Photo / Angela BarnettUnlike hikes in Aotearoa, solar-powered vending machines dot the Kumano Kodō, just far enough apart to make you rush when one appears. Some sell hot coffee in cans, others cold Coke, ice cream (the teenagers couldn’t believe it), and occasionally beer. Photo / Angela BarnettOne small jizō was dedicated to Ogin, a young geisha who met a man named Toyonojo in Kyoto in 1816, and she followed him to the Kumano Kodō. Yet, this is the gift of the Kumano Kodō; an opportunity to walk through frustration, to let it go or practice moving your mind on to other things. Views along the Kumano Kodo trail.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 29, 2026 16:13 UTC