River Pilgrimage along Kumano River

Ride a traditional boat like pilgrims centuries ago

Alena Eckelmann Apr 23, 2013 - 3 min read

The guide explains the different features of the landscape along the river

Guests walking to the pier; life jackets are a must

Boarding the boat; the captain and the cox watch over their guests

All captains are experienced boatsmen; our captain was over 80 years old

Kumano River is said to be one of Japan's three rivers with the fastest currents

Short break on the shores of Kumano River before continuing the journey downriver towards the Hayatama Shrine

The Kumano River landscape is nice to look at but ask for an English-speaking guide to make the most of the explanations

Behind the bridge is the open sea; this is the mouth of Kumano River where it flows into the Pacific Ocean at Shingu City

How about a Kumano Kodo pilgrimage by way of riding a kawabune boat?

This is the only river boat pilgrimage in the world that is registered as a UNESCO Heritage!

Kawabune literally means river boat. These wooden boats were originally used to transport timber and other goods from deep inside the Kumano Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. When the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage became popular with Kyoto's aristocrats in Japan's Heian Period, pilgrims were also carried down the fast rapids of the Kumano-gawa River, which connects the Kumano Hongu Shrine with the Kumano Hayatama Shrine. These are two of the Three Kumano Grand Shrines that together with the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails have become a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004.

In the old days there was a propeller boat that connected Hongu Town where the Kumano Hongu Shrine is located with Shingu City, the location of the Kumano Hayatama Shrine, as well as Kamikura Shrine. Nowadays the kawabune start further downstream.

The boat tour starts at "Dorokyo-kaido Kumano-gawa” Michi-no-Eki (roadside rest area) near Kumanogawa Village and it ends at the mouth of the Kumano River where it flows in the ocean in Shingu City. The location of the road station has been an important transit point for boats travelling to the Dorokyo, the Doro Gorge.

The Kumano-gawa River Traditional Boat Tour Center (Kawabune Center) is located at the Michi-no-Eki. Check in at the tour desk there and receive further instructions about safety on board. You will also receive a life jacket to wear throughout the boats tour there.

A kawabune boat carried up to 8 passengers which are accompanied by a guide. The guides here are called "storytellers" and they narrate stories about the river and things that happened around the river for the duration of the 1.5 hours boat ride. The boat is maneuvered downstream and down some rapids by skilled boatmen.

Nowadays most visitors are not pilgrims but a ride in one of these traditional boats is fun and it is a great way to see a part of Kumano without having to walk.

Access to the Michi-no-Eki is possible by public bus. The bus runs between Shingu City and Hongu Town. Get off at “Michi-no-Eki Kumano-gawa stop.

Alena Eckelmann @alena.eckelmann

Founder of Kii Monogatari, my story and the story of the Kii Peninsula of Japan. Originally from East Germany, I came to Tokyo, via Berlin and London, in 2005. In summer 2011 I moved by choice to remote Kumano in the south of the Kii Peninsula where I live, work and play now, and explore every da...