To Kumano Kodo TsuZurato-togePass ~ Ride the Iseji route ~

I walked the Kumano Kodo using JR's rapid train ``Kumano Kodo Iseji.''
The Iseji is a special train that makes one round trip between Taki Station and Kata Station on the fourth Saturday and Sunday from September to November, and as its name suggests, it is the perfect means of transportation for walking the Kumano Kodo.
The wonderful autumn-like head mark stood out in the clear autumn weather. Ant mark cutely expresses "Ant's Kumano Pilgrimage"♪

From Kuwana, I took the Rapid Mie train, changed to the Iseji train at Taki, and went to Umegaya. Relaxing and feeling good♪
Also, at Taki Station, vendors were selling Matsusaka's specialty, ``Motaro bento''. It was my first time to see an ekiben vendor, so it was a precious sight.

Ekiben Aratake
729-1 Hinocho, MatsusakaCity (JR Matsusaka Station Street)
Phone 0598-21-4350
　　http://www.ekiben-aratake.com/

The good thing about this train is that it is a rapid train that connects the nearest stations of ``Misezaka Pass'', `` TsuZurato-togePass'', `` hajikami Pass'', and ``Makoshi Pass'', and the rapid Magose-togePass train also connects to Taki Station, so it is like a limited express train. Be fast.
However, you can use it with a regular ticket, so this time I used the "Aozora Free Pass" and it was a great deal at 2,500 yen round trip ☆

Aozora Free Pass: A one-day free pass that allows you to freely hop on and off the non-reserved seats on express and local trains within the free zone on Saturdays, holidays, and the year-end and New Year holidays. Riding from Nagoya, Maibara, Gero, Iida, and Futagawa costs 2,500 yen for adults (1,250 yen for children).

From Umegaya Station to the climbing entrance (about 70 minutes). As you enter the forest road along a tributary of ouchiyama, you will see the stone pillar at the entrance to TsuZurato-togePass.
Enter the old road from here. Walk along the ancient path while listening to the soothing sound of the murmuring stream and looking at the thinned and well-maintained cedar trees. It was a refreshing autumn day, and I felt so refreshed♪

After walking like this for about 30 minutes, the view suddenly opened up in front of me, and I arrived at the observation deck at an altitude of about 350 meters.
The view of the Kumano Sea, the KihokuTown townscape, and the fields sparkling in the sunlight was amazing. I could also see Mt. Yakiyama in the distance.

Watch the video here:
　　http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqhdDARM4wA&feature=youtube_gdata_player&rel=0

At the observation deck, we gathered for a while with people walking on the ancient path. We had a lively conversation, and I ate some of my homemade tokoro tempura. I couldn't get enough of the scent of the Amakusa sea and the sweetness of the brown sugar. Thank you for the meal. My heart and stomach are full, and I feel refreshed.

From the summit, we slowly descended the slightly steep slope of TsuZurato-togePass, which has a 99-fold bend, as its name suggests.
Along the way, the slope of the old road was piled up with stones, and towards the end, the old road continued with its cobblestones, which was very atmospheric. We arrived at the trailhead in about 40 minutes.

Normally, it takes about 70 minutes to walk from here to nagashima Station.
However, this time I had signed up for the lunch organized by JR, so I took the bus that picked me up and headed to the hotel ``Kinoza''. This is a resort hotel where you can fully enjoy the blessings of the Kumano Sea.

Hotel “Tokinoza”
Higashinagashima Jyonohama, Kii-KihokuTown nagashima machi, nagashima
Phone 0597-46-2111
　　http://www.1000kodo.com/

For lunch, we had a daily lunch special made with the flounder caught that day. Salads, sweets, and drinks are a buffet for 2,100 yen.
Afterwards, we used the time before departure to soothe our fatigue by soaking in the hot springs at Kinoza. This may be the reason why I didn't have muscle pain the next day. It felt really good (the photo shows the footbath).

Day trip bath: 1,050 yen Private open-air bath: 2,100 yen, 50 minutes (reservation required)

I had about 10 minutes until departure time at nagashima Station, so I went to Manryo Sushi in front of the station and bought the famous Sanma Sushi to take home.
The sweet and sour saury sushi was a great value at 400 yen. This is also the real pleasure of traveling. It was delicious.

Manryo Sushi: 200-4 KihokuTown, nagashima-ku, nagashima cho
Phone 0597-47-0394 6:00-18:00 Open everyday
Sanma sushi map:
　　
http://higashikishu.org/info/index.php?itemid=499

*The information posted is as of September 2010.