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Spectacular fireworks, ancient pilgrimage routes, water excursions, and local cuisine are all definitive reasons to visit Kumano this summer season.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Our team of SoraNews24 writers love visiting off-the-beaten-path locales in Japan. We\u2019ve journeyed to the north<\/a>, the south<\/a>, and plenty of places in between, but there will always be more hidden gems waiting to explore.<\/p>\n While we wouldn\u2019t exactly call the\u00a0UNESCO World Heritage Site \u201cThe S<\/strong>acred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range\u201d <\/b>under the radar, we would venture to say that it can be overshadowed by the popular cities of Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka that are in close proximity. Given the unprecedented numbers of foreign tourists<\/a> in those cities as of late, if you\u2019re looking for a combination of ancient and modern wonders without the crowds, we\u2019d highly recommend heading a bit farther south to the Kii Peninsula. Today, we\u2019ll be introducing a variety of highlights from the area centered on Kumano, Mie Prefecture,<\/strong> a city nestled snugly between the mountains and the ocean.<\/p>\n First things first\u2013Kumano is home to the Kumano Fireworks Festival (\u718a\u91ce\u5927\u82b1\u706b\u5927\u4f1a),<\/strong> one of the<\/em> premier displays of fireworks in all of Japan.\u00a0<\/strong>Held annually, 10,000 fireworks explode 600 meters (656 yards) in the sky over the ocean at Shichirimihama Beach. This year\u2019s festival is slated for August 17 from 7-9 p.m., with backup dates of August 19, 21, 26, and 28 in case of inclement weather or unruly waves.<\/p>\n Similarly, a bit to the north in the town of Kihoku, the Kihoku Lantern Festival (\u304d\u307b\u304f\u71c8\u7c60\u796d)<\/strong> is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the town\u2019s establishment after two smaller towns were merged. The festival was held on July 26 at Kiinagashima Port with a special decorative lantern float of local mascot characters Kiihokun and Kussun fishing alongside a fireworks display designed to mimic the plumage of a peacock over the ocean. Those who wish to see the decorative lantern are still in luck because it will be displayed at the World Expo<\/a> that\u2019s currently taking place in Osaka.<\/p>\n \u25bc Posters for this year\u2019s Kumano Fireworks Festival and Kihoku Lantern Festival<\/p>\n The name \u201cKumano\u201d may ring a bell if you\u2019ve ever heard of the Kumano Kodo<\/strong><\/a>, a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that connect important shrines and temples secluded in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula. Traversed by spiritual pilgrims for over 1,000 years, the old-growth forests practically feel like they\u2019re buzzing with mystical energy.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll introduce two recommendations for must-see stretches of the routes. First, the Matsumoto Pass (\u677e\u672c\u5ce0) <\/strong>is located between Kumano\u2019s Odomari and Kinomoto localities and is only about a 30-minute hike from the popular Onigajo (\u9b3c\u30f6\u57ce)<\/strong> natural rock formations\/caves sightseeing attraction. You\u2019ll be rewarded for your uphill climb with sweeping views of the coast and mountains. You should also be on the lookout for a Jizo statue at the summit of the pass riddled with bullet marks from when a hunter mistook it for a monster in centuries past.<\/p>\n \u25bc A section of the Matsumoto Pass<\/p>\n \u25bc The Jizo statue at the top of the Matsumoto Pass<\/p>\n \u25bc The Onigajo (\u201cDemon Castle\u201d) rocks along the water are well worth a visit before or after visiting Matsumoto Pass.<\/p>\n Second, the Magose Pass (\u99ac\u8d8a\u5ce0)<\/strong> is located between Kihoku and Owase and is fantastic for anyone who wants to be swept up in the tranquility of nature. This stretch of the route is marked by abundant hinoki cypress trees and cobblestone paths, but be careful not to slip as the area receives some of the highest annual rainfall in the country.<\/p>\n \u25bc A section of the Magose Pass<\/p>\n Meanwhile, if a stroll on the beach is more your style, you\u2019ll have plenty of walking to do at Shichirimihama Beach (\u4e03\u91cc\u5fa1\u6d5c\u6d77\u5cb8)<\/strong>\u2013yes, the same place where the Kumano Fireworks Festival takes place. Spanning 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) from Kumano to the town of Kiho to the south, it\u2019s Japan\u2019s longest sand and gravel beach that\u2019s filled with colorful pebbles shaped by the waves. It\u2019s also a landing spot for loggerhead turtles.<\/p>\n \u25bc Shichirimihama Beach<\/p>\n \u25bc People who plan to attend the Kumano Fireworks Festival stake out prime sections of the beach for their blankets weeks in advance.<\/p>\n This next spot holds incredible significance in the mythical history of Japan. Hananoiwaya Shrine (\u82b1\u306e\u7a9f\u795e\u793e)\u00a0<\/strong>is said to be one of the oldest (some say the<\/em> oldest) Shinto shrine in all of Japan. It\u2019s even mentioned in the Nihon Shoki<\/em>, the second-oldest collection of Japanese historical writings dating to 720 AD. The reason for its importance is that it enshrines Izanami no Mikoto<\/strong>, the mother\/creation goddess of Japanese mythology, and the grounds contain a cave that is believed to be Izanami\u2019s grave as well as the entrance to the underworld.<\/p>\n \u25bc The entrance to the underworld at Hananoiwaya Shrine\u2026?