Kumano kodo (old passage)
For over 1000 years people from all levels of society, including retired
emperors and aristocrats, have made the arduous pilgrimage to Kumano.
These pilgrims used a network of routes, now called the Kumano Kodo, which
stretched across the mountainous Kii Peninsula.
The walk itself was an integral part of the pilgrimage process as they
undertook rigorous religious rites of worship and purification. Walking
the ancient Kumano Kodo is a fantastic way to experience the unique cultural
landscape of Kumano's spiritual countryside.
In July 2004, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes were registered as UNESCO
World Heritage.