories connected to Tanabe.
Taste the local food.
Watch the sunset over the bay.
Then, the next morning, turn toward the mountains.
The Kumano Kodo will still be waiting for you.
And you may find that you begin the pilgrimage with a much deeper sense of where you are—and why this landscape matters.
Read More About Travel in Southern Wakayama
- Beyond Kumano: Why Kushimoto Is One of Wakayama’s Most Underrated Destinations
- After Walking the Kumano Kodo: Four Hidden Corners of Southern Wakayama
- Sea of Kii: Fishermen & Coastal Cuisine
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