Day 5 & 6 – Tanabe: Beef, battles, and bathroom victories
Buying a train ticket in Japan is an adventure in itself — three different colour-coded machines, each seemingly requiring a degree in cryptography. After a bit of button-mashing and soul-searching, I finally secured my ticket and made my way to Tanabe, the gateway to the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage.
Checked into @Shin Kumano Guest House, a stunning 100+ year-old traditional Japanese house, complete with tatami mats, futon bedding, and shoji (sliding paper doors) — essentially a crash course in how to live like a peaceful 17th-century poet. Except for the stairs. The stairs were vertical death traps designed for people who travel light or possess the agility of a mountain goat. Dragging my suitcase up those steps felt like a full-body workout sponsored by gravity itself.
Dinner was at @Japanese Cuisine Akihei Restaurant, where I fell in love with wagyu beef sukiyaki — thin, buttery slices of beef simmered in a sweet and savory broth with tofu and veggies. If food is a religion, this was a beefy baptism.
The next day, I ventured off to collect my first Kumano Kodo pilgrimage stamps at local temples, including Tokei Jinja. This place comes with an epic history — samurais, naval warfare, and a cockfight that determined the fate of Japan’s most powerful clans. (Yes, you read that right. A literal rooster deathmatch decided who got naval backup. Move over, “Game of Thrones.”) Spoiler: the white-feathered Genji clan won.
After soaking in some feudal history, I headed to the beach for the Shiogori Salt-water Purification Rite — a traditional cleansing ritual before tackling the pilgrimage trails. It felt profound… until the saltwater hit the bug bite on my ankle and I nearly screamed like a banshee.
Now for the real triumph: successfully using a Japanese-style squatting toilet without peeing on my own shoe. An underrated life achievement, honestly.
Wrapped up the day with a 7-Eleven pot noodle back at the guest house. Expectations: low. Reality: mind blown. Chunks of beef, scallions, savory broth, and a creamy curry sauce packet that tasted like it was crafted by a noodle wizard. Michelin star when?
Tanabe: come for the history, stay for the beef, leave with your dignity intact (if you master the toilets).
