Wakayama · City
Tanabe
田辺市たなべしTanabe-shiThe coastal gateway to Kumano's sacred mountains
Tanabe is the largest municipality in the Kinki region by area, reaching from a port town on the Kii coast deep into the mountains; it contains Kumano Hongū Taisha and most of the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodō, as well as the hot springs of Yunomine, Kawayu and Ryūjin.
Overview
Since the 2005 merger with the villages of Ryūjin, Nakahechi, Ōtō and Hongū, Tanabe covers more than 1,000 square kilometres – about a fifth of Wakayama Prefecture. The old town on Tanabe Bay was a castle town and port; inland, the city now includes most of the Kumano Kodō Nakahechi route, the path taken by retired emperors from Kyoto to the Grand Shrine of Kumano Hongū.
For pilgrims, Tanabe was the point where the coastal route (Kiji) turned inland into the mountains. Today walkers start at Takijiri-ōji, about 40 minutes by bus from Kii-Tanabe Station, and follow the route over two to four days through forested ridges, past the ōji shrines and the villages of Chikatsuyu and Takahara to Hongū. Near Hongū lie the historic spa towns of Yunomine and Kawayu. Tanabe is also a major ume-growing area, and the birthplace of the aikido founder Ueshiba Morihei.
Landmarks
- 熊野本宮大社Kumano Hongū Taisha
Head of the Kumano shrines, with cypress-bark roofed halls reached by a stone stairway; the three-legged crow Yatagarasu is its emblem.
- 大斎原Ōyunohara
The shrine's original site on a sandbank, marked by one of Japan's largest torii.
- 熊野古道中辺路Kumano Kodō Nakahechi
The imperial pilgrimage route from Takijiri to Hongū, lined with ōji subsidiary shrines.
- つぼ湯Tsuboyu
Small hut bath in Yunomine Onsen, where pilgrims purified themselves; the only bathhouse inscribed as World Heritage.
- 鬪雞神社Tōkei Jinja
Shrine in the town centre, added to the World Heritage site in 2016, known for its legend of cockfights.
Minakata Kumagusu Museum
南方熊楠顕彰館Minakata Kumagusu KenshōkanArchive and former residence of the naturalist, next to his house in central Tanabe.
Hyakken-gura
百間ぐらHyakken-guraViewpoint over layered ridges of the Kumano mountains, near Hongū.
Districts
Central Tanabe
田辺市街Tanabe shigaiFormer castle town around Kii-Tanabe Station, with the Ajikawa bar district.
Nakahechi
中辺路NakahechiMountain district along the pilgrimage route, with Chikatsuyu and Takahara.
Hongū
本宮HongūArea around Kumano Hongū Taisha with the Yunomine, Kawayu and Watarase hot springs.
Ryūjin
龍神RyūjinMountain district on the upper Hidaka River with Ryūjin Onsen.
Ōtō
大塔ŌtōForested district of river valleys between the coast and Hongū.
History
Tanabe was the site of Tōkei Shrine, whose leader Tanzō allied with the Minamoto in the 1185 sea battle of Dan-no-ura according to the Tale of the Heike. In the Edo period Tanabe was ruled by the Andō family as retainers of the Kishū Tokugawa. The naturalist Minakata Kumagusu lived here from 1904 until his death and led a campaign against the merger of shrines that threatened sacred forests. The 2005 merger joined Tanabe with the heart of the Kumano region.
907
Retired Emperor Uda makes the first recorded imperial pilgrimage to Kumano.
1185
Tanzō of Tōkei Shrine brings the Kumano navy to the Minamoto side.
1619
Andō Naotsugu becomes lord of Tanabe under the Kishū Tokugawa.
1883
Ueshiba Morihei, founder of aikido, is born in Tanabe.
1889
Floods destroy Hongū Taisha's buildings on the Ōyunohara sandbank; the shrine is rebuilt on higher ground.
1904
Minakata Kumagusu settles in Tanabe.
2004
The Kumano Kodō is inscribed as part of the Kii Mountains World Heritage site.
2005
Merger with Ryūjin, Nakahechi, Ōtō and Hongū.
Culture
Tanabe bridges the everyday life of a coastal town and the spiritual world of Kumano. Minakata Kumagusu's campaign against the destruction of shrine forests is seen as an early environmental movement in Japan. The city's Kumano tourism bureau pioneered English-language services for international walkers, and the Nakahechi route is twinned with the Camino de Santiago.
Festivals
Tanabe Festival
田辺祭Tanabe Matsuri24–25 July at Tōkei Shrine, with eight kasahoko floats and a history of more than 450 years.
Hongū Taisha Spring Festival
本宮大社例大祭Hongū Taisha Reitaisai13–15 April: processions from the shrine to Ōyunohara, with children carried on shoulders so their feet do not touch the ground.
Yatagarasu Fire Festival
八咫の火祭りYata no HimatsuriSummer fire festival at Ōyunohara with torch processions.
Food
Umeboshi
梅干しumeboshiNankō plums from the Tanabe–Minabe area, part of a GIAHS-listed ume system.
Mehari-zushi
めはり寿司mehari-zushiRice balls wrapped in pickled takana leaves, a Kumano pilgrim and forest-worker lunch.
Kue
クエkueLongtooth grouper, a winter hot-pot delicacy of the southern Kii coast.
Onsen gayu
湯の峰の温泉粥Yunomine no onsen-gayuRice gruel and eggs cooked in the boiling spring water of Yunomine's yuzutsu.
Getting around
- Kii-Tanabe Station on the JR Kisei Main Line is about 2 hours 15 minutes from Shin-Ōsaka by limited express Kuroshio.
- Nanki-Shirahama Airport, with flights to Tokyo-Haneda, is about 30 minutes from Tanabe by car or bus.
- Buses run from Kii-Tanabe Station to Takijiri, Chikatsuyu, Kumano Hongū Taisha and the hot springs.
- Luggage-forwarding and accommodation booking services support multi-day walks on the Nakahechi.
Day trips
Beach and hot-spring resort, about 20 minutes by train.
Japan's highest single-drop waterfall and one of the three Kumano shrines, via Hongū or Kii-Katsuura.
The third Grand Shrine of Kumano in Shingū, about an hour by bus from Hongū.
Doro-kyō gorge and the Kumano River by traditional river boat.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to walk the Nakahechi?
The classic route from Takijiri-ōji to Kumano Hongū Taisha is about 38 kilometres and usually takes two to three days, with overnight stays in Chikatsuyu or Takahara.
Do I need to book accommodation in advance on the Kumano Kodō?
Yes. Lodgings along the route are small and limited in number, so booking ahead is strongly recommended, especially in spring and autumn.
What is the Dual Pilgrim programme?
Walkers who complete both the Kumano Kodō and the Camino de Santiago can register as Dual Pilgrims, recognising the twinning of the two World Heritage pilgrimage routes.
Can I bathe in Tsuboyu?
Yes. Tsuboyu in Yunomine Onsen is a small private bath used in turns for a short time; its water changes colour several times a day.
Related
Sources
- 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 2.Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 3.田辺市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 田辺市
- 4.Kumano Travel (opens in a new tab) — Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau