Why Visiting All Three Kumano Kodo Shrines Completes the Pilgrimage
- Home Comforts Hiking
- Jan 1
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
The Kumano Kodo is often described as one of Japan’s most beautiful walking routes. Ancient forest paths, quiet mountain villages, and deeply spiritual landscapes draw travellers from around the world.
But the Kumano Kodo is not simply a scenic hike.
For over a thousand years, it has been a pilgrimage, and historically, that pilgrimage was only considered complete when all three Grand Shrines of Kumano were visited.
Understanding how these three shrines fit together transforms the experience from a beautiful walk into a complete and meaningful journey.
The Kumano Sanzan: One Pilgrimage, Three Sacred Shrines
The three Grand Shrines are collectively known as the Kumano Sanzan. They are not separate attractions, but interconnected destinations that form a single spiritual story.
Kumano Hongū Taisha
The spiritual heart of Kumano. Hongū has long been associated with guidance, rebirth, and new beginnings. Historically, it represented arrival after transformation.
Kumano Hayatama Taisha
Closely linked to Japanese creation myths and life force. Located near the Kumano-gawa River, Hayatama symbolises movement, vitality, and transition.
Kumano Nachi Taisha
Set beside Japan’s tallest waterfall, Nachi represents purification through nature. The constant flow of water has symbolised cleansing and renewal for centuries.
Individually, each shrine is powerful. Together, they form a complete cycle of reflection, challenge, renewal, and return.
Why Walking Between the Shrines Matters
Historically, pilgrims did not simply visit the shrines. They walked between them.
The act of moving through mountains, forests, rivers, and coastal landscapes was central to the meaning of the pilgrimage. Nature itself was understood to be sacred, not separate from worship.
Walking between the shrines symbolised:
Letting go of the old self
Enduring challenge and uncertainty
Emerging renewed and grounded
This is why visiting only one shrine was never considered sufficient. The meaning of the Kumano Kodo emerges through movement, not just arrival.
Designing a Journey That Feels Connected
Modern travellers often underestimate how spread out the Kumano Kodo is. Distances vary, transport connections are limited, accommodation in mountain villages is scarce, and the shrines sit across different towns and landscapes.
This is why thoughtful journey design matters.
A complete pilgrimage requires careful planning so that walkers can:
Visit all three Grand Shrines
Walk meaningful sections of the iconic Nakahechi route
Include the traditional river journey to Hayatama Taisha
Stay in hand-picked minshuku and onsen villages
Walk each day at a pace that feels achievable and enjoyable
Left to right: Nakahechi Trail, traditional riverboat ride, Sennin Buro onsen
When logistics, accommodation access, and transport are handled seamlessly, travellers can focus on the experience itself, rather than the stress of planning.
How the Full Pilgrimage Deepens the Experience
Those who visit all three shrines often describe a distinct sense of completion. The journey becomes a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
At Hongū, travellers feel grounded and reflective, standing at the ancient heart of the Kumano faith.
At Hayatama, beside the sacred river and the iconic Kamikura rock, there is a feeling of movement, freshness, and transition.
At Nachi, the sight of the towering waterfall beside the red-lacquered shrine evokes awe and quiet contemplation.
Completing the Nakahechi route adds another layer. The rhythm of walking through forests, villages, and mountain passes creates space for clarity and calm. Many walkers describe the experience as life-affirming, a chance to reset emotionally and physically.
A Pilgrimage Designed for Completion, Not Convenience
Today, many itineraries focus on a single highlight or a short walking section. While these experiences can be enjoyable, they do not reflect the original intent of the Kumano Kodo.
Walking a journey that connects all three Grand Shrines honours the pilgrimage as it was practised for centuries. It allows modern walkers to experience Kumano not as a collection of sights, but as a cohesive and meaningful journey.
You do not need to be religious to feel the difference.