<\/p>\n The shrine is also famous for a ritual held twice per year\u2013on February 2 and October 2\u2013called the otsunakakejinji (\u5fa1\u7db1\u639b\u3051\u795e\u4e8b)<\/strong>. During these occasions, dances are offered to the gods and then a 170-meter-long shimenawa rope, the longest in all of Japan, is stretched across the shrine grounds and hung between the 45-meter-high sacred rock face marking the entrance to the underworld and a sacred pine tree. It\u2019s a sign of good luck if the rope remains intact until the next otsunakakejinji.<\/p>\n \u25bc The rope being prepared for the otsunakakejinji<\/p>\n \u25bc The rope-hanging ritual is depicted in beautiful fashion on Hananoiwaya Shrine\u2019s goshuincho<\/a> shrine\/temple seal record book.<\/p>\n By the way, we\u2019d be remiss not to mention the famous Shishiiwa (\u7345\u5b50\u5ca9) <\/strong>\u201cLion\u2019s Head Rock\u201d located on Shichirimihama Beach just a short walk down the road from the entrance to Hananoiwaya Shrine. It makes for an awesome photo op in the background.<\/p>\n \u25bc The Shishiiwa looks out over the ocean as a protective guardian<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve had your fill of culture and are eager to get your feet wet\u2013literally\u2013in some kind of leisure activity, Kumano\u2019s got you covered several times over. First, at the Yume Kodo Owase (\u5922\u53e4\u9053\u304a\u308f\u305b)\u00a0<\/strong>bathing facility in Owase, you can relax in a tub with deep sea water pumped from 400 meters below. It\u2019s the only deep-sea water bathing facility and mist sauna on the Kii Peninsula and is renounced for its water\u2019s heat and moisture retention qualities. When you\u2019ve worked up an appetite, there\u2019s an on-site food court with ramen and fried foods made using the deep sea water, as well as locally caught fish on the weekends.<\/p>\n \u25bc Yume Kodo Owase<\/p>\n You might also like to dip your toes into the cool basin at the bottom of the 30-meter-tall Hisetsunotaki waterfall in Kiho\u2019s Hisetsunotaki Camping Ground (\u98db\u96ea\u306e\u6edd\u30ad\u30e3\u30f3\u30d7\u5834)<\/strong>. There are also three kinds of tent saunas on the grounds.<\/p>\n \u25bc Hisetsunotaki Camping Ground<\/p>\n There are also more active options in the form of sea kayak guided night tours<\/strong> at Owase\u2019s Mikisato Beach from June through October. The highlight of these tours is the chance to see large swaths of noctiluca scintillans, a species of bioluminescent marine eukaryotes nicknamed \u201csea sparkles\u201d that make the sparkling waters appear to blur together with the twinkling of starry skies. June to August tours last from 7:30-9 p.m., while September to October tours last from 7-8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n \u25bc Sea kayak night tours<\/p>\n Finally, the Sandanbo Sightseeing Experience (\u4e09\u53cd\u5e06\u904a\u89a7\u4f53\u9a13) <\/strong>is an hour-long cruise down the Kumano River in a traditional boat with three sails. Besides enjoying the beautiful scenery from a unique vantage point, it\u2019s also a chance to follow in the wake of aristocrats of old who visited the Kumano Kodo by water.<\/p>\n \u25bc Sandanbo Sightseeing Experience<\/p>\n Foodies can now rejoice because we\u2019ve saved your favorite for last. Every region of Japan boasts its own unique local cuisine, and we\u2019ve got four top recommendations for you to sample the gastronomic delights of the Kumano area.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The Michi no Eki Kii-Nagashima Manbo (\u9053\u306e\u99c5 \u7d00\u4f0a\u9577\u5cf6\u30de\u30f3\u30dc\u30a6) <\/strong>roadside stop in Kihoku has some unique seafood offerings for you to try, including Pacific saury sushi, fried ocean sunfish skewers, shark skewers, and fried moray eel.<\/p>\n Mehari sushi (\u3081\u306f\u308a\u5bff\u53f8)<\/strong> is a famous local specialty of the region found in various places. It consists of a rice ball wrapped in pickled leaf mustard (takana) greens that packs a flavorful punch.<\/p>\n The town of Mihama, located on the coast between Kumano and Kiho, is famous for being Japan\u2019s biggest producer of mikan by growing 200,000 kilograms (220 tons) of them per year. However, the area also produces lots of Meyer lemons (\u30de\u30a4\u30e4\u30fc\u30ec\u30e2\u30f3),<\/strong> a natural hybrid fruit that\u2019s juicy and well-suited for use in sweets. Better pucker up!<\/p>\n Finally, you may be tempted to think that Kumano\u2019s most famous for seafood, but that\u2019s certainly not all. There are several brand meats that are well-known to the area as well. Pictured below clockwise from the upper-left corner are:<\/p>\n \u25cf Mikumano beef (\u7f8e\u718a\u91ce\u725b)<\/strong>\u2013The cows are raised on high land overlooking the ocean.<\/p>\n \u25cf Kumanojidori chicken (\u718a\u91ce\u5730\u9d8f)<\/strong>\u2013This chicken is a cross between the Mie shamo yagido, Iseakadori, and Nagoya Cochin varieties of fowl.<\/p>\n \u25cf Iwashimizu pork (\u77f3\u6e05\u6c34\u8c5a)<\/strong>\u2013The pork is named after the pure spring water that flows from the local mountains.<\/p>\n There you have it\u2013plenty of reasons to make the Kumano region your go-to destination for your next Japan travels. With summer festivals in full swing across all of Japan at the moment<\/a>, we encourage you to get out there, explore, and experience everything that this season has to offer.<\/p>\n Source: PR Times<\/a><\/em> Spectacular fireworks, ancient pilgrimage routes, water excursions, and local cuisine are all definitive reasons to visit Kumano this summer season. Our team of SoraNews24 writers love visiting off-the-beaten-path locales in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1618\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/div>\n<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/19_0e8e41.jpg?w=640\")
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\nImages: PR Times, SoraNews24<\/em>
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