A 1-night, 2-day trip to enjoy sea, mountain, and river activities in Yoshino-Kumano National Park! You can also see the spectacular scenery of Kumano ♪

What is Yoshino-Kumano National Park?

Yoshino-Kumano National Park occupies a large area in southern Mie Prefecture.

It is an area where you can enjoy a rich variety of nature and scenery, with mountain ranges running from the north to the southwest, the Kitayama River and Kumano River in the south, and the Kumano Sea in the east. Osugidani, located in the northern mountainous area, is considered one of Japan's three major canyons and is also registered as a UNESCO Eco Park. In addition, the Kumano Kodo ``Iseji'' within the park is one of the world's most famous ``roads'' and is a World Heritage Site. Among them, the Kumano River in the south is known as the ``river pilgrimage route.'' We recommend ways to enjoy this area that remind you of the travelers who once traveled this path.

Doro-kyoGorge, which has huge rocks, strangely shaped rocks, and cliffs, is also a popular kachiji and activity spot. Furthermore, the Kumano Sea coastline is also not to be missed. In addition to Tategasaki, which has a towering cliff, Shichirimihama Beach, which stretches far and wide, is full of photogenic spots.

It is an area where you can not only enjoy the scenery created by nature, but also the history surrounding it.
This place, where deep nature and history are intertwined, has a charm that makes you want to visit again and again.

Explanation of the areas covered in this course

Shown on the map are the spots you will visit on this course. (Total 10 locations)
This is a model course centered around the Kumano area. While enjoying activities that bring you close to the great nature of Yoshino-Kumano National Park, you can also enjoy the spectacular scenery that this area is proud of.

Model course on the first day

• Admire the world heritage site "Onigajo" from the Tategasaki sightseeing boat! You will be impressed by the spectacular view of the Blue Cave!
• For lunch, enjoy local tuna and sea bream at the seafood bowl at Onigajo Center.
• Climb Matsumoto Pass on the Kumano Kodo and enjoy the historic cobblestone pavement and ocean views
• BBQ & tent sauna experience at Hisetsu-no-takiFalls campsite! Stay at a cottage♪

Model course on the second day

• Go down the river in a packraft through the large gorge “Doro-kyoGorge” in Yoshino-Kumano National Park
• Relax your mind and body at the secret hot spring “Yunokuchi Onsen”
• Let's ride a rail mountain bike and ride through the mine tunnel of Kishu Mine!
• Enjoy dishes made with local ingredients at Restaurant Seoran♪
• Learn about the history of mining at the Kiwa Mine Museum
• Japan's best rice terrace scenery! Admire the beautiful scenery of MaruyamaSenmaida ♪
  
  

Admire the world heritage site "Onigajo" from the Tategasaki sightseeing boat! You will be impressed by the spectacular view of the Blue Cave!

Speaking of Kumanonada's famous spot, Onigajo is a world heritage site! It is a sea cave carved by the rough waves of the Kumano Sea, and the large quay that approaches you is an outstanding spot to see. This time, instead of visiting Onigajo by land, we will be viewing it from a boat on the sea, and enjoy it from a different perspective than usual.

To prepare in advance, make advance reservations several days before boarding with the Kumano Marine Sightseeing Cruise Service (Tategasaki Sightseeing Pleasure Boat). On the day, we will depart from Matsuzaki Port near Onigajo.

When we arrived at the pier, we were shocked to see the sea water so transparent that the shadow of the ship was reflected on the ocean floor! A sea cruise of about 1.5 hours will take you around Onigajo, Blue Cave, and Tategasaki.

The view from the sea is impressive! You can see countless caves and strangely shaped rocks, large and small, and be overwhelmed by the art created by nature.

The tourist guide's audio plays while you're on board, so you can learn about the history and culture while admiring the scenery.

Next, we came to the Blue Cave.

What caught my eye was a large quay made of columnar joints that could be considered a sculpture created by nature! The uneven cliffs that are said to have been formed when lava solidified and cooled are called columnar joints, and are a sight that the Kumano Sea has created over many years.

There is an empty cave on this quay, and this place is called Japan's Blue Cave (also known as Gama no Mouth). When you approach by boat, you can admire the sparkling emerald blue sea.

After the Blue Cave, we headed to Tategasaki, where Emperor Jimmu is said to have landed.

It is called Tategasaki because it looks like a shield standing in the sea of Kumanonada, and it is a 60-minute hike one way to reach it on foot, but it is easier to see it by boat like this time ♪

The combination of the blue sea and the large quay was a truly beautiful and overwhelming sight.

