Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2018

82 Travel | Kumano Kodo Japanese pilgrims at the Kumano Hayatama Taisha shrine. Probably the most popular section of the Kumano Kodo is an 8km trek along the main Nakahechi route. It begins at the Hosshinmon-oji shrine, one of the most important sites on the trail network. Time-honoured triumvirate Probably the most popular section of the Kumano Kodo is an 8km trek along the main Nakahechi route. It begins at the Hosshinmon-oji shrine, one of the most important sites on the trail network. Marking the outermost entrance into the divine precincts of Kumano Hongu Taisha, it once bore witness to poetry parties, traditional gagaku (ancient Imperial Court music) dancing and other religious events designed to entertain local deities. In the past, pilgrims arriving at Kumano Hongu Taisha would travel by boat down the Kumano-gawa River to reach the next grand shrine, the equally striking Kumano Hayatama Taisha, which sits at the confluence of the river and the Pacific Ocean, near Shingu city. From there it is a short walk to the last of the Kumano Kodo’s triumvirate of grand shrines, the Kumano Nachi Taisha. “I think it’s pretty clear why the Nachi Taisha is situated here,” says local monk Ryoei Takagi with a smile, as he turns towards the Nachi Falls, a 133m-high cascade that forms a hugely impressive backdrop to the shrine. “Through our worship we express our gratitude to the waterfall, for its life energy. We still worship many waterfalls in this area.” Back to the future Legs buried deep in soggy mud, Yukimi Nakamine takes a well-earned break from planting rice seedlings in her front garden, which also happens to be a semi-submerged paddy field. It’s a laborious task, but the energetic young Japanese woman isn’t complaining. In fact, she’s relishing life in the Kumano countryside. “I carried out what we call a ‘U-turn’ in Japan,” she explains with a shy smile. “I left 5 Senses – Taste CAFÉ BOCU Café Bocu is a macrobiotic restaurant in Chikatsuyu village, on the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo. The café and guesthouse, housed in a renovated farmhouse surrounded by paddy fields, serves up a range of healthy and delicious local produce, and makes a great place to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of this rural village. Café Bocu adalah restoran dengan menu makrobiotik di Desa Chikatsuyu, di rute Nakahechi, Kumano Kodo. Menempati sebuah farmhouse yang sudah direnovasi dan dikelilingi oleh sawah, kafe plus penginapan ini menyajikan beragam produk lokal yang sehat dan lezat, dan sangat cocok untuk bersantai dan menikmati suasana pedesaan.

Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2018 | Page 84