Kakenuke-michi Route
The Kakenuke-michi route is a steep climb up 749-meter-high Mt. Myohozan to Amida-ji Temple. At certain spots along the climb, Nachi Waterfall can be glimpsed through the trees to the north. Spaced along the trail are 23 stone markers, one for each cho (a unit of measurement about 109 meters long) of the route. The climb takes about an hour.
The word kakenuke comes from a verb meaning “to run through,” and the route is a shorter and more intense challenge than most other parts of the Kumano Kodo. It began as a path used by yamabushi, Shugendo mountain ascetics. Later, the yamabushi began acting as guides for lay pilgrims. In the 500-year-old painting called the Nachi Pilgrimage Mandala, a yamabushi dressed in red can be seen leading two white-clad pilgrims up the Kakenuke-michi in single file. Climbing to Amida-ji Temple was often considered a supplement to the 33-temple Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.
The Circuit Route
The recommended circuit route follows the Kakenuke-michi Route up to Amida-ji Temple and returns via the more modern, paved road to the west. This paved road also passes Okuno-in, another part of the Amida-ji Temple complex, as well as the Fujimi-dai View Point, on the way back to Nachi Kogen Park. Since descending a steep slope can be trickier than ascending, it is also a safer way to return. The complete circuit takes just over two hours to complete on foot.
