Canadian World Traveller Spring 2024 Issue

means 'white beach'. Its crescent-shaped
quartz-sand beach, hot springs, and spectacular
land formations define this resort town.
Sandanbeki is a dramatic, craggy, 50-meter
(164-foot) cliff with postcard-perfect panoramas
of the Pacific Ocean, crashing waves,
striking rock colors, and a subterranean cave
that served as a hideout for Pirate ships in
days gone by.
A short walk away is the Senjojiki ('a thousand
tatami mats') Rock Plateau. We joined a dozen
others, including a newly married couple,
scampering over the dramatic colored and
layered rocks, engaging in the sound of the
waves, and dreamily gazing out over the
ocean as the sun started to set.
That evening, we took a bus to neighbouring
Tanabe City for dinner at Konoha. We sat next
to 80-year-old Atsushi Ichida and his elementary
school friend, Isao Kinoshita, and shared
stories and laughs. Ichida-san revealed the
secrets of the long friendship that included
'honesty in conversation, enjoying drinks, and
eating favorite foods together". The fare at
Konoha was harmoniously in sync, with an
appetizer of Bai Gai (snails) followed by
Horse Mackerel sashimi, Futomaki, deepfried
oyster, grilled Hokke (Mackerel), and
delicious Oden (fish cake stew in a dashi
broth).
After a morning stroll on the white beach, we
took the bus to the Kumano Hongu Taisha
Grand Shrine, about two hours away. This is
one of the Kumano Sanzan, three sacred
shrines serving as spiritual goals for devotees
walking the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route.
We paid our respects at the Shrine and set out
for Fushiogami-oji, which is 3.2 kilometers (2
miles) away. The trail's rocky and earthen portions
follow the mountain paths, often punctuated
with steps made of rocks, earth, logs,
and tree roots, to help pilgrims navigate the
sometimes steep uphills and downhills. All the
while, the trail passes through lush forest
greenery in the perfect setting for Shinrinyoku,
or forest bathing, the Japanese practice of
breathing in the essence and spirit of the
trees. Apart from a few encounters with other
trekkers, the silence of the forest was calming
and tranquil, with occasional vistas of aweinspiring
distant mountain silhouettes and
path-side red-bibbed Jizo statues.
Fushiogami means 'kneeling in prayer' and
refers to pilgrims who arrived and got their
first glimpse of the Hongu Taisha Grand
Shrine amidst the magical mountain landscape.
We headed back to the Shrine for another visit
and then to the nearby Oyunohara Torii, the
biggest torii gate in the world. Torii gates
mark the transition from the everyday world to
the sacred, and Oyunohara also marks the
location of the original Grand Shrine before
seasonal floods necessitated a move to higher
ground.
Three onsen (hot spring) towns cater to the
needs of pilgrims. Kawayu Onsen, where we
stayed, literally means 'hot water river' and
refers to the bubbling Ota River. When a hole
is dug into the riverside gravel, scalding hot
water mixes with a cold underground stream
to provide a soothing onsen experience. Our
ryokan, the Omuraya, had its own indoor
onsen, which offered comforting relaxation
before dinner.
Before breakfast the following day, we met
other onsen aficionados: a troop of Japanese
macaques, a few Tombis (Japanese Black
Kites), and Yellow Wagtails.
We took the local bus to Shingu and the
Kumano Hayatama Grand Shrine, the 2nd of
the three sacred shrines dedicated to the deity
of moving water and part of the Shinto cult of
nature.
And to complete the trilogy of shrines, we
journeyed on to 'Tuna Town'.
Katsuura is famous for its fishing port, where
tuna caught in the Kumano-nada Sea are
landed. Takehara, a tiny restaurant on the
main street, is the go-to place to eat Tuna
Teishoku. This set menu includes savory marinated
tuna, crunchy pickles, flavorful miso
soup, freshly steamed rice, and large, melt-inthe-mouth
chunks of tuna sashimi.
So sated, we spent the afternoon near the
town of Nachikatsuura.
Nachi-no-Taki is Japan's highest waterfall,
with a drop of 133 meters (617 feet). In
ancient times, the waterfall's sight, sound, and
spray became a place to worship Hiro
Gongen, the Shinto deity who resides
in the waterfall. And with the waters
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emanating from a protected primeval
forest, Nachi is part of the 'Sacred Sites and
Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range',
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Beautiful visuals of the waterfall accompany
visitors as they ascend a series of stone steps
toward the three-story Pagoda. Memorable
views include the site of the vermilion-colored
Pagoda against the scenery of the verdant Kii
Mountains and the Nachi waterfall. Incredible
views can also be captured from the third
story of the Pagoda.
After more stone steps and ascending pathways,
visitors arrive at the Kumano Nachi
Taisha Shrine, the 3rd of the three sacred
shrines representing the cult of nature. Its
location was determined when Yatagarasu, a
mythical three-legged crow, perched here
while guiding Jimmu, the first emperor, to
Nara. The mountains, forest, waterfall, and
spectacular scenery evoke Wakayama's calm
and spiritual world.
That evening at Minshuku Wakatake, a hotspring
guesthouse near the train station in
Katsuura, we enjoyed a delicious multicourse,
locally sourced dinner and a sake
tasting with Hanai-san, the friendly owner.
On our last morning, we watched the fishermen
and their families tend and repair their
nets on the waterfront against the backdrop of
fishing boats, islands, the ocean, and the
mountains. We popped into the Nigiwai
('bustling') Market, full of restaurants, souvenir
shops, and seafood stalls, and then headed
back to the train station to re-enter the 'urban
and energetic' world of Tokyo.
Our time in Wakayama was a mindful experience.
We interacted with nature, connected
with the essence of the forest (shinrinyoku),
trekked, chatted with locals, breathed fresh
air, ate delicious local food, and got up close
and personal with the poetry of the mountains.
Our souvenir was the privilege of experiencing
Wakayama's spiritual world and
bringing these memories home with us.
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World Traveler Spring 2024