6 nights
Explore the highlights of the Kumano region with Ryunohara as your base.
Day 1
Arrive at Kii-Tanabe Station (JR Kisei Line, accessible from Osaka Station and Kansai International Airport) in the morning. Get your bearings with maps at the Tourist Information Centre right by the station. Immediately opposite the station is a Nippon Rent-A-Car and a Toyota Rent-A-Car. Rent your car, and begin exploring!
Drive a few minutes to Ogigahama Park, where there is a large parking lot with free parking for the first hour. Tanabe is home to the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. At the Ueshiba Morihei Memorial Museum (free entry, open 10am-5pm, closed on Mondays), learn how Aikido is about redirecting your opponent’s force in a peaceful, non-violent way. The sports complex housing the museum hosts the Benkei-ichi Sunday Market every third Sunday of the month (8am-11:30am).
In front of the sports complex is Ogigahama Beach, popular with swimmers in the summer, but great for its views of the Pacific Ocean in all other seasons. Walk through the pine groves and breathe easy before returning to your car.
For lunch, drive 1 minute away to RaRa Locale (lunch sets go for ¥1,320 including taxes) , a cafe set in a former police station and later library. They hire people with different abilities, and serve Japanese-style pastas. They also make very good baguettes and breads that you can take away.
After lunch, pop by Voyager Brewing (free parking), a local brewer in a former steel works. They serve all the craft beers they produce on tap, but if you’re driving, just go for the quick tour of the facility and then get some beer to go. You may want to stop by Matsugen Tanabe for groceries if you are planning to cook during your stay here at Ryunohara.
Check-in at Ryunohara begins at 3pm, and the trip from Tanabe takes about 1 hour, so if it’s not 2pm yet, consider a stop at Kitera Akizucho Farmer’s Market, where you will find local fruits and vegetables (and very good honey made by Japanese bees) for sale.
Also stop by Kizzekyo Gorge (free entry; the name means “Miracle Gorge”) for a wonderful waterfall. The shrine at the top is in a cave. Feel free to go inside the tatami room after removing your shoes. It is a very unique space where you might want to meditate for a bit.
Your next stop is the Kishu Bincho Charcoal Discovery Museum (free parking, ¥220 entry, open 9am-5pm from April to November and 9am-4pm from December to March, closed Wednesdays). The area is home to binchotan, charcoal used in high-end Japaense restaurants because it burns with much less carbon monoxide compared to regular charcoal, maintains a very high heat, and remains smokeless throughout use. You’ll learn how the charcoal is made here.
Then make your way to Ryunohara Hatago and check in. Park at the Hatago itself (take the tiny lane up from the main road). You’ll get a welcome drink and a tour of the house. If you booked dinner, that will be served at the main house a short walk downstairs. Dinner is served at 6pm, 6:30pm or 7pm, as per your request.
Day 2
If you’ve booked breakfast that’s served anytime from 8am-10am (let us know the night before what time you’d like breakfast). You’ll be able to say hi to our Ryujin chickens and resident goats (if it is not raining). Consider taking a walk down to the Hidakagawa river (Google Maps location) after breakfast. Drive upstream to the Ryujinnotsuri Bridge (free parking and washrooms at the nearby Roadside Station Ryujin) for the thrill of being on a suspended bridge. Also pop by the Kaise Shrine to get up close to centuries-old Japanese sugi cedar trees.
For lunch visit Monpe-to-Kuwa (free parking diagonally across the road, 2-minutes walk away, open for lunch from 11am-2pm, cafe only from 2pm-5pm), run by the Shimoyamas, who moved here over 30 years ago. The name of the restaurant means “working pants and scythe”, because the husband-and-wife team plant their own vegetables organically and serve their homegrown vegetables as vegetarian meals here.
Since you’re in Ryujinmura the Dragon God Village, visit the Dragon Museum (free parking, ¥500 entry, open 9am-4pm, closed Tuesdays), which features dragon-themed art from all over the country. Behind the museum is a gentle access to the Hidakagawa River, where you will find children and adults alike frolicking in the water on summer weekends.
Go further downstream to G. Works (free parking in front of the store), a local furniture store that makes the most comfortable all-wooden chairs you will find. They also have locally-made souvenirs on their shelves. Also visit HOCCO (free parking, open 11am-6pm on Saturdays and Sundays and 12pm-6pm on Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays), a confectioner still very much within the boundaries of Ryujinmura Village. If you’re driving a large car go very slow here because the front of your car could hit the ramp if you’re not careful. Drive further downstream just outside village boundaries for the Yahoo Point. Park here, and walk across the long and narrow (but sturdy and not shaky) bridge spanning the Hidakagawa River. Here you will find several locations that are great echolocation spots. Wait for the traffic across the river to be still, then shout and wait for the echo (it takes several seconds).
