Temples and Shrines

How many UNESCO Heritage sites do you think that you could fit in a day? One? Two? Three at the most? Well, if you visit Kumano Kodo in the southern Kansai region, then pretty much around every corner, you will see yet another sign pointing you in a UNESCO direction. Kumano Kodo refers to a network of ancient pathways that allowed pilgrims to travel with ease between the key religious sites of the Kii Peninsula: Hongu Taisha, Hayatama Taisha, and Nachi Taisha, collectively known as Kumano Sanzan. Originally focused on a form of nature worship that is unique to the area, by the 12th century, these shrines had become well known enough that pilgrims came from Kyoto, Osaka, and even further afield to pay their respects, and it was by these trails that they traveled. More than a passageway, traveling along the Kodo [meaning ‘old ways’] themselves was supposed to be a religious experience in itself as pilgrims undertook rigorous religious rites of worship and purification along the way, and are the only pilgrimage routes, the Camino de Santiago aside, to be designated a World Heritage site. Walking these ancient paths is a wonderful way to experience the culture of…