23. Kumano Pilgrimage Routes

The Yoshino and Kumano regions lie in the 200km-long ranges of the Kii Mountains in the southern Kii Peninsula. Here, raw nature - deep forests, gigantic trees, awe-inspiring waterfalls and rocks - forms a truly extraordinary landscape. Crisscrossing them are the ancient Kumano pilgrimage routes, and Shugendo, an ascetic faith that follows rigorous mountain training, was born here. This episode depicts this primordial land and the mystic culture that continues to enchant people.