Head back to Ryunohara Hatago for dinner, and tuck in for the night (unless you’re here in June or July, for when you might want to try to visit the rice fields for a frog concert, or try to spot fireflies). Also don’t forget to look up — we get starry skies on clear, moonless evenings. Many guests report spotting shooting stars.
Day 3
After breakfast head up to the Gomadanzan Shirin Koen Forest Park (free parking, free entry, open 9:30am-4pm, closed Wednesdays unless it is a public holiday), if it’s the end of May, for 60,000 Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes bloom here around then.
At all other times, stop by the Gomasan Sky Tower instead for a black sesame ice cream in black cone (sesame is “goma” in Japanese, and while the “goma” in Gomasan stands for “Prayer Votives” and not sesame seeds, the sesame ice cream is a play on words). They also serve coffee here. Enjoy panoramic views of the Kii Mountain range from here.
Head down to Mt Koya. Founded 1,200 years ago this is home to Shingon Buddhism, once a state religion of Japan. Today you can visit Kongobuji (free parking opposite, ¥1,000 entry, open 8:30am-5pm daily), the main monastery, where you will also find Japan’s largest rock garden, the Banryutei Rock Garden, and a massive kitchen that can serve meals to up to 2,000 persons.
Walk over to Hanabishi for lunch. This restaurant served Emperor Hirohito his meals when he came to visit Mt Koya, and they still serve extensive vegetarian meals here.
Then drive to Okunoin Cemetary (free parking, free entry, open at all hours), one of Japan’s oldest and largest cemeteries, where you will find a tombstone dedicated to graffiti, and another in the shape of a space rocket. Here lies the eternal meditation chambers of Kukai, the man who gave Ryujin Onsen its name.
If you’re driving between December and March, be sure to leave Mt Koya by 3:30pm, for the Koya-Ryujin Skyline is closed to traffic from 5pm-7am due to the high risk of black ice on the road.
Return to Ryujinmura and enjoy the silky-smooth, transparent, and scentless hot spring at Ryujin Onsen Motoyu (free parking, ¥800 entry, scrubbing towels ¥200).
Day 4
The Kumano region is not just home to Shingon Buddhism, but also syncretic religions that have both Buddhist and Shinto influences. After breakfast, you’ll head to the region’s most famous Shinto sites.
If it’s late October, first stop by the large gingko tree at Hosenji (free parking). It’s over 400 years old and its leaves turn a bright yellow in the autumn. At all other times stop by Nonaka-no-Shimizu, a natural spring along the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Path’s Nakahechi Route, and fill up your water bottles.
Head towards Kumano Hongu Taisha, and park at the souvenir store next to the shrine. Have lunch at Kicchin (no parking available), famous for their kaarage fried chicken set meal (¥950). The portions here are generous. If Kicchin is crowded, Shimoji Udon (free parking) is a good alternative with vegetarian options.
Walk to the largest torii gate in Japan (and possibly the world), the Kumano Hongu Taisha Otorii (free entry). This torii gate is 33.9 metres high, a nod to the Kuki family of priests who run the shrine (3x3=9, and the surname Kuki means “Nine Spirits”). The area beyond, Oyunohara, was the original location of the Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine before a flood washed everything away in 1889. This area is especially beautiful in April when the sakura bloom and also in November when the maple trees dance in yellows and reds.
The new shrine of the Kumano Hongu Taisha (free entry) was then rebuilt a century ago 1km uphill from Oyunohara. Here you will find a postbox with a Yatagarasu, the three-legged crow that brought the first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu to the shrine. The Chief Priest, Kuki, believes that people should express their thoughts in writing, as your spirit is embodied in the words you write. Perhaps send a postcard to your loved ones here? The postcard will be stamped with a Yatagarasu, unique to this postbox.
Make your way to Yunomine Onsen to check out Tsuboyu (free parking a 3-minute walk away, ¥800 entry per person, open 6am-9pm daily with unscheduled closures), Japan’s oldest hot spring and the only UNESCO-listed hot spring in Japan at that. Only 2 can enter at a time, and everyone has 30 minutes to enjoy the bath. Boil some eggs at Yunomine Onsen Yuzutsu (free use, eggs can be purchased at the souvenir store above Tsuboyu) while you wait your turn. If the wait for Tsuboyu is too long, head to Watarase Onsen (free parking, ¥1,000 entry, open 6am-10pm daily), where you will find the Kansai area’s largest outdoor pools.
