Japan Travelogue - Nachi Falls, Kumano, Wakayama

Recently, I visited Kumano which is in Wakayama Prefecture.

There are 33 shrines and temples along the pilgrimage circuit in Kumano, Wakayama Prefecture of Japan, which was designated as a World's Heritage'. Many of the shrines are linked with stoned paved paths built over the centuries. The path is lined with cedar trees of of several hundred years old. It took me more than 30 minutes to tread the gradual uphill path to reach the first shrine -Nachi Daisha. The path may look monotonous in picture, but the feel of actually being in it, treading along the path among the old and huge trees, the scent and 'sound' of natural forest, the change of the sun's shade at every turn, the quiteness, tranquility, the feel was very therapeutic and soothing. I stopped every now than then to take in the views and photographing.
The path I took was not packed with visitors. I got to enjoy the undisturbed tranquility at the abode of the divine (霊場 in Japanese).

Below are are some the photos I took along the path.

Mioto trees (Husband and wife trees).
The tree on the right with a hole must be the 'wife tree'.
Stone paved path lined with cedar trees.
Flower among the rocks.While walking up the stoned paved pilgrimage path in Kumano (熊野古道), I was delighted to see a bloom among the pile of rocks. This was a refreshing sight of perseverance and strength, a life that popped out from the seemingly lifeless and barren pile of rocks.

Steps leading to Kumano-Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine.
A rock monument indicating that Nachi Daisha (Nachi Shrine)
is a World's Heritage site.
Kumano-Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine torii.
Seiganto-ji and Nachi-no Otaki One of the most famous waterfalls in Japan, with a height of 133m, 13m of width, and 10m of depth of fall basin. Nachi-no Otaki is actually a set of three waterfalls and here you can see the main falls.
The red vermilion three-storied pagoda is a part of the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.

Close-up view of Nachi-no Otaki It has been said that one of the Japanese emperors visited this fall more than a 100 times.