DAY 1 OSAKA by Leader Jo

After all the months—even years—of planning and preparation, I finally took a deep breath. Here we were, all 12 of us, gathered for the first time in Osaka, kicking off the adventure we’d been dreaming of. Our first day didn’t start without a few hiccups (always an expected part of adventure travel), but with those behind us, we were ready to dive into the city. Lucky for us, teammate Pam had mapped out an afternoon full of Osaka’s highlights.

First stop: the fish market. We learned to navigate the metro, wandered through stalls of fresh seafood, and enjoyed an ice-cold beer with plenty of laughter and vendor antics.

Then, it was back onto another train and off to Osaka Castle. We strolled around this stunning landmark, umbrellas in hand to fend off the hot sun, already feeling a bit more in sync with the city’s rhythm.

Our next mission? Dinner for a dozen. We’d heard about finding places with “nori” curtains, which basically meant stepping into what looked like secret passageways. After some wandering, we lucked out with a cozy spot where we enjoyed real-deal Japanese food—totally worth the hunt.

By the end of the night, we were exhausted, full, and finally settling into that “we’re really here” feeling. After a quick team meeting, we packed up for the journey ahead and got a solid night’s rest, ready to jump into the days to come.

DAY 2 OSAKA to KII TANABE by 2IC Ann

My first trip to Japan was a journey in so many ways. A fractured ankle & Mum’s ill health had kept me away from trek training for much of 2024. But I was determined to savour each challenge and every moment, and to carry Mum’s words in my heart: “Go … and enjoy it all.”

Day 2: it began with a spectacular coastal train journey!

Sharing the planning of DAY 2 with our fearless tour guide Jo was an honour - getting us out of Osaka to the quiet coastal town & the gateway to the Kumano Kodo was the goal.

On our way to Kii Tanabe on the JR (Japan Rail)

With an early start we convoyed in 4 taxis to Osaka Shinkansen station. Japan’s trains are as amazing as people say, and before long we were racing down the coast to Kii-Tanabe (after negotiating tickets for 12, finding the right platform, and Lou & I pausing to pose for the first of our many squat photos to ensure we met our obligations to the Power Hour Squat Challenge.

We dipped our toes into the Pacific Ocean at Ogigahama Beach - a symbolic way to start the journey. It was a little surreal knowing we would be repeating this step on the other side of the Kii Peninsular at the end of this Coast to Coast adventure. Seeing the tsunami gates at the beach was a reminder of the area’s resilience.

At the visitor centre, we met our local guide for an ‘orientation’ (maps everywhere!). Here we also saw other trekkers catching the bus to Takijiri-oji which is the traditional start of the Kumano Kodo … but that was not our plan - it was much too easy for us to take THAT option.

Learning about the culture and history of the pilgrims journey.

A visit to the Tokei-jinja Shrine, founded in 419 AD, for a purification ceremony was full of pageantry, dance and ancient traditions. Here I felt a mix of humility and gratitude and ready to begin this pilgrimage.

The ever-present search for ice cream had some exploring the area at night.

I was looking forward to days ahead which I was sure would be filled with quiet reflection, amazing history, rich culture, stunning landscapes, ancient cedar forests, mountain passes, and lots of laughs (in the shared onsens for sure!).

What I didn’t expect (silly me!!!) was such challenging descents on long stretches of gravel roads, slippery moss-covered steps & uneven stone paths. And I have a few bruises & lost toenails to show for it! 😊

I felt blessed to be surrounded by an incredible group of new friends & old, all with our own challenges & goals. All here to support one another.

DAY 3 KII TANABE to TAKAHARA a poem by 2IC Lou

(distance 26.8km, 568m elevation gain)

At last the day had come, so bright,
Twelve Diamonds set forth, hearts alight.
From Tanabe’s hotel, with spirits high,
Nervous but eager, beneath the sky.

The sun climbed early, the heat did rise,
Thirty degrees met us, a warm surprise.
With maps in hand, we lost our way,
But laughter guided us through the fray.

Oji shrines welcomed, with whispers of grace,
Through ume orchards, we quickened our pace.
One wrong turn taken, but not for long,
Back on the path, our spirits grew strong.

Then came the trailhead, where excitement swirled,
A glimpse of a snake, nature unfurled.
The climb grew steep, but views opened wide,
Tanabe below, our hearts swelled with pride.

Bento boxes waiting, a feast to behold,
Quality and quantity, a treasure untold.
Then, from nowhere, a lady appeared,
gave us some ice, then her moped she steered.

