Ominato

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Take the bus from Shingu Station (about 1 hour 20 minutes) or from Kii-Tanabe and Shirahama stations (around 2 hours) and get off at Hongu-Taisha-Mae for direct access, or choose Hosshinmon Oji to experience a beautiful 2-hour hike along the historic pilgrimage approach.

If you visit in April, arrive on the 13th or 15th to witness the Kumano Hongu Taisha Spring Festival, where fathers carry their sons in traditional costume along part of the pilgrimage route after a purification ritual at the nearby Yunomine Onsen.

Plan to climb the 158 stone steps leading to the shrine's main gate early in your visit, as the cypress-lined stairway becomes more crowded as the day progresses and the afternoon light can create harsh shadows for photography.

Walk the short path to Oyunohara, the shrine's original location, to see the world's largest torii gate built in 2000, which marks where the shrine stood before the 1889 flood forced its relocation.