I do like to be in Japan... Even if weather is not good and rainy like this day I was walking directly to Hongu...

I wanted to follow this ancient pilgrimage road as thousands of people walked before me ages ago. When I walk along this quiet path surrounded by cedar trees, I imagined the lines of pilgrims, ancient people who walked from the old capital city Kyoto, went down the Yodo River through Osaka and arrived to deep south  of Wakayama, to Kumano. Usually this entire trip took about a month. And I had just 3 days...

It is so strange.Noblemen, including the abdicated emperors and their vassals, priests and ordinary people made ages ago same difficult journey as me. To the entrance of Yomi, the otherworld in Japanese mythology. When a person died, their spirit go to Kumano to enter the otherworld. So it is magical forest. Large and peaceful forest isolated from the rest of the world. I read in books that because of these reasons it became a training ground for mountains monks, who tried to gain magical powers by wandering in the mountains and praying to local gods.

One of the most powerful and ancient gods, Susanoo, Izanagi and Izanami had their temples in Kumano forest.  Three shrines of Kumano: Hongu shrine, Hayatama shrine and Nachi shrine. I was walking to first, to Hongu shrine which is house of Susanoo, god of wind. So naughty god. It was my goal to pay respect to Susanoo-ouno-mikoto sama...

The road seemed easier and more stright, giant trees, cedar trees were my companions. Before entrance to Hongu there was cementary. Not too big, packed with stone tombs. Walking forward I have seen wal and roofs of temples. It was Hongu.