Through woodlands we wandered, cooler the air,
New friendships blossomed, with laughter to share.
Across Shiomi-toge, we conquered the way,
With steep winding roads testing knees on display.

At last to the river, our journey's sweet end,
To dip our toes in, with new-found friends.
Proud of our venture, we claimed our reward,
Ice cream became tradition, our spirits restored.

The bus brought us gently to views vast and grand,
An onsen awaited, with warmth at our hand.
Yukatas we donned, in slippers we tread,
A dinner of laughter before we went to bed.

With dreams of tomorrow, we smiled in the night,
For Day One was done, and our hearts felt so light.
Through challenges faced, together we stood,
On the Kumano Kodo, where memories flowed good.

DAY 4 Takijiri-oji to Chikatsuyu by 2IC Jane

(distance 19.8 km, 952m elevation - AKA heaps of ups & downs)

Takijiri-oji - the official start of the Nakahechi pilgrimage trek

We started the morning with a short bus ride back to the river that we had cooled our feet in the afternoon before. Quick team photo at the start of where most trekkers begin their journey and then onwards & upwards.

So many highlights of the day; a stop to crawl through the birthing cave and on through majestic trees, small batch coffee for morning tea (we had to allow extra time), bursting into the sound of music as we crossed a ridge bridge and then hugging trees on the next one.

Some silent walking, lunch at a clearing with benches, shade & toilets, multiple water crossings near the end of the day in the beautiful afternoon light and last but not least – an ice cream to help us reach our destination.

Chikatsuyu - our resting place for the night.

DAY 5 Chikatsuyu to Hongu by 2IC Leaenda

(distance 19.8km, elevation gain 960m)

Today we felt the aspirations of being a ‘pilgram’ as we gained the 960 meters through sunlight-dappled cedar-filled forest mountains to Fushiogami-oji where we had our first glimpse of the view of Oyunohara, in the valley below to see the giant Torii gateway.

As we walked up the giant stone staircase to Hongu Taisha Grand shrine there was sense of achievement that we had made it half-way on our own self-discovery journey.

Giant Torii Gateway (largest in the world)

DAY 6 Optional Dainichi-goe Hike - Rest Day at Yunomine Onsen by 2IC Lisa

(distance 6.1km)

Today found us in the picturesque little onsen village of Yunomine, tucked into a little valley in the heart of these sacred mountains. We had 2 nights here and our first and only rest day. We could decide whether to hike or catch the bus to Kumano Hongu Taisha the next morning and also had the luxury of staying in our gowns for breakfast!

Our group was divided whether or not to give our feet a well-earned rest and hopefully blisters would heal or just keep on keeping on! In the end it was about half and half so Jo set off at 9am with the hikers and the other half went with me by bus. We all would meet up to return on the 12.58 bus back to Takiyoshi Inn.

Stamps to register for the dual pilgrimage.

Anyone who has walked both UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage routes, the Kumano Kodo and the Way of St James (Camino de Santiago)could also register at the Kumano Hongu Heritage Centre, visit the largest Torri shrine gate in the world, boil eggs in the hot springs, explore the visitors centre, visit the hot spring bath house, enjoy a leisurely lunch and best of all our lovely hosts would do our washing.

A visit to the Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine

Jo also ran two very much appreciated yoga stretch classes in the afternoon. So basically as 2IC my job was very minimal

DAY 7 - over the Hatenashi-toge Pass on the Kohechi Route by 2IC Pam

(distance 15.6km, 956m elevation gain)

Becoming experts on the local buses, eight of our group set out for Yakio where we joined one of the steeper sections of the Kohechi route.

We set out on the steep trail of Hatenashi-toge Pass, the challenge loomed before us: 6 kms of uphill, gaining 930 metres in elevation, followed by an equally demanding 6 kms of downhill, dropping another 990 metres. The physical effort was daunting, but as we made our way upward, we found unexpected companions along the trail, the 33 manifestations of Kannon, the Japanese deity of compassion and mercy.

Looking for the Kannon statues, each one with a different face and a numbered post, took our minds off the strenuous climb. On the uphill trail we were also distracted by remarkable fungi, appearing in all shapes and colours.

The south side of Hatenashi-toge was alive with low vegetation, a contrast to the towering Japanese cypress trees we had grown accustomed to on previous trails. There were some amazing views at breaks in the trees, looking back we could see our trail on the ridge line we had travelled.

