Kumano

Kumano is a small coastal city in southern Mie Prefecture, where the mountains of the Kii Peninsula meet the Pacific. This is sacred landscape: the Iseji route of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage runs through town, and stretches of the coast carry UNESCO World Heritage status for their role in the faith.

Wind and waves carved Onigajo, the Demon's Castle, a long gallery of honeycombed cliffs above the surf, and just down the shore the Lion Rock really does hold its profile against the sky. Shichiri-Mihama, Japan's longest gravel beach, curves away beside the coast road for kilometers.

Hike the stone-paved Matsumoto Pass for the classic pilgrim's view of the coast, and time an August visit for the Kumano fireworks festival, when shells burst over the sea. Trains on the JR Kisei line reach the town along the coast. Kumano suits travelers tracing the quieter Iseji pilgrimage.