Modern pilgrims often walk the Kumano Kodo during times of:
Personal transition
Reflection or life reset
Recovery after burnout or loss
A desire for meaning beyond everyday routine
Completing the full three-shrine pilgrimage creates a sense of wholeness that shorter or fragmented experiences rarely provide.
For those interested in the deeper history behind this tradition, understanding what visiting all three shrines meant to pilgrims centuries ago adds powerful context to the modern Kumano Kodo experience.
Choosing the Right Journey for Your Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage
Whether you prefer a fully guided experience, a self-guided adventure, or a private itinerary, what matters most is having the opportunity to walk the complete pilgrimage with confidence.
You can choose gentler days or more challenging ascents. You can walk shorter sections or the full Nakahechi route. And you can shape the journey around your own intentions.
What matters is that the pilgrimage feels connected, supported, and true to its origins.
In Short
Visiting all three Grand Shrines is not about doing more.
It is about experiencing the Kumano Kodo as it was meant to be experienced — as a complete cycle of movement, reflection, renewal, and return.
For those seeking the most authentic and meaningful Kumano Kodo experience, completing all three shrines is not optional.
It is the pilgrimage.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage
🥾 Is it necessary to visit all three shrines on the Kumano Kodo?
Historically, yes. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage was considered complete only when all three Grand Shrines, Hongū Taisha, Hayatama Taisha, and Nachi Taisha, were visited. Each shrine represents a different aspect of spiritual renewal, and together they form a complete pilgrimage cycle.
Today, while it is possible to visit just one shrine, many walkers find that visiting all three creates a deeper sense of meaning and completion.
🥾 Do most Kumano Kodo tours include all three Grand Shrines?
No. Many itineraries focus on a single shrine or a short walking section, often due to logistical complexity, time constraints, or accommodation availability.
Journeys that intentionally connect all three shrines require careful route planning, transport coordination, and access to village accommodation. As a result, only a small number of operators design their itineraries around the complete pilgrimage rather than isolated highlights.
🥾 How does Home Comforts Hiking design a complete Kumano Kodo pilgrimage?
Home Comforts Hiking designs its journeys around the original structure of the Kumano pilgrimage. Rather than treating the walk as a series of disconnected sections, itineraries are planned to allow travellers to experience:
All three Grand Shrines of Kumano
Meaningful sections of the historic Nakahechi route
Traditional cultural elements, including river journeys where appropriate
Carefully paced walking days supported by transport and accommodation planning
This approach allows walkers to focus on the journey itself, rather than the stress of logistics.
🥾 Do I need to be religious to walk the Kumano Kodo as a pilgrimage?
No. Many modern pilgrims walk the Kumano Kodo for reflection, personal transition, or time in nature rather than religious devotion.
The pilgrimage structure still holds meaning because it creates space for movement, challenge, and renewal. Visiting all three shrines provides a natural beginning, middle, and end to the journey, regardless of belief.
🥾 What is the Nakahechi route, and why does it matter?
The Nakahechi route is the most historically significant and widely recognised path of the Kumano Kodo. It was traditionally used by emperors, monks, and pilgrims travelling between the Grand Shrines.
Walking sections of the Nakahechi route connects modern travellers to the historical rhythm of the pilgrimage and enhances the sense of continuity between past and present.
🥾 What makes the full Kumano Kodo pilgrimage feel different from a short walk?
A short walk can be beautiful and rewarding. A full pilgrimage feels cohesive.
Visiting all three shrines and walking connecting routes allows the experience to unfold gradually. Many walkers describe a growing sense of clarity, calm, and emotional reset that develops over multiple days rather than in a single highlight moment.
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About Home Comforts Hiking
Home Comforts Hiking designs unforgettable hiking experiences across Australia and Asia — where adventure meets comfort. Whether you choose a self-guided or fully guided trail, every journey is thoughtfully planned so you can walk, discover, and relax with a shower, a meal, and a comfortable bed at the end of each day.
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