The descent was equally challenging. Leaving the pass, we were happy with the initial downhill reaching the Hatenashi settlement in good time for our bus back towards Hongu.

Rice fields in the pretty Hatenashi Settlement

The trail then turned to steep moss-covered rocks making it slow going and hard on the knees. This continued down to the flat where we crossed the suspension bridge leading to Hotel Subaru.

DAY 7 from Ukegawa to Koguchi; known as the Kogumototi-goe, by 2IC Tracy

(distance 19.8km, 673m elevation gain)

It rained very heavily overnight and the sedate, narrow and pebbled riverbed beside our accommodation changed dramatically to a full, brown torrent - no temptation to swim this morning. Breakfast was amazing and included a fish fillet that we cooked ourselves at the table.

A swollen river after heavy overnight rain.

This rain also added significant soundscape to our now familiar landscape of Japanese cedar and cypress trees, paths of knarled roots, amazing fungi and slippery rocks – creeks and waterfalls were flowing, often heard but not seen.

Flowing waters provided relief from the intense humidity.

Our route today climbed up to an undulating plateau and viewing point (perfect for a team photo), with an amazing vista of the continuous green topped mountains, before a descent and river crossing to the town of Koguchi.

There were the normal shrines and teahouse remains – collecting our stamps in our books, not just for proof of passage, but also to provide a moment to stop, reflect and feel the presence of the pilgrims who have been walking this route for centuries. We also passed the recently added Poem monuments and the Okiri Jizo statue “erected to console the souls of pilgrims who have died during their pilgrimage to Kumano”.

Our accommodation for the night was in a converted old junior high school – classroom sized Japanese style guest rooms! It also had a common room, located beside the fast flowing river, perfect for pre-dinner drinks and team briefing.

Dinner was a simpler affair, and as this was the only accommodation, sharing the dining room with everyone we had met on the trail that day. We finally fell asleep with the sounds of the river flowing past our bedroom windows. I enjoyed being 2IC for the day – being proactive in knowing the route and interest points but also reading the significance of each of them and sharing with the group.

Our well-practiced collecting stamps ritual.

DAY 8 OGUMOTORI-GOE, by 2IC Lile

(distance 17.6km, 1078m elevation gain)

It was the end of Day 7 of our Kumano Kodo pilgrimage and Jo was wrapping up her briefing for the next day - a climb and descent over the Ogumotori-goe. This included the notorious Dogiri-zaka. No one actually said the translated words “Body Breaking Slope” out loud, but there was certainly an uncharacteristic hush over the group as we left the briefing. Tomorrow was the day we would tackle this climb, supposedly one of the toughest sections of our Nakahechi route. Once commenced there was no back-tracking or shortcuts … would we all conquer this “Body Breaking Slope”, the Dogiri-zaka!?

Knowing what was ahead, Day 8 was a very early start. Thankfully the weather looked promising. The sun was out and the morning even seemed fresh; the massive humidity had dropped. We set off optimistically! After queueing for 'just one more' pilgrim stamp, we started as usual, with stairs heading up! The light filtering through the trees was spectacular and seemed like a good omen for the day ahead.

We reached the Waroda-ishi Rock, Waroda meaning “round shaped cushion” and ishi meaning 'rock'. – a location where the Kumano deities are believed to meet and chat over tea! Three symbols are carved into the rock; Sanskrit characters assigned to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, one of which represented the Buddha of Compassion and Wisdom at our ultimate destination, The Grand Temple of Kumano Hongu Taisha. The symbols were a little disappointing, covered in moss and not very clear, but with some close scrutiny, we managed to decipher something!

The climb continued through Kusu-no-Kubo Lodging Remains. Small, flat areas closely scattered along this short one and a half kilometre stretch and now completely covered in plant life, were all that remained of over ten traveller's inns. Many of the inn keepers would try to convince pilgrims to stay by telling them that there were no other accommodations close by past this point, 'We have Tofu; bath is ready!', was a simple but effective sales pitch! Kusu-no-Kubo was the last area where these 'Hatagos' operated. They were gone by the 1920s.

Even though we had been steadily climbing, the infamous Dogiri-zaka, or 'Body Breaking Slope' now loomed in front of us, 800 metres of elevation over approximately five kilometres! Jo set a steady pace and we went for it, up, up, up, up, up a seemingly endless slope of rough stone cobbles then horizontally laid log 'steps'. Pilgrims for centuries have faced the challenge of the Dogiri-zaka; all the way back in 1201 a famous poet wrote, “This route is very rough and difficult: it is impossible to describe precisely how tough it is”!! Even though we were watching our feet much of the time for fear of slips or trips, we did pass ancient stone walls of terraced rice paddies; again, all lost to the forest.

