Month: October 2023

Halloween in Shingu I

Halloween in Shingu II

Long Distance Disconnect

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Entrance Greeter

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Camilla

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Big Foot = Big Gita Sandal

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Shimenawa

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Fellow Kumano Travelers

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Homa Amulets

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Roof Detail

Shingu Street Scene

Party Bros

Shingu Castle Ruin View

Shingu Back Alley Scene

Shingu Yoga

Kamikura Shrine

Entrance Sign

Kamikura Shrine

Torii Gate

Kamikura Shrine

Stone Stair Climb

Kamikura Shrine

Shingu Backdrop

Kamikura Shrine

Kawayu Onsen

River Fisherman

Kawayu Onsen

Pension Ashitanomori

Kawayu Onsen

Dredging between Onsen pools to cool one down and heat the other up

Kawayu Onsen

Mom soaking in the River Onsen

Kawayu Onsen

Burke soaking it up

Kawayu Onsen

Dinner at Pension Ashitanomori

• Nachisan Torii Gate

Livin’ Large Nachisan-style

Shrine at Nachisan Pagoda

Nachisan Pagoda with Nachisan Falls

Pagoda Buddhist Wall Art

Inside the entrance to Nachi Daikokuten-do Temple

Drum inside Daikokuten-do Temple

Dailokuten-do Temple Flags

Statue near Mizukodo Shrine

Seiganto-ji Temple Support Post Detail

Seiganto-ji Temple Post Detail

The Alligator Mouth

Giant gong at Seiganto-ji Temple

Incense burner detail outside

Seiganto-ji Temple

Mom gettin’ Buddhist Cred’s

Seiganto-ji Temple Interior Detail

Seiganto-ji Temple Interior Detail

Year of the Rabbit

Yatagarasu

Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine Torii Gate – Looking Out

Koi

Sake Kegs

Kumano Nachi Taisha Shinto Shrine

Buddhist Deity Gate Protector Reflections

Nachisan Temple Roof Detail I

Nachisan Temple Roof Detail II

Mirror Selfie

Mom in her Happy Place!

Burke hangin’ with the Mitaki Sanso Hotel Shibu Inu

Heading up the hill from the bus stop to Daimon Zaka Slope

Mom between the Meoto-Sugi

800 Year Old ‘Husband and Wife’ Cedar Trees

Our bus back to Nachi Station

Takata Greenland shuttle bus to Shingu

Our train from Shingu to Nachi Station

Torii Gate entrance to Nachi Falls

Dragon Fountain

Nachi Falls – 133 Meters

Longest waterfall drop in Japan

Pilgrim

Pilgrim

Gomaji Stick Burning Cauldron

Write your wish and name on the back of the Gomaji stick and leave it. The Gomaji is burned at a praying ritual on the 18th of every month. Your wish will come true.

Gomaji stick detail

Gomaji stick burning cauldron detail with Yatagarasu

Gomaji stick burning cauldron foot detail

Cedar wood burning cauldron

Mom hiking out of Nachi Falls

Who knew there was a shorter path to enlightenment

Hiking the Daimon zaka.
Diamon zaka is a cobblestone staircase slope which runs from the base of the valley to Kumano Nachi Taisha, Seiganto-ji Temple and Nachi waterfall. It is lined with centuries-old Japanese cedars (cryptomeria), cypress, camphor trees and bamboo groves. Daimon-zaka means “large gate slope” referring to a gate that once stood nearby. This is a short section of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route.
The stone staircase is about 600 meters long with 267 stairs. At the base of the slope is the 800 year old Meitosugi – “husband and wife cedar trees,” whose roots are entwined beneath the path.

Kumano Kodo original stone waymarker

Yatagarasu leading the way

Street art depicting the Fire Festival held in February on the stairway leading to Nachisan Taisha

Nachisan Taisha Dragon Fountain

Nachisan Taisha Building Detail

Buddha Statue at Nachisan Seigantoji Temple

The oldest building in the Kumano area. Built in 1590.

