Guoping’s Blog

Last Saturday, I visited the Kumano Kodo in the rain; do you know the kumano kodo? Let me give you some brief introductions about the Kumano kodo.
Due to its historical importance, Kumano Kodo has recently been named a “World Heritage Site.�
According to my guidebook:

Kumano kodo is the general name for the ancient pilgrimage trails linking Kumano Sanzan, the three grand shrines of Kumano: Hongu-taisha, Nachi-taisha and Hayatama-taisha. There were many routes starting from Ise,Yoshino,Koya-san,Kyoto and others. Of which the two of the most popular trails were Kii-ji, the western route in the Kii Peninsula, and Ise-ji the eastern route in the Kii Peninsula.
Kumano kodo surivived development because of its steepslopes, and was revived into a pleasant hiking path. Walking on the moss covered stone path through thick forests, hikers can feel the atmosphere of the ancient pilgrimage; listen to the sound of crystal-clear streams, and view historical monuments and stone images of Buddha.—

I went to the Nisaka-toge（��峠）and the Uomachi（魚町） the fishery area in Kii-Nagashima district in Kihoku town. For centuries, the Nisaka-toge Pass Route is the gateway to Kishu. Province was Tsuzurato-toge Pass. However, since the time of the Kishu-han Fief of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Nisaka-toge Pass route lying to the east became the formal entry to the Province. At Uomachi, I visited the Nagashima Shrine. This shrine is dedicated to three gods, including Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

There is a camphor tree that is more than one thousand years olds. It’s about thirty meters tall, and more than ten meters around. It has been designated as a special protected species by the prefecture of the authorities. Shimenawa, made of twisted strands of rice straw, is hung around the tree. It is believed to have the special power to ward off evil spirits as well as disease.
From this region, there are five famous folk stories. They are The Tale about a Kappa and Jirozaemon , Takabosan, The Mambo and the Lord, Lips of a Mermaid, Syorai’s Family. Here is one of the five stories:

Syorai’s Family
The Somlin family had two brothers. The older one was named Syorai. He was a warm-hearted person who lived in extreme poverty. However, his younger brother was quite opposite. One time, in the middle of the night, a dirty looking man asked the brothers if they would put him up for the night. Although the younger brother firmly refused, Syorai accepted him willingly. But who do you think this traveler was? He turned out to be the god of well being, in return for this hospitality, the god gave him a lucky charm. Despite a series of plagues, only Syorai’s family was protected from disease. This story is the origin of a custom that is still practiced in this region. Even today many people still hang wooden charms above their doors that read, “We are descendants of Syorai.�
By Hajimu Ogura