Established in 1887, the traditional craft of "Owase Wappa (bentwood craft)" has been handed down from the founder, Mr. Kumaiichi.
You can make your own "Owase Wappa here.
Owase wappa are made of Owase cypress with beautiful grain and were originally used as lunch boxes for mountain workers, but are now only made here.
All are made from natural materials, and the antibacterial and sterilizing effects of the cypress and lacquer keep meals safe and secure.
It is also so durable and heat-resistant that it can be used even 100 years to come by re-coating with lacquer.
Finished wappa can be coated with lacquer and shipped later.

This is a rare and valuable experience where you will be given a lecture on the fascination of Japanese swords by the only qualified swordsmith in Higashi-Kishu region whose workshop is located in a village in a valley deep in the mountains of Kumano.
You can observe the traditional technique called "tatara," in which iron sand is melted in a furnace to produce iron, as well as the place where Japanese swords are made.
Visitors can also do the quenching process, in which beautiful "Hamon (temper pattern of a sword blade)" are made on the blade, with their own hands.
The series of processes of making the blade pattern with mud, burning it in a flame, and dipping it in water is an invaluable experience for both those who love swords as works of art and those who love swords as a martial art.

Kumano Kodo is a rare "World Heritage of Roads" in the world. The cultural landscape that fostered various forms of beliefs such as Shintoism, Buddhism, and Shugen-do (mountaineering asceticism) is registered as a World Heritage Site as "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range".
Matsumoto-Toge Pass is mysterious with its beautiful moss-covered stone pavement and many scenic viewpoints from which you can see the blue sea and the sacred land of Kumano.
Onigajo, located down the mountain road, is a natural artwork created by uplift, weathering, and wave erosion, and is a National Special Place of Scenic Beauty and natural monument that stretches for 1 km facing the Kumano Sea. It invites you into a dynamic and impressive world of oddly shaped rocks.

The paper made in this experience is called "Otonashigami (Otonashi paper)" and is a traditional Japanese paper produced in Kumano Hongu / Hongu-cho area.
It was originally used for Kumano's famous paper talisman, "Kumano Gooushinpu".
Otonashi paper is made from only natural materials, mainly plants native to the local mountains, and is said to retain its paper appearance even after 1,000 years.
The tradition of Otonashi paper was once lost due to the disappearance of its manufacturer, but was revived in 2009.
You can also decorate it with Japanese flowers and make your own unique washi paper.
At Kumano Hongu, you can also receive a goshuin (red seal) on the washi paper you have made.

The center of the Kumano Sanzan (Kumano great three shrines), it is the head shrine of more than 4,700 Kumano shrines throughout Japan, and the main deity is Ketsumiko (Susano-no-mikoto).
Kumano's deities were initially rooted in nature worship, and during the Nara and Heian periods, Kumano became a sacred place for Buddhism, esoteric Buddhism, and Shugen-do (mountaineering asceticism), as the deities were considered to be Buddha. By the end of the Heian period, Kumano was worshipped by many members of the royal family and aristocrats as a "gateway to the Jodo (Pure Land).
The site is still widely worshipped as a "sacred place of resurrection" because visiting the Pure Land and returning from there signifies death and rebirth. The three-legged raven that can be seen everywhere is Yatagarasu (three-legged crow), who is believed to be a god of guidance unique to this area.

Dorokyo is a grand canyon designated as a National Special Place of Scenic Beauty.
You can take a Japanese-style boat and listen to the boatman's guide as you cruise through the beautiful scenery.
Feel the ancient nature of the cliffs, huge rocks, crystal clear water, and majestic mountains.

Fudarakusan-ji Temple is the departure point for Buddhist monks seeking to enter the "Fudaraku-Jodo (Pure Land)" where Buddhas and Bodhisattvas reside. In the precincts of the temple, a reconstructed "Tokaibune (Boat crossing the sea)" that the monks are said to have boarded is on display.
The principal image of the Senju Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) is designated as a national important cultural property and is usually opened only three times a year, but it will be specially displayed during the tour.
Inside the temple, there is a demonstration of the pictorial explanation of the Nachi Pilgrimage Mandala, which depicts Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and its surroundings.
Visitors can experience how nuns introduced Nachi as a sacred place in order to propagate the Kumano worship throughout Japan.

Daimonzaka Slope, with its beautiful stone pavements, moss-covered stone steps, and old cedar trees that are over 800 years old, is one of the places along the Kumano Kodo that retains a strong trace of its ancient past.

The origin of Kumano Nachi Taisha is the nature worship of Nachi Falls, which is considered sacred. Nachi Falls is one of the three most famous waterfalls in Japan, with a drop of 133 meters and a depth of 10 meters at the waterfall basin.
It is said that an elixir of immortality is submerged in the waterfall basin, and since ancient times, the water of Nachi Falls has been known as the water of long life and longevity, and many people still visit the shrine to seek the water.

The Nanki-Kumano Geopark features three different geological bodies created as a result of plate subduction.
The unique landscapes created by these geological bodies, the wide variety of flora and fauna due to the warm and humid climate, and the Kumano worship that was born from these landscapes, allow visitors to experience a great deal of nature and culture.
At the Nanki-Kumano Geopark Center, visitors can enjoy learning about the formation of the land and the wonders of nature in Nanki-Kumano through projection mapping, which projects powerful images of volcanic eruptions and other phenomena onto a large three-dimensional model of the Kii Peninsula, and through hands-on equipment that reproduces how the earth was formed.

Enjoy sea kayaking, a popular ocean activity, at the best location overlooking "Hashikui-iwa Rock," which is designated as a National Monument of Scenic Beauty / Sea kayaks are designed to be less affected by waves, wind, and currents, and can be easily enjoyed by adults and children alike after a lecture.
After getting used to sea kayaking, snorkeling (summertime) and playing on the shore are also available.