Lanterns at Seigantoji Temple

Nachisan Taisha Torii Gate

Yatagarasu

Nachisan Taisha Fountain

Nachisan Taisha Pagoda Temple

Nachisan Taisha Pagoda Temple with Near Full Moon

Mitaki Sanso Hotel

Dinner at Mitaki Sanso Hotel

Hongu Taisha Torii Gate

Protector of Women Shrine

The Shadow of the Protector of Women Shrine

At the bus transfer station to Kohechi with the Aussies

Kohechi

Calling the Takata Greenland Shuttle Bus

INSTRUCTIONS

Show up in Kohechi, Find the Minakata Shop, Call from the pay phone across the street, shuttle bus appears in 30 – 40 minutes

Tree Fungus

Kohechi Roof Detail

Kohechi backyards

Dual Pilgrim Credential

Camino de Santiago

and

Kumano Kodo

Mom hiking towards the Kumano Kodo Torii Gate

Yatagarasu (八咫烏) is a mythical crow and a guiding god in Shinto mythology. During Emperor Jimmy’s Eastern Expedition he was guided from the Kumano Region to Yamato Province by Yatagarasu, who was sent by Takamimusubi. He is generally known for his three-legged figure, and his picture has been handed down since ancient times. The word means (八咫烏, “eight-span crow”) and the appearance of the great bird is construed as evidence of the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs.

Mom with one of our new friends from Taiwan

Mom transported back to the Camino de Santiago

Hiking into Hongu Taisha

Hongu Taisha Lantern

Hongu Taisha Temple Lantern

 Hongu Taisha Gate Entrance Detail

Yatagarasu

Hongu Taisha Temple Banner

Hongu Taisha Temple Shimenawa

Dual Pilgrim Drum Ceremony

Dual Pilgrim Drum Ceremony

Hongu Taisha Grand Temple Gate Entrance

Mom offering prayers

Temple Roof Detail

Temple Banner

Looking out through the Grand Temple Entrance Gate

Grand Temple Entrance Gate Banners

Yatagarasu Banner

Descending from Hongu Taisha

Temple Banners in the wind

Temple Lanterns Detail

Yatagarasu – Present Day

Hiking across the bridge in Watarase Onsen

Dinner

Dessert

Dinner Attire – Onsen Style

Breakfast at Guest House MUI

Breakfast of Guest House MUI

Masanari, Hana the goat, Our Amazing Chef, and Burke at Guest House MUI

Chikatsuyu-Oji

Collecting Oji Stamps

Inspiring Forward Momentum and Safety on the Steeps of Kumano Kodo

Trail side plants

There Will Be Dragons

Oji

Oji Detail

Parisians Fred and Isabella with Mom on the Kumano Kodo

Lunch in the trail shelter with Chiou Chi Yung and Family from Taiwan

The 5 of 5,100

Chiou Chi Yung and Family with Mom and I

Camino de Santiago and Kumano Kodo Dual Pilgrims

The relentless stairs

Messages from Nature 1

Messages from Nature II

Messages from Nature III

Nature Art

Hybrid Human – Nature Art

(Retaining wall with moss)

Oji Water Ladels

Oji Details

Oji Pop

Oji Still Life

Oji Rock Walkway

Shimenawa

Hosshinmon-Oji

One of the 5 sacred Oji on the Kumano Kodo

Hosshinmon-Oji

Monkeys with Yategarasu

Celebrating the survival of Day 2

Dinner

Dessert

Hotel Hanaya Breakfast Restaurant Wall Art

Hotel Hanaya – Breakfast Restaurant Wall Art

Hotel Hanaya Breakfast Restaurant Wall Art

Mom at breakfast

All aboard the Kumano Kodo Pain Train!

Bus from Tanabe to Takajiri

Kumano Kodo Cultural Center

Takajkri – Oji

First Kumano Kodo Oji Shrine Stamp

Takajiri-Oji

Kumano Kodo Start

Kumano Kodo Start

Kumano Kodo Start

Brooms

Mom powers up the trail

Oji

House detail

Persimmon Fruit

Oji detail

Oji detail

Oji detail

Oji detail

Rice Farm Waterwheel

Mom hiking through Cedar forest

Mom hiking through Takahara with terraced rice paddy

Rice farmer in Takahara

Oji

Rotting stump detail with 3 mini spiderwebs

Oji offerings

Bento Box Lunch

Trail Buddies

Spiders the diameter of a USA 50 cent coin ply their trade with webs across the width of the trail

Well today was quite a day. All went well but hiking was slow because of elevation gain/loss and a lot of the trail was hard to navigate with lots of roots.

