Finally we reached sacred ground -
Kumano Hongu Taisha, the head Shinto shrine of more than 3000 others in Japan. Pine fronds scattered on the ground were evidence of the downpour that had just taken place.
As we made our last leg from Fushiogami just 4km away, the forest darkened and the towering cedar trees seemed to dance and sway with the winds. High overhead, cracks were heard in the whooshing of wind through the branches. Soon, it was pouring and we found ourselves hiking through a gushing river of a path. It was faith in all things Japanese that kept us going - the deep rooted Japanese cedars, the safe and well maintained trails, strategic draining points for the deluge; so no turning back. And, we wanted our Dual Pilgrim pins.
Hongu Taisha is the main destination of the Kumano Kodo, a 1000 yr old pilgrimage route trod by emperors and commoners. The ancient paths bring you through cedar forests and tiny villages. Towering cypress sentinels watch over wayside shrines. These images are as clearly imprinted in our memories as the numerous scarlet stamps collected along the hike. We are most thankful for the privilege to walk the awesome Kumano Kodo, admire the beauty of Japan and experience the hospitality of the Japanese people.
First and foremost, do accord this sacred site the utmost respect and reverence as you proceed to fulfil logging requirements.
To log a find:
Please take a photo of your username in front of posted coordinates.
Include any of these if you have obtained them:
Stamped Kumano Kodo booklet OR
Dual Pilgrim certificate OR
Camino de Santiago credential.
With regret, posts that do not meet these requirements will be deleted.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.