As part of Japan’s efforts to support rural areas, the Japan Tourism Agency, an agency of Japan’s government, has been working on a local tourism project called Shinhakken (“New Discovery”). As part of this, Heartland Japan staff traveled to the small city of Shingu in Wakayama Prefecture on the southeast coast of the sacred Kumano Region from October 9th to the 11th to work on developing tourism options for the city.

Shingu has been working on projects based on the concept of Kumano Goko, which was chosen as a theme because of how it can encompass a range of different interpretations at once. Most obviously, goko (御幸, meaning “imperial visit”) refers to the pilgrimages made to Kumano by retired or cloistered emperors and empresses of history. But it can also be used as goko (御光, meaning “divine light” or “glory”), referring to the abundant miracles of nature found in Kumano, such as found in Gotobiki Rock, the megalith of worship enshrined at Kamikura-jinja. Another example of an interpretation for goko (後光, meaning “halo” or “aura”) refers to the fascinating people and faiths that lie at the heart of the history and culture of Kumano.

This was our second visit to the city, and this time we started creating tour options centered around the four attractions we has selected on our first visit in September, namely the Kumano Kodo, the various waterfalls, the Rafters’ Path, and the people of Shingu keeping Kumano’s religious ceremonies alive. We are currently developing a variety of attractive programs–including walks on ancient roads, wellness, and cultural preservation–for different targets and markets.

This is our fourth year working on tourism development in Shingu, but there’s still so much more to discover. We’re in the final stages of preparations for a trial tour in November, and we are looking forward to hearing what people have to say about all the effort we have put in.