I had previously tried to get accommodations earlier in the trail but the best I could get was Nonaka which made it a 10 mile day. If it was 10 miles on the Camino it would have been no problem but this is the Kumano Kodo…Camino-Kumano what’s the difference…steep.

Around 5PM it started getting dark and we still had 3 miles left to go. We had been averaging 1 mile an hour. We came across a bushwhack trail that went down to a road construction area. I made the decision to get us off the trail so we could road hike the rest of the way which was still going to be another 2 hour road hike.

We walked for about 15 minutes when a car came around the corner and it was the owner of Guest House Sora looking for their guests that hadn’t arrived yet. We ended up catching a ride with him to his guest house and then the owner of Guest House MUI (our accommodations) came and picked us up.

We had a gourmet dinner, beer, and home made plum wine. Everything ended well but I tell ya this trail is challenging and when the lights go out around 5:30PM hiking on the trail really isn’t an option anymore.

Adventure on Day 1 of the Kumano Kodo!

Screenshot of phone map app we were following through the dark forest roads of the Kii Peninsula

Our Saviors Yasayuki and Naomie of Guest House Sora

Mom enjoying a glass of home made plum wine at Guest House MUI

(MUI = Nature)

Gourmet dinner at Guest House MUI

Guest House MUI Gitas

Mom and Asako at Tokyo Station

(Asako met us at Tokyo Station to assist us in navigating from our Honjo arrival platform to our Shin Osaka departure platform)

Dr. Asako Chiba and Burke

Shinkansen Still Life

(Copyright Asako Chiba)

Mt. Fuji at 300 kph

The path of least resistance to Buddhism

Kuroshio 13

Our final Express Train from Shin Osaka to Kii-Tanabe

Green Revolution

Solar farms on residential and commercial rooftops, alongside the train tracks, and large scale commercial arrays along with wind turbines are prevalent in many area

Hotel Hanaya

Kii-Tanabe

Dinner at Ichiyoshi

The aftermath of the feast

                        Breakfast
Train Tickets to Tokyo – Shin Osaka – Kii-Tanabe

Mom and Eiko outside Murakami’s house

Naito Family Buddhist Shrine Room
Fumi, Keiko, Akira, Grandparents
Akira and Mr. Kanai at Family Cemetery

Eiko sending prayers to her family

Mom lighting incense and sending prayers to the Naito Family
Burke lighting incense and sending prayers to the Naito Family
Eiko sharing the details of her family’s shrine
Koko’s Statue
Burke, Reio, Mom
Eiko, Burke, Reio
Reio and Mom looking at photos of Reio’s new baby

Mom, Eiko, Reio

Murakami Home
Eggplant in Eiko’s garden

Green pepper in Eiko’s garden
Burke with the Tanake

(Raccoon is the Party Animal in Japan)
Chesnut paste cakes
Naito, Murakami and Hovde’s together again

Eiko enjoying Sushi, Sashimi, and Biru after a long day

Taiga and his daughter Mia

Seatac to Vancouver

 Vancouver Airport

Vancouver to Narita

Narita to Honjo

Eiko and Mom on the train from Narita
Mom and Eiko at Ueno Station

Eiko showing us how it’s done and getting us home to Honjo!

Eiko, Akiho, and Mom at Murakami’s Home in Honjo

Eiko, Burke and Akiho

Dinner with our Japanese

Family

Oiishi, Compai, Bonzai!

Memories:

Linton Petersen, Gramma Tess, Dad, Mom, Burke, Eiko, Buck, Karen Petersen, Kaitlyn, Belinda

1989

Belinda and JD’s Wedding

1994

     Burke, Mom, Keiko, Belinda, Dad

Circa 1983

Eiko and Hiroaki Wedding

1996

Naito Family

Akira, Yoko, Fumi, and Keiko