Head back to Ryujinmura. If you have not booked dinner at Ryunohara, stop by Asahi Shokudo (free parking across the road, open 11:30am-2:30pm for lunch and 5pm-8pm for dinner, closed Sundays and every first Monday of the month), run by the Sogawa family for 50 years. The most popular item on the menu here is the tonkatsu pork cutlet set meal (¥1,000), with the katsukare curry (¥750) trailing a close second.
Day 5
Have breakfast, then make a beeline for the Nachi Falls (¥500 parking, free entry). The Nachi Falls are Japan’s tallest waterfalls and the waterfall itself is regarded as a sacred being.
Walk up to the Seiganto-ji Temple pagoda via the Urasando (not recommended for people with weak knees, for people with knee problems drive up to the top and pay the parking fee). Along the way to the main temple, Seiganto-ji, you will find a path leading to the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail. You might want to attempt a short section of it to experience what the path might be like.
Seiganto-ji (free entry, open 7am-4:30pm), was built over 400 years ago when a monk from India trekked all the way to the Nachi Falls to bathe under it. As you make your way to the shrine next door you will encounter a camphor tree with a giant hole through it, the Shorei-sha Tainai-kuguri. If you make a donation by purchasing a votive plaque (¥500) you can go through that hole. Holes like this one in Buddhism remind devotees of the womb world. You will then find yourself in the middle of the Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine. Make your way back down the Omotesando path using the Nachisan Post Office to find your bearings.
Drive down to Nachi-Katsuura for lunch. Have soba made from 100% buckwheat at Morimoto-ya (limited free parking), or the local delight Hinoki Steak House (limited free parking). Continue southwards on National Route 42. Stop at this cliff that resembles a beehive (free entry), and then at the highlight of the afternoon, the Hashiguiiwa Rocks (free parking, free entry). The monumental rocks here are a sight to behold.
If you have time, drive to the southernmost point of the Honshu main island, but if you don’t head back to Ryujinmura for dinner at Yakiniku Izakaya Terukichi (free parking), where you’ll find grilled pork and the best fried chicken stuffed with gyoza stuffing.
Day 6
Shirahama beckons. Have breakfast, then head down to the Senjojiki Rock Plateau (free parking, free entry). The cliffs here are unlike the Hashiguiiwa Rocks you visited yesterday. The Sandanbeki Cave (free parking, ¥1,500 entry) next door takes you to a whole new level. The caves here are at sea level, and the Kumano Navy (and pirates) once made this their lair.
Stop by the Saki-no-yu Onsen Spa (free parking, ¥500 entry, ¥200 scrubbing towels, open 8am-5pm daily with unscheduled closures due to the weather), which faces the Pacific Ocean. There are no showers here at this centuries-old hot spring (one of the oldest in Japan), and the lockers don’t have keys to them so leave all your valuables in the car.
Drive round the coast for views of Engetsu-to, which is an island with a miraculous-looking hole in the middle of it. Have lunch at the Michelin Bib Gourmand-listed Pizzeria Pescatore (free parking, open 11:30am-3pm daily except Wednesdays). Bookings are highly recommended, and seats are difficult to find especially on the weekends.
Backtrack a little to explore Banshoyama Park (free parking, open 9am-5pm daily), which has beaches that tourists seldom go to (since everyone seems to be going to Shirahama Beach). There are more caves here along the coast, but there’s also the Minakata Kumagusu Museum (¥600 entry, open 9am-5pm, closed Thursdays), which profiles the genius researcher Minakata Kumagusu (whose CV on the wall is awe-inspiring). This museum is one you should not miss out on.
If you have the time for it, take the Nanki Shirahama Glass Boat (free parking, ¥1,600 per person, open 8:30am-4:30pm daily). The commentary is in Japanese, but there are images of fish on the boat with their latin names, and the view of the fishes on a sunny afternoon is worth it. The trip takes 25 minutes, and the boat leaves twice an hour between 9am and 4pm.
Return to Ryujinmura via Kami-Tonda Town. Stop for dinner on Fridays-Sundays at Menya Kuchikumano Shokudo (free parking). The ramen and fried rice here are fantastic. There’s also Toriwa, a yakitori restaurant (open daily 5pm-11pm, closed Wednesdays).
