Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Day 1: Takijiri-oji - Chikatsuyu-oji
I caught the first bus from Kii-Tanabe Station to the Takijiri-Oji trailhead. Despite being barely 6 AM, the bus stop was bustling with hikers. I grabbed snacks and drinks from the nearby 7-11 before the ~35-minute ride. At the trailhead, I stamped my pilgrim credential, picked up the day before at the Tanabe Tourist Information Center and set off.
The trail began with a steep 1 km climb to 400m through forested terrain, then leveled out before a short ascent to Takahara. There, I met hikers just starting their day, took a quick break and I continued on. A sign warned that there were no other houses and it’ll take about 4 hrs until Chikatsuyu, so carrying sufficient water and food is essential. A steep climb to 620m followed before the trail eased into rolling terrain.
The hike took 4h 44m of active time, plus ~50 minutes of breaks, totaling 5h 32m. Overall, it wasn’t too hard with a steady pace and decent fitness.
Route Detail
Distance: 16.26km from Takijiri bus stop to Chikatsuyu bus stop
Total elevation gain: 1029m
Time: 4h 44m (total time with breaks 5h 32m)
Difficulty: Moderate
Transportation
Bus Kii-Tababe Station to Takajiri bus stop ¥970 (cash)
Bus Chikatsuyu bus stop to Kii-Tanabe Station ¥1410 (cash)
Accommodation & Food
Miyoshi Ryokan (booked via Agoda) ¥4600 (paid card at accommodation)
Food ¥3366