For lunch, enjoy local tuna and sea bream at the seafood bowl at Onigajo Center.

After enjoying the sea cruise, it's time for lunch at the nearby Onigajo Center ♪

Here you can enjoy local gourmet food and purchase Kumano specialty products and souvenirs.

At the restaurant "Ristorante Marina" on the second floor, we ordered the recommended menu "Kumanonada red sea bream and tuna red and white bowl"!

The sea bream and tuna marinated in a special sauce are caught in the Kumano Sea, and the green onions that add bright color to the bowl are also from Kumano, making this dish packed with Mie Prefecture specialties.

How about some "Nihime soft serve ice cream" for dessert after your meal?
It contains the juice of Niihime, a new type of citrus fruit discovered in Kumano, and has a pleasant sourness amidst the sweetness.

There is also a terrace seat outside, so on sunny days you can see the beautiful Kumano Sea from here!

Climb Matsumoto Pass on the Kumano Kodo and enjoy the historic cobblestone pavement and ocean views

After lunch, we trekked Matsumoto Pass on the Kumano Kodo, a world heritage site that is one of only two roads in the world. Among the Iseji routes that connect IseJingu and Kumano Sanzan, there were especially many people. It is a historic mountain pass visited by

The entrance to Matsumoto Pass is near Odomari IC, about a 10-minute walk from Onigajo Center. There is a parking lot at the entrance, but there are only a few spaces, so we recommend parking at Onigajo Center and heading to the entrance.

Climb Matsumoto Pass and start trekking towards the gazebo that overlooks Shichirimihama!

At Matsumoto Pass, you can see stone pavements built during the Edo period, giving you a sense of its eternal history. On the mountain pass, there is a Jizo statue that was mistaken for a monster and shot with a gun on the day it was built, and still watches over the people who pass by.

After walking for about an hour from the trailhead, we arrived at the gazebo. You will be sure to be impressed by the sight of Shichirimihama Beach, Japan's longest gravel beach, spreading out below you and the Kumano Sea shining in emerald blue!

There is also a bench in the arbor, so it's perfect for taking a break. You can eat your lunch while enjoying the scenery♪

After walking for about 20 minutes from the gazebo, you will arrive at the Oni Observatory. This is where Onigajo used to be, and now there is an observation deck overlooking the Kumanonada Sea.

There is also a route that continues from here to the parking lot of Onigajo Center, so let's go down the mountain while admiring the beautiful sea and the townscape of the fishing village!

After enjoying the world heritage Kumano Kodo and Onigajo, we will head to today's accommodation "Hisetsu Falls Campsite" ♪

BBQ & tent sauna experience at Hisetsu-no-takiFalls campsite! Stay at a cottage♪

Hisetsu-no-takiFalls Campground is the southernmost campground in Mie Prefecture, located in KihoTown, Minamuro District.

In addition to being able to experience the 30m-high Hisetsu-no-takiFalls up close, you can also enjoy a Finnish sauna. And at night, you can see a sky full of stars...♪

We have beautiful and spacious cottages where you can relax. You can also enjoy a barbecue using local ingredients outside.

If you have time, why not enjoy the waterfall even more?

We have a variety of experience programs that allow you to enjoy waterfalls to the fullest, such as the exciting ``waterfall slider'' and ``waterfall rafting'' on a packraft.

Go down the river in a packraft through the large gorge “Doro-kyoGorge” in Yoshino-Kumano National Park

On the second day, enjoy mountain and river activities and spectacular views.

The first place we visited was Dorokyo Doro-kyoGorge, which is a special scenic spot in Japan. This valley is located on the border of Mie, Nara, and Wakayama prefectures, and a clear emerald green stream flows between the cliffs.

A recommended activity at Doro-kyoGorge is going down the river on a packraft!

A packraft is a small rubber boat shaped like a canoe, and although it is lightweight, it is extremely stable! The current in Doro-kyoGorge is gentle, so even beginners can safely go down the river.

This time, we will experience an approximately 1-hour course that starts from the bottom of the valley near the Doro Hotel on the border of the three prefectures!

The water in the river is so clear that you can see fish swimming on the riverbed from the boat. The guide will also be there to support you, so you can enjoy it with peace of mind.

Bear/River Play Club
https://www.kumakawabu.com/

There was no wind that day, and we were able to see the fantastic reflections of the surrounding scenery on the water surface.