Day 7
Bid goodbye to the chickens and goats after breakfast. Check out time is 10am.
Before heading to Kii-Tanabe Station to return the rental car, make one last stop at Tenjinzaki Cape. Park at the Daiichi parking lot (free parking). This is an area preserved through the work of locals who opposed the development of this beautiful area by purchasing land for the purpose of preserving the cape. If you walk to the Motojima Shrine at the northern end and the Hodokei-iwa Hana Cape towards the southern end you’ll easily spend over an hour here.
3 nights
Quick getaway into the countryside with a sneak peek into what the region has to offer.
The following are excerpts from the 6 nights itinerary above.
Day 1
Arrive at Kii-Tanabe Station (JR Kisei Line, accessible from Osaka Station and Kansai International Airport) in the morning. Get your bearings with maps at the Tourist Information Centre right by the station. Immediately opposite the station is a Nippon Rent-A-Car and a Toyota Rent-A-Car. Rent your car, and begin exploring!
Drive a few minutes to Ogigahama Park, where there is a large parking lot with free parking for the first hour. Tanabe is home to the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. At the Ueshiba Morihei Memorial Museum (free entry, open 10am-5pm, closed on Mondays), learn how Aikido is about redirecting your opponent’s force in a peaceful, non-violent way. The sports complex housing the museum hosts the Benkei-ichi Sunday Market every third Sunday of the month (8am-11:30am).
In front of the sports complex is Ogigahama Beach, popular with swimmers in the summer, but great for its views of the Pacific Ocean in all other seasons. Walk through the pine groves and breathe easy before returning to your car.
For lunch, drive 1 minute away to RaRa Locale (lunch sets go for ¥1,320 including taxes) , a cafe set in a former police station and later library. They hire people with different abilities, and serve Japanese-style pastas. They also make very good baguettes and breads that you can take away.
After lunch, pop by Voyager Brewing (free parking), a local brewer in a former steel works. They serve all the craft beers they produce on tap, but if you’re driving, just go for the quick tour of the facility and then get some beer to go. You may want to stop by Matsugen Tanabe for groceries if you are planning to cook during your stay here at Ryunohara.
Check-in at Ryunohara begins at 3pm, and the trip from Tanabe takes about 1 hour, so if it’s not 2pm yet, consider a stop at Kitera Akizucho Farmer’s Market, where you will find local fruits and vegetables (and very good honey made by Japanese bees) for sale.
Also stop by Kizzekyo Gorge (free entry; the name means “Miracle Gorge”) for a wonderful waterfall. The shrine at the top is in a cave. Feel free to go inside the tatami room after removing your shoes. It is a very unique space where you might want to meditate for a bit.
Your next stop is the Kishu Bincho Charcoal Discovery Museum (free parking, ¥220 entry, open 9am-5pm from April to November and 9am-4pm from December to March, closed Wednesdays). The area is home to binchotan, charcoal used in high-end Japaense restaurants because it burns with much less carbon monoxide compared to regular charcoal, maintains a very high heat, and remains smokeless throughout use. You’ll learn how the charcoal is made here.
Then make your way to Ryunohara Hatago and check in. Park at the Hatago itself (take the tiny lane up from the main road). You’ll get a welcome drink and a tour of the house. If you booked dinner, that will be served at the main house a short walk downstairs. Dinner is served at 6pm, 6:30pm or 7pm, as per your request.
Day 2
If you’ve booked breakfast that’s served anytime from 8am-10am (let us know the night before what time you’d like breakfast). You’ll be able to say hi to our Ryujin chickens and resident goats (if it is not raining). Consider taking a walk down to the Hidakagawa river (Google Maps location) after breakfast. Drive upstream to the Ryujinnotsuri Bridge (free parking and washrooms at the nearby Roadside Station Ryujin) for the thrill of being on a suspended bridge. Also pop by the Kaise Shrine to get up close to centuries-old Japanese sugi cedar trees.
For lunch visit Monpe-to-Kuwa (free parking diagonally across the road, 2-minutes walk away, open for lunch from 11am-2pm, cafe only from 2pm-5pm), run by the Shimoyamas, who moved here over 30 years ago. The name of the restaurant means “working pants and scythe”, because the husband-and-wife team plant their own vegetables organically and serve their homegrown vegetables as vegetarian meals here.
