Earlier in the present day, as I used to be updating my Nakasendo path information, I had a stunning realization: I’ve by no means in contrast the Nakasendo with the Kumano Kodo, i.e. Japan’s different most-popular mountain pilgrimage.
Initially, I assumed I need to’ve made a mistake. Perhaps Google simply de-indexed the article? Perhaps I slipped in rankings? However alas, digging into my web site’s dashboard revealed the reality: That I had merely by no means created such a put up, though it’s a subject I usually assume (and, to my non-public shoppers, speak) about.
So in the present day, I’m writing that mistaken, and can hopefully make it easier to reply a burning query. Is the Nakasendo or Kumano Kodo one of the best Japanese path so that you can hike?
Why So Many Individuals Conflate the Kumano Kodo with the Nakasendo
The Nakasendo vs Kumano Kodo can get twisted, particularly should you’re unfamiliar with Japan’s geography, or discover that Japanese names sound too much like each other. There’s additionally the truth that each of those trails have a comparatively related degree of notoriety amongst international vacationers, the truth that they’re in utterly completely different elements of Japan (and are usually very completely different from each other) however.
There’s additionally the idea (which, particularly within the case of the Nakasendo is misplaced) that each these trails are off the crushed path. Definitely, this may need been true a decade in the past; it’s nonetheless correct alongside some elements of each trails, i.e. the sections which can be furthest away from prepare and bus strains. Nonetheless, I’d usually encourage you to count on moderate-to-medium crowds to accompany you as you hike, irrespective of which path you select.
Kumano Kodo
Methods to Examine the Nakasendo with the Kumano Kodo
Location and entry
If you happen to’re coming from Tokyo, the Nakasendo is a bit simpler to entry. You possibly can attain the western finish (Magome) utilizing a mix of prepare and bus through Nagoya; a single switch in Matsumoto can take you from Shinjuku Station to Narai, the jap terminus of the path. To hike the Kumano Kodo, in the meantime, you’ll want to succeed in Kii-tanabe Station. That is a number of hours by prepare from Osaka, and not less than half a day’s journey from Tokyo.
Ease of discovering lodging
Each the Nakasendo and Kumano Kodo are rural trails with a restricted variety of lodging. Nonetheless, there’s merely extra lodging on supply for the Kumano Kodo, and it’s extra simply accessible, be it through on-line journey company like Reserving.com, or the Kumano Journey service. Against this, just a few good Nakasendo lodging are bookable on-line, akin to Magome Chaya in Magome, Kiso Mikawaya in Kiso-Fukushima and Byaku in Narai.
Strenuousness of hike
The Kumano Kodo begins with a mainly vertical ascent, and whereas there are “simpler” elements of the path, it’s outlined by dramatic elevation acquire and loss, and days that require a number of hours of mountaineering. The Nakasendo, in the meantime, options just one very strenuous hike, within the type of the Torii Move. Different elements of the path, together with the favored stretch between the cities of Magome and Tsumago, are extra of a stroll than a hike.
Crowds
Talking of the path between Magome and Tsumago, it’s one of the crucial crowded mountaineering trails I’ve ever seen wherever in Japan. Against this, the core elements of the Kumano Kodo are a lot much less busy, with the attainable exceptions of the preliminary elements of trails instantly main away from the cities of Hongu and Shingu. If you happen to’re deciding between Kumano Kodo or Nakasendo primarily based on crowdedness, the previous is the clear winner.
Issues to do and see
That is an space the place I’d give the sting to the Nakasendo. It’s roughly a group of cities and villages, with others in addition to those I discussed together with Kiso-Fukushima, Yabuhara and Narai, every of which affords genuine Alpine allure, along with a number of vacationer points of interest. There are issues to do alongside the Kumano Kodo as nicely—the world’s largest torii gate in Hongu; Kumano Nachi Taisha (aka the waterfall shrine) close to Shingu—however general, that path feels far more about its nature.
Nakasendo
Different Multi-Day Hikes in Japan
Whereas the 2 trails I’ve written about on this put up are the commonest choices for vacationers looking for a multi-day journey, they’re not your solely alternative. If you happen to plan to concentrate on Japan’s Tohoku area, for instance, you might select the Michinoku Coastal Path. The draw back is that lodging right here will be much more tough to seek out than alongside both the Nakasendo or the Kumano Kodo; the upside is that it’s a lot much less tourist-ridden than each.
One other various to the Kumano Kodo vs Nakasendo debate? Head to Shikoku, Japan’s least-visited island. Even should you don’t plan to do the whole thing of the 88-temple Junrei pilgrimage, which might take weeks or months, this may be a lovely various mountaineering choice. Plus, since a lot of the path is accessible from Shikoku’s 4 main cities, you’ll be able to bypass the tediousness of discovering a spot to remain.
Different FAQ About Kumano Kodo and Nakasendo
Is the Nakasendo or Kumano Kodo higher?
This can be a complicated dialogue. The straightforward reply, nonetheless, is that the Nakasendo is best for vacationers looking for tradition, whereas the Kumano Kodo has extra spectacular nature and can be a extra strenuous hike. One other issue? It takes far more effort and time to succeed in the Kumano Kodo from Tokyo than it does to get to the start of the Nakasendo.
Is the Nakasendo or Kumano Kodo tougher?
For essentially the most half, the Kumano Kodo is a way more tough hike than the Nakasendo, which is essentially only a stroll in most locations. The exception to this rule is should you hike the Torii Move, which hyperlinks the cities of Yabuhara and Narai close to the jap terminus of the Nakasendo Path.
Ought to I do the Nakasendo or the Kumano Kodo?
I often advocate that vacationers who need to prioritize tradition do the Nakasendo, whereas those that need extra attention-grabbing pure select the Kumano Kodo. Likewise, the Nakasendo is an “simpler” hike (a stroll, actually), and is extra ideally suited for these with young children or mobility impairments than the Kumano Kodo, whose strenuousness makes it veer into trek territory in a number of spots.
The Backside Line
Making an attempt to resolve between the Nakasendo or Kumano Kodo? Don’t get irritated—get knowledgeable. The very first thing to learn about these two trails is that whereas they’re related in notoriety, they’re utterly completely different in any other case. If you happen to’re a severe hiker, for instance, and actually need to get your blood pumping, the Kumano Kodo is by far the higher alternative. Against this, there’s much more conspicuous tradition alongside the Nakasendo, a lot of which doesn’t require any mountaineering (or strolling, because it have been) in any respect. Want customized assist deciding the place in Japan to hike? Fee a customized Japan itinerary, and leverage my decade-plus of expertise to chart your course.