On July 28, we started selling the first Kumano Kodo Iseji walking tour since the corona issues occurred.
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Kumano Kodo Iseji, a World Heritage Site, is a pilgrimage route that takes pilgrims to Kumano Sanzan over a number of mountain passes after visiting Ise to experience rebirth. This pilgrimage route was actively walked by common people in the Edo period (1603-1867), is interesting to walk in itself, with its varied scenery of sea, rivers, and mountain passes, but the added value of this experience is the story of the pilgrimage journey of common people in the Edo period, and the fact that you can also interact with the people of the villages at the foot of the route. The value added to this experience is that you can also interact with the people of the villages at the foot of the trail. We have revived “Oizuru” in order to pass on the value of this ancient road to the next generation.
The “oizuru” is a cloak that pilgrims used to wear over their kimonos. The purpose was to prevent their backs from being chafed by their backpacks (luggage) made of wooden boxes. This time, with the cooperation of an expert teacher from the Kumano Kodo Ise Road, we have recreated the “oizuru” of the Edo period.
We also insisted on domestically produced fabrics, using local fabrics, having local craftsmen do the hand stitching, and having local calligraphers do the brush writing.
In Heartland Japan’s Kumano Kodo Iseji tour, all participants will receive an “oizuru” made entirely by hand and tailored to their individual sizes. In this way, we would like to share the culture of pilgrimage in Japan with the world at large and with future generations.