Since you’re in Ryujinmura the Dragon God Village, visit the Dragon Museum (free parking, ¥500 entry, open 9am-4pm, closed Tuesdays), which features dragon-themed art from all over the country. Behind the museum is a gentle access to the Hidakagawa River, where you will find children and adults alike frolicking in the water on summer weekends.
Go further downstream to G. Works (free parking in front of the store), a local furniture store that makes the most comfortable all-wooden chairs you will find. They also have locally-made souvenirs on their shelves. Also visit HOCCO (free parking, open 11am-6pm on Saturdays and Sundays and 12pm-6pm on Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays), a confectioner still very much within the boundaries of Ryujinmura Village. If you’re driving a large car go very slow here because the front of your car could hit the ramp if you’re not careful. Drive further downstream just outside village boundaries for the Yahoo Point. Park here, and walk across the long and narrow (but sturdy and not shaky) bridge spanning the Hidakagawa River. Here you will find several locations that are great echolocation spots. Wait for the traffic across the river to be still, then shout and wait for the echo (it takes several seconds).
Head back to Ryunohara Hatago for dinner, and tuck in for the night (unless you’re here in June or July, for when you might want to try to visit the rice fields for a frog concert, or try to spot fireflies). Also don’t forget to look up — we get starry skies on clear, moonless evenings. Many guests report spotting shooting stars.
Day 3
The Kumano region is not just home to Shingon Buddhism, but also syncretic religions that have both Buddhist and Shinto influences. After breakfast, you’ll head to the region’s most famous Shinto sites.
If it’s late October, first stop by the large gingko tree at Hosenji (free parking). It’s over 400 years old and its leaves turn a bright yellow in the autumn. At all other times stop by Nonaka-no-Shimizu, a natural spring along the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Path’s Nakahechi Route, and fill up your water bottles.
Head towards Kumano Hongu Taisha, and park at the souvenir store next to the shrine. Have lunch at Kicchin (no parking available), famous for their kaarage fried chicken set meal (¥950). The portions here are generous. If Kicchin is crowded, Shimoji Udon (free parking) is a good alternative with vegetarian options.
Walk to the largest torii gate in Japan (and possibly the world), the Kumano Hongu Taisha Otorii (free entry). This torii gate is 33.9 metres high, a nod to the Kuki family of priests who run the shrine (3x3=9, and the surname Kuki means “Nine Spirits”). The area beyond, Oyunohara, was the original location of the Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine before a flood washed everything away in 1889. This area is especially beautiful in April when the sakura bloom and also in November when the maple trees dance in yellows and reds.
The new shrine of the Kumano Hongu Taisha (free entry) was then rebuilt a century ago 1km uphill from Oyunohara. Here you will find a postbox with a Yatagarasu, the three-legged crow that brought the first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu to the shrine. The Chief Priest, Kuki, believes that people should express their thoughts in writing, as your spirit is embodied in the words you write. Perhaps send a postcard to your loved ones here? The postcard will be stamped with a Yatagarasu, unique to this postbox.
Make your way to Yunomine Onsen to check out Tsuboyu (free parking a 3-minute walk away, ¥800 entry per person, open 6am-9pm daily with unscheduled closures), Japan’s oldest hot spring and the only UNESCO-listed hot spring in Japan at that. Only 2 can enter at a time, and everyone has 30 minutes to enjoy the bath. Boil some eggs at Yunomine Onsen Yuzutsu (free use, eggs can be purchased at the souvenir store above Tsuboyu) while you wait your turn. If the wait for Tsuboyu is too long, head to Watarase Onsen (free parking, ¥1,000 entry, open 6am-10pm daily), where you will find the Kansai area’s largest outdoor pools.
Head back to Ryujinmura. If you have not booked dinner at Ryunohara, stop by Asahi Shokudo (free parking across the road, open 11:30am-2:30pm for lunch and 5pm-8pm for dinner, closed Sundays and every first Monday of the month), run by the Sogawa family for 50 years. The most popular item on the menu here is the tonkatsu pork cutlet set meal (¥1,000), with the katsukare curry (¥750) trailing a close second.
Day 4
Bid goodbye to the chickens and goats after breakfast. Check out time is 10am.
Before heading to Kii-Tanabe Station to return the rental car, make one last stop at Tenjinzaki Cape. Park at the Daiichi parking lot (free parking). This is an area preserved through the work of locals who opposed the development of this beautiful area by purchasing land for the purpose of preserving the cape. If you walk to the Motojima Shrine at the northern end and the Hodokei-iwa Hana Cape towards the southern end you’ll easily spend over an hour here.
