Matsumoto-toge Pass

Much of Matsumoto-toge Pass has preserved its intricate stone pavement, a staple of Kumano Kodo. At the mountain top surrounded by a bamboo forest, a large Jizo guardian statue awaits to greet hikers. Past Matsumoto-toge Pass, there is no other mountain pass through the Hama-kaido Route until reaching Shingu City. Pilgrims would have taken in the breathtaking view of Shichiri Mihama Beach and envisioned reaching the Kumano Hayatama Grand Shrine resting beyond the beach. Additionally, there is a walking path from a gazebo to Onigajo, or "Demon's Castle," a World Heritage site of spectacular rock formations.

A 180-cm-tall Jizo guardian statue surrounded by a beautiful bamboo forest welcomes hikers at the top of Matsumoto-toge Pass. If you look closely, you can spot a gunshot mark on his left hem. Legend has it that long ago, a sharpshooter hunter went over the hill early in the morning on the day the statue was erected, and on his way back, upon seeing the statue appear out of nowhere, mistook it for a phantom and shot at it.

Located approximately five minutes on foot from the Jizo statue, the gazebo offers a splendid panoramic view of the World Heritage site Shichiri Mihama Beach. Truly beautiful so as to release all your travel fatigue away, the bow-shaped coastline leads to the sacred Kumano Sanzan, the three grand shrines of Kumano and the pilgrimage destination. Shichiri Mihama Beach, stretching approximately 22 km, is the longest sand beach in Japan and registered as a World Heritage site as Hama-kaido Route. The beach is also known for the loggerhead sea turtles that come on shore.