The magnificent scenery that spreads out in front of you is all to yourself♪
It's so beautiful that it almost makes you stop paddling.

The current is calm, so one way to enjoy it is to lie down on the boat.

This tour requires you to wear a life jacket, so you don't have to worry about falling off unexpectedly.
In fact, it feels good to just jump in!

Relax your mind and body at the secret hot spring “Yunokuchi Onsen”

After enjoying the river rafting at Doro-kyoGorge, let's warm up in the hot springs!

Yunoguchi Onsen, located in KumanoCity Kumano City, is a ``secret hot spring'' hidden deep in the mountains.
Here, you can experience a ``special feeling'' that you won't find in famous hot spring resorts.

The hot springs are ``flowing directly from the source'' without any addition of water or heating. It also features a beautiful interior that uses Kumano wood, allowing you to feel the scent of wood and the blessings of nature to your heart's content.

Now that you've warmed up in the hot springs and are feeling less hungry, it's time for the long-awaited lunch ♪
Instead of riding a car, go here on a rare "rail mountain bike"!

Let's ride a rail mountain bike and ride through the mine tunnel of Kishu Mine!

Rail mountain biking is a novel activity that involves riding on a modified bicycle on the rails that were used at the Kishu Mine in Kiwa Town.

You can go to Restaurant Soran by car, but since you're here, we recommend going by rail mountain bike, where you can feel the history that is rooted in this area!

The experience of freely running through the tunnels of a former mine is unique to this area.
Enjoy a 15-minute journey that covers approximately 1km!

If you have time, we also recommend the trolley train that runs on the same rails. You can even ride on a trolley that was actually used in the mine.

Enjoy dishes made with local ingredients at Restaurant Seoran♪

Restaurant Seiruso is a restaurant located at Hotel Seiryuso. You can enjoy dishes that make use of local ingredients such as KumanoJidori(TheLocalBrandChicken), and it is also available to non-hotel guests, so we had lunch here today♪

I ordered "Kiwa Miso Sankai Ramen" with a name that has a strong local flavor!

The soup is made with Kiwa miso, which is slowly aged without any additives or preservatives, and has a deep flavor. It had plenty of seafood and vegetables, so I was full♪

Learn about the history of mining at the Kiwa Mine Museum

The only mining museum on the Kii Peninsula. On display are real trolleys, mining equipment, and ore that were actually used in the Kishu Mine.

We learned about the history of Kiwa Town, which once prospered as a mining town, and learned once again that the rail mountain bikes and trolley trains mentioned earlier were reused from the ruins.

What was even more surprising was that the Yunoguchi Onsen mentioned earlier was the result of a boring survey conducted in 1978, when the mine was closed! I feel it's a wonderful karma that it was started by chance and is still being used in this way.

Japan's best rice terrace scenery! Admire the beautiful scenery of MaruyamaSenmaida ♪

Our last stop was MaruyamaSenmaida, a spectacular view that Kiwa Town is proud of. Here you can see a scene called ``Senmaida'' where countless small rice terraces (paddy fields) overlap.

MaruyamaSenmaida, which has a variety of expressions depending on the season and time of day, is called ``Japan's best terraced rice field'' because of its beautiful scenery, and there are a whopping 1,340 rice terraces.

From April to May, you might be able to see the beautiful sunset reflected in the rice fields filled with water before rice planting.
*30 minutes after sunset is the best photo opportunity!

Also, from mid-May to June, when the rice planting season ends, you can see the beautiful scenery of fresh greenery, and from July to August, when the rice ears are ripening, you can see the golden-colored terraced rice fields. Rice harvesting begins around the beginning of September, and in winter, a world of silver can appear due to the snow!

Although it was created by human activities, it harmonizes with the surrounding nature, and can be said to be the very original landscape of Japan, which has coexisted with nature.

What did you think

In this article, we have introduced a model itinerary that will allow you to fully enjoy the nature and culture of Yoshino-Kumano National Park in 2 days and 1 night. The charm of this area is that you can enjoy nature to your heart's content. Please come and experience this area for yourself.

Mie Kanko introduces other model courses for enjoying Yoshino-Kumano National Park. If you are interested, please take a look at the Yoshino-Kumano National Park special website.

Additionally, the special website for Mie Prefecture National Quasi-National Park introduces four national and quasi-national parks within Mie Prefecture. Each area has its own natural charms, so please take a look at them as well.


Click here for my map showing the spots I visited this time ↓