Iseji Route of Kumano Kodo

Hello, I have previously done the more famous Nakahechi Route in Kumano Kodo and soon plan to do the Iseji Route. Since the whole Iseji route is around 170km, I will do only part of it. If anyone has hiked that route, I am open to any suggestions in terms of the parts with better scenery, reasonable accommodation and more generally link to your own blog posts, if any.

Have you seen this?
https://www.japan-guide.com/ad/higashi-kishu/
I think the Magose Pass would be good. I haven�ft done it yet (had plans to twice but got rained out both times; it does rain an awful lot around Owase). I�fve done Miki Toge - Hago Toge, and it was lovely but probably not as spectacular as Magose Pass (and not nearly as famous). It was certainly uncrowded, though. Didn�ft see another person in three hours. A nice thing about that trail is that it�fs easily accessible on both ends by JR. The trains don't run too often, though.

Dear Kim, thank you so much for the link and your helpful advice. I have the feeling like the Iseji Route will involve a more scattered walking experience compared to Nakahechi, which involves forest walking more intensively but I am still curious to explore what Iseji has to offer. I will base myself in Owase for 4-5 days and try 4 or 5 of the passes.

You can find a bit more information through some focused web searching, as I'm sure you have discovered. A lot more exists in Japanese than in English, but there are some good basic maps and trail descriptions in English. Still, it requires a lot of careful research and planning to have a successful trip to that area for hiking, especially if you are relying on public transportation. But the rewards are great. This region of Japan is relatively easy to get to and is most definitely not ruined by overtourism. There just aren't a lot of people who go there... Unfortunately, it rains a lot in that area. Rain can be a fine thing if you are visiting a Japanese garden. On the Kumano Kodo, it is a lot less welcome. Those moss-covered rocks can get slippery... Hopefully you will be blessed with dry weather for your trip there, or else are okay with hiking in the rain. There isn't a great abundance of things to do around Owase, if you are a foreign tourist. And you will find less support for non-Japanese speakers than in many other areas. I see these things as positives, as it helps keep the number of visitors down. I actually would not recommend it to first-time Japan tourists who speak no Japanese, unless they are the intrepid sort of traveler who can roll with the punches and maintain a positive attitude, rather than grousing because things don't meet their expectations. For more experienced Japan travelers, especially ones who are self-reliant and who can appreciate "the real Japan" for what it really is (and not some conjured-up stereotyped travel fantasy), it is unbeatable. I hope you have a splendid trip!

Thank you Kim. This is very helpful. I actually live in Japan (traveled here six times before i moved permenantly). I have also done Kumano Kodo before but the more famous Nakahechi part. I am looking forward to experience what the Eastern Road has to offer.

I really enjoyed my stay at Owase with easy access to wonderful trails. I will soon write a blog post about my trip for those who are also interested in Iseji Route, it is as least as marvelous as Nakahechi Route.

That�fs great! I�fll look forward to seeing your blog entry. Be sure to post a link.

I will make sure to do that hopefully in few days, here is the earlier write up about Nakahechi section: https://bizarrejourneys.com/walking-kumano-kodo/

Dear Kim, thank you once again for helpful comments and as promised - here is a link to my blog post about the experience: https://bizarrejourneys.com/iseji-route-kumano-kodo/

What a wonderful blog! Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you for reading!