Ise-Shima and Kumano

After arriving in Ise and checking into your hotel, we recommend beginning your tour with a visit to the inner shrine of Ise, or the Naiku, which is located on the outskirts of the city and easily accessed by bus or taxi. The approach to the inner shrine begins at the Uji Bridge, an 100m long wooden bridge that crosses the Isuzugawa River. From here, the path climbs through serene forest and past several smaller shrines to eventually arrive at the main sanctuary.

The Naiku is the oldest and most important of the Ise shrines, serving as a place of worship for the sun goddess Amaterasu, Japan’s supreme deity. This age and prominence might not be immediately apparent at first glance, however. In keeping with Japanese religious traditions, the Ise Jingu are decidedly unostentatious in design, a collection of sparsely decorated and largely unadorned timber shrines enclosed within dense forests of Japanese cypress trees, and the inner shrine is no exception. Much of the drama of a visit to the Naiku is in the approach and in its serene setting.

After exploring the inner shrine, you may like to enjoy a stroll through Oharaimachi. Located at the foot of the inner shrine, this shopping and temple district serves as its main approach and is lined with buildings that recall Japan’s Edo era. Here you can shop for souvenirs and sample local specialties such as Ise-style Udon noodles and colourful mochi sweets, or rice cakes.

When ready, return to your hotel in Ise city.

From Ise, take the train to Kashikojima, where you will be met and escorted to the cruise liner that will take you across Ago Bay. The half-hour cruise on Ago Bay offers lovely views of the bay and its many densely forested islands. During the cruise, you are also sure to spot many pearl rafts, signs of this traditional and still-thriving industry, for Ago Bay is at the centre of Japanese pearl cultivation. With luck, you may arrive at your destination, Wagu Port, in time to see the morning’s catch of seafood being unloaded at Wagu Bay.

On disembarking at Wagu Port, you’ll begin your bicycle tour, exploring the Sakishima Peninsula at a relaxed pace and in the company of an experienced biking guide, while taking in local highlights including the Pearl Bridge, Azuma Beach and Mugisaki Lighthouse. This is also a chance to enjoy the views of the Pacific Ocean and the many small communities that populate the peninsula and support its fishing and pearl cultivation industries. (Please note that the bicycle tour is shared and you are likely to be joined by other guests).

During the bike ride, you’ll also have the opportunity to visit an Ama Diver’s hut, where you can learn more about Japan’s famous pearl divers while enjoying a lunch of barbecued seafood.

The ama are female divers whose history and traditions are thought to date back as far as 2,000 years, making their practice at least as old as the Ise Jingu shrines. Though often described as pearl divers, the ama have traditionally dived for seafood and in particular abalone, a prized offering at Shinto shrines, including the Ise Jingu. The lunch will be served in a traditional Ama divers hut and is a chance to learn more about their way of life and to interact with some of the divers.

Your bicycle tour ends at Wagu Port, from where you make the return journey back across Ago Bay to Kashikojima and then by train to Ise.

On arrival in Kumano, we recommend hiring a bicycle from Kumano Station and cycling the short distance (approx. 3km) to the Onigajo Rocks, an impressive coastal rock wall that extends for over 1 kilometre around a prominent cape. A walking trail leads around the rocks and cape, offering lovely views of the Pacific Ocean and Shichiri-mihama beach. This track also forms part of a scenic coastal hiking route centred on the Matsumoto-Toge Pass, itself a section of the broader Kumano Kodo trail, Japan’s most famous pilgrimage trail. Parking your bike at the nearby Onigajo Centre, you can explore the walking trail around the rocks and, if you choose, carry on to the top of the Matsumoto-Toge Pass, before returning to the Onigajo Centre to collect your bike and perhaps enjoy a break for lunch.

In the afternoon, you may like to carry on exploring Kumano city and its coastline by bike. Continuing west along the coast from Onigajo, and following the course of Shichiri-mihama beach, you can enjoy pleasant views of the sea while stopping at local landmarks including Shishiiwa, or “Lion’s Rock”, and Hananoiwaya Shrine, believed to be one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.

When ready, return your bike to Kumano Sta. and make your way back to your hotel within Kumano city.

Located in the Kii Mountains, Nachi Taisha is one of the three Kumano Sanzan shrines, the main points of worship on the famous Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route. Of the three Kumano shrines, Nachi Taisha enjoys perhaps the most dramatic location, nestled deep within the Kii Mountains and overlooking a spectacular waterfall. The sight of the shrine’s three-storied pagoda set against the backdrop of the Nachi Falls is one of Japan’s most famous landscape scenes, and one you’ll likely recognise from the tourist literature!

To access Nachi Taisha, take the local train from Kumano to Kii-Katsuura, from where you can catch the bus to Nachi Shrine (approx. 30 mins). If preferred, you can also hop off the bus at “Daimonzaka”, from where you can enjoy a short hike along a scenic section of the famous Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail to arrive at the shrine (do note that this involves lots of steps.)

You’ll want to allow 1-2 hours to explore the shrine and the surrounding forest trails. Be sure to snap a photo of the Seigantoji temple against the backdrop of the Nachi Falls. When ready, return to Kii-Katsuura by bus and continue the rest of the way to Osaka by train (approx. 3½ hours).

Your tour of Ise-Shima & Kumano ends in Osaka, but this is unlikely to be the end of your journey in Japan. We can help with your onward travel arrangements if required, and with ideas for how to incorporate Ise-Shima & Kumano into a longer tour of Japan.