Finally, we arrived at the Echizen-Toge pass with a SIT-DOWN stop! But not for too long. A series of shorter climbs and descents were still to be conquered to reach a spectacular lookout at Funami-jaya. Before this however, was the next SIT-DOWN lunch shop at the Jizo-jaya teahouse remains. A small shelter in this clearing houses a series of donated Jizo statues. Plus the clearing contained a 'blessed' vending machine - with iced coffees!! Leaving this lunch stop was a bit of a luxury, as we following a paved forestry road for a couple of kilometres. Eventually returning to the forest track, we paralleled the Moja-no-Deai, mountains populated by the souls of the dead, with one called Mt. Myoho, the historic headquarters for the itinerant Kumano Bikuni Nuns (NOT, Bikini!).

At last we arrived at the day's highest point at over 1200 metres - the lookout at Funami-jaya. SPECTACULAR! We could see forever – even to the Pacific Ocean and our Coast to Coast end point of the fishing village of Katsuura. From here there was only the descent … down, down, down, down, down trying not to slip on the moss-covered cobbles and steps. The Cypress leaf-filled gutters were our friends! The last (endless!) stone steps finished at the Nachisan sanctuary with a view of the stunning Nachi-no-Otaki Falls ... another pilgrim stamp to acquire … and a SIT-DOWN dinner!

DAY 9: Nachisan to Kii-Katsuura by 2IC Carol

(distance 16.6km, elevation +50m -360m)

A bittersweet day - excited that we were about to reach our final destination but also not wanting such a great experience to end.

First stop was Nachi Falls, the highest waterfall in Japan, which was spectacular yet also surprisingly peaceful, as we managed to get there before all the tourist buses arrived. Next, a leisurely meander around the grounds of Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine (where we were able to walk into, up and through the trunk of an 800 year old camphor tree) and the nearby Seiganto-Ji Temple, with panoramic views of the beautiful countryside below.

An early lunch stop (where I achieved a PB by consuming not one but two icecreams before midday 🤩) before navigating the iconic Daimonzaka slope, a 600m long cobblestone staircase lined with magnificent ancient trees, descending to the base of the valley.

An hour or so of road walking later (and with a bit of help from Google Maps), we finally reached the coast at Nachi Blue Beach - where twelve pairs of hot, sweaty feet made a beeline for the Pacific Ocean. We swam, we cheered. Oh what a feeling!

The Katsuura Coast - the journey complete.

Our last night together was spent at Hotel Uroshima - an absolutely enormous (and slightly weird) tourist complex, very different to the traditional guesthouses we had become accustomed to. Plenty of celebrations were had - including sunset drinks overlooking Katsuura Bay and an after-dinner soak in one of the hotel's two cave onsens, gazing up at the stars while waves lapped onto the rocks outside. Also plenty of reflections - about everything we had achieved and overcome during the course of the trek, both individually and collectively, the enduring connections we had made with each other, Jo's amazing leadership skills, and of course: where to next?

DAY 10 Final Farewells by 2IC Sharon

Some woke early for a final cave onsen experience overlooking the rocky coastline, open to the elements with the waves breaking on the rocks beneath us. Our last day had us waking and it was my turn to be Jo’s 2IC.

To be honest Jo - again, had done the majority of the work, if not all. Our mission for day 10 was to get most of the ladies from the hotel to Tokyo for our flight home. But first leaving Kutsurra we needed to catch the Kuroshio, the fast train that runs along the west coast. It gets its name “Kuroshio” from the warm ocean currents that flow from the south, sweeping by the Kii Peninsula. After disembarking the train in Shin-Osaka, we had a quick flight from Osaka to Tokyo. Tokyo to Sydney.

We have been home a few weeks now and as each week passes I am in awe, even more, of the amazing group of ladies whom made this trip one of the memorable ones I have experienced. The Diamond coaches are so dedicated, understanding and professional to each of our personal issues and accommodate us to be able to conquer our personal goals. Saying that, I would like to thank Jo, for just being Jo. The most amazing coach/friend you can have on your side. Also, Sue and Lisa for the first 2 days reminding me to “ breath” haha, and checking in the following days. Last but not least the wonderful and very supportive Japan 2 team. I am so grateful to have had all those ladies on the trip that we shared so many stories with and made new friendships.