Introducing hajikami Pass Road, a route with a great view of the ocean [Let's walk the Kumano Kodo ②]

Article production / Mie Travel Ambassador TAKA

~table of contents~

• Highlights of hajikami Pass
• hajikami Pass easy to walk?
• Route introduction
• Introducing recommended nearby spots
• in conclusion

Highlights of hajikami Pass

`` hajikami Pass'' is a course located near the seaside of Kihoku-KihokuTown Kodo Iseji route.

There are three highlights here.

• A stone stairway designated as a World Heritage Site
• View of hajikami Pass, the goal
• A pleasant path to walk on

I will mainly introduce these ^ ^

hajikami Pass easy to walk?

One of the things people who have started hiking or walking are probably wondering is, ``Wouldn't it be difficult to walk?''

My impressions after actually walking hajikami Pass this time are:

On a three-level rating, it would be ``★★ (two stars)''.

~Memo~

★ (1 star) → The distance is short and the road is not that steep.

★★ (2 stars) → It's about 3km away and has a slight slope.

★★★ (Three stars) → Long distance of 5km or more, rewarding to walk

Of course, I think each person has a different sense of whether it's easy or difficult to walk.

• A reasonable distance that can be walked in just over 3km
• The slope of the course is not too steep.

From this point of view, I thought the course would be easy to walk even for beginners ^ ^

"For your reference"

The name of hajikami Pass comes from the word “Hajikami” which means salamander.

Route introduction

This is an overhead view of this route.

Now let's aim for hajikami Pass!

Start near the sea

This time's route starts at hajikami Sakura Square and continues along the world heritage stone steps to the finish line at hajikami Pass.

On the way back, the route is to return to hajikami Sakura Square while walking along a road called Meiji-michi.

"hajikami Sakura Square"

There is a parking lot where you can park several cars and a toilet, so it's convenient ^ ^

There is also a bus stop nearby, making Kumano Kodo easily accessible to those using the bus.

If you walk a little east from hajikami Sakura Plaza, you will see a sign pointing to hajikami Pass, so continue walking in the direction shown.

After about 5 minutes of walking, you will arrive at the entrance to hajikami Pass.

As you walk along the gentle road and cross the occasional wooden bridge, you can hear the sound of cars passing by.

Can you see the car on the right edge of the photo?

Kumano Kodo is a path that has been walked for more than 1,000 years, and right next to it is a path of the future where civilization has developed, so perhaps one of the characteristics of Kumano Kodo is that you can experience the past and the future at the same time. .

Walk up the stone steps to hajikami Pass

After walking for about 30 minutes, you will come to a ``tsuzu-fold'' climbing path with a series of stone steps.

This is also a World Heritage Site, and although I introduced it as a ``sightseeing spot'' at the beginning, it is also the most difficult point on the route.

However, once you cross this point, the goal, hajikami Pass, is right in front of you.

"hajikami Pass"

About 50 minutes after starting, we arrived at our destination, hajikami Pass.

The second ``highlight'' I introduced at the beginning is the view here.

The view overlooking the mountains and the sea is worth seeing ^ ^

Apparently there used to be a teahouse in this area. .

There are several benches around the pass, making it a good place to take a break.

It seems to have been a resting place throughout the ages.

Walking along Meiji Road to hajikami Sakura Square

After going a little further along hajikami Pass, you will reach the branch shown in the photo.

Follow the Meiji road course to the right and return to hajikami Sakura Square.

Meiji-do is a path that feels like a carpet of fallen leaves, so it feels good to walk on it, but there are also slopes with ropes along the path, so be careful when walking to avoid slipping. .

The third place in the ``Highlights'' list at the beginning is this place called ``Uguisu Komichi'', and it is such a wonderful road that you can see the words ``A path that makes you feel happy'' written on the signboard in the photo. I did♪

I hope you will stop by when you walk around hajikami Pass ^ ^

After about a 30 minute walk from hajikami Pass, the mountain path ends, and just across the road is hajikami Sakura Plaza, the starting point.

thank you for your hard work! !

About Kumano Kodo Stamp Rally

There are wooden boxes like the one in the photo installed at various places along the Kumano Kodo Iseji Route, but do you know what they are?

This wooden box contains ``two pieces of content to help you enjoy walking along the Kumano Kodo Iseji Route.''

One is a handprint stamp type that allows you to ``walk the Kumano Kodo trail while stamping.''

The other is a QR code type that allows you to ``walk the Kumano Kodo while importing stamps onto your smartphone.''​

Both have been prepared with the hope that you will have fun walking the Kumano Kodo Iseji route ^ ^

As I introduce Kumano Kodo Iseji this time, I am thinking of completing this stamp.

What I'm doing is a QR code type that allows you to import stamps onto your smartphone.

I would be happy if you could check out the Kumano Kodo article that I will be introducing in the future, including whether this stamp rally will be completed and what kind of stamps are available at each location ^ ^

Please see here for "Smartphone de Stamp Rally" (Note: Please note that you cannot participate in the Stamp Rally from a computer)

→ Smartphone de stamp rally

Please click here for more information on "Tegata Rally".

→ Bill rally

I made sure to get the stamp of hajikami Pass that I walked this time~ ^ ^

Introducing recommended nearby spots

I would like to introduce two recommended spots near hajikami Pass.

hajikami Sakura Square

"hajikami Sakura Hiroba" is the starting point of this hajikami Pass route.

This area is also famous as one of the cherry blossom viewing spots.

*Photo quoted.

It might be nice to walk along hajikami Pass while admiring the cherry blossoms in spring ^ ^

hajikami Terrace

"hajikami Terrace" is located in the Kihoku parking area of the Kisei Expressway.

If you have ever driven to southern Mie Prefecture, you may have seen this place at least once.

There are ingredients and souvenirs that take advantage of the characteristics of the southern region of Mie Prefecture, which is famous for its delicious fish, and there is also a restaurant inside the facility, which is recommended.

Personally, I thought that this dorayaki with the name `` hajikami Pass'' on it would go well with the Kumano Kodo/ hajikami Pass that I introduced this time (lol)

Of course, the taste is perfect, and the ingredients are carefully selected (it is said to be made using water from the Choshi River, which is famous for being the clearest stream in Japan).

Would you like to take it with you on the Kumano Kodo route or while driving ^ ^

in conclusion

This time, we introduced the Shijin Pass route, which is known for its spectacular views from the pass and ranks among the top five routes on hajikami Kodo Iseji route.

I can recommend hajikami Pass even to people who are not used to hiking, and I think they will be satisfied with the atmosphere and view of the ancient trail ^ ^

If you are thinking about where to walk on the Kumano Kodo, I would definitely recommend hajikami Pass to be on your list.