The village sits on the eastern edge of Tanabe City in southern Wakayama and is easy to reach by train. From either Shin-Osaka Station or Kansai International Airport, simply board the JR Limited Express Kuroshio to Kii-Tanabe Station, the main gateway to the area.

・Shin-Osaka Station → Kii-Tanabe Station (JR Limited Express Kuroshio, about 130 minutes): 5,810 yen, reserved seat included
・Kansai International Airport Station → Kii-Tanabe Station (JR Limited Express Kuroshio, about 90 minutes): 4,720 yen, reserved seat included

From Kii-Tanabe Station, transfer to a local bus. Just outside the station on the left is the Tanabe Tourist Information Center (9 AM to 6 PM, open daily), where English-speaking staff can help you navigate bus routes and make the rest of your journey smoother.

The bus route is called the Kumano Hongu Line. Board a bus bound for Hongu Taisha Mae, and the ride takes about 120 minutes. There are seven buses daily, running from 6 AM to 4 PM, operated by Meiko Bus or Ryujin Bus.

・Kii-Tanabe Station → Wataze Onsen / Kawayu Onsen (1,930 yen each) → Yunomine Onsen (250 yen) → Hongu Taisha Mae (310 yen)

Ryujin Bus stops at all onsen areas, but Meiko Bus does not serve Yunomine Onsen or Kawayu Onsen. If using Meiko Bus, ride to Hongu Taisha Mae first, then transfer to a return bus to reach those areas.

・Hongu Taisha Mae → Kawayu Onsen / Wataze Onsen / Yunomine Onsen (310 yen each)

There are no toilets on the bus, so be sure to use one before boarding. About 60 minutes into the trip, there is a 5-minute toilet break at Nakahechi Bijutsukan Mae bus stop.

Board the bus from the back door and take a ticket from the dispenser machine on the right. When the bus is approaching your destination, press the disembark button to indicate to the driver that you wish to get off the bus at the next stop.

After the bus comes to a stop, head to the front door and drop your ticket and bus fare into the transparent box beside the driver before disembarking. Only cash is accepted here, so prepare some spare change beforehand to save yourself the hassle of having to dig around for them at the door. There's also a coin changing machine on board that allows you to exchange 1,000 yen notes for coins if need be.

Now let's have a look at the top 3 hot springs in this area!

Kumano Hongu Onsen Village encompasses a total of three different hot springs in different sites: Yunomine Onsen, discovered about 1,800 years ago and commonly called Japan's oldest onsen; Kawayu Onsen, a hot spring that wells up when the riverbank is being dug; and Wataze Onsen, a resort that features fun outdoor activities.

Because there are many spectacular sightseeing spots in the vicinity, such as a portion of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the territory surrounding Kumano Hongu Taisha, the area has no lack of visitors from all over the world.

Yunomine Onsen is believed to be the site of Japan’s oldest known hot spring, first discovered around 1,800 years ago. Today, traditional ryokan line both sides of the Yunotani River, where clouds of steam rise continuously from the flowing water.

That ever-present steam gives the village an otherworldly feel, especially in the cool air, making it look almost unreal at certain times of day. A soak here is said to leave your skin feeling smooth and refreshed, but the real appeal is the atmosphere. It feels timeless, quietly dramatic, and completely unlike anywhere else in Japan.

Head down to the riverbank and you will find a piece of equipment called a yuzutsu, a hot spring basin where you can warm food using natural spring water heated to around 90°C (194°F), completely free of charge.

Pick up a netted egg from a nearby shop, lower it into the yuzutsu, and in about 10 minutes you will have a perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg ready to enjoy. It is simple, slightly quirky, and very Yunomine.

While your egg is cooking, you can stop by Toko Temple for a quick look or take a relaxed stroll through the quiet streets of this historic hot spring town, letting the steam and mountain air set the pace.

Tsuboyu, a registered World Heritage Site, is another of the area's popular attractions. This rock bath filled with natural spring water that wells up from a valley is still in service even today! Legend has it that Oguri Hangan, a provincial lord from ancient Japan, healed from his near-fatal wounds after bathing in these waters.

Because the spring waters change colors at different times of the day, it has the nickname of "Rainbow Bath." As you soak in this bath of legends, let it rejuvenate your fatigued body and wash any worries away from your heart.

If you like, you can also lodge at the hot spring area, which has four ryokan, or Japanese inns (8 to 22 rooms each inn), nine homestays (4 to 15 rooms each), and one guesthouse (7 rooms). Being able to soak and relax in refreshing spring waters as much as you like in a facility with attached hot springs is starting to sound like an excellent idea!

Kawayu Onsen is a rare kind of hot spring town, built right along the Oto River, a tributary of the Kumano River. What makes it special is how interactive it is. Simply dig into the riverbank, and hot spring water at around 70°C (158°F) will begin to bubble up almost immediately.

Dig a little deeper, shape the hollow to your liking, and you can create your very own open-air onsen. As you dig, the pit naturally fills with steaming spring water, turning the riverbank into a personal hot spring bath.

If the water feels too hot, just scoop in some cool river water to adjust the temperature. This makes it comfortable from early summer through early autumn, especially after spending time splashing or swimming in the river.

Soaking here while looking out at forested mountains or up at a star-filled night sky feels almost unreal. It is one of those experiences that makes you stop and think, this really might be paradise on earth.

In winter, the river is temporarily dammed, and a massive open-air hot spring known as Sennin Bath emerges right in the riverbed. This seasonal transformation is one of Kawayu Onsen’s most striking sights and only happens during the colder months.

On Saturday evenings, the atmosphere becomes even more magical as garden lanterns around the bath are lit. With steam rising into the night air and soft light reflecting off the water, the entire scene feels wrapped in fantasy, turning a simple soak into something quietly unforgettable.

Sennin Bath also holds a karuta tournament every third Sunday of January. Karuta is an indoor Japanese playing cards game. A reciter will read out a poem that is printed on one of the cards laid out on the floor, and a few people will jostle to find the corresponding card first.

The Sennin Bath Karuta Tournament is an intense competition with a unique twist. Firstly, the reciter is dressed in Heian period (794 to 1185 C.E.) garb, and the cards are not laid out on the floor, but set to float on the water surface of Sennin Bath itself.

As the players listen to the voice of the reciter reading out the poems and try to outdo each other by grabbing at the corresponding card as quickly as possible, the splashing waters from the mad dash makes the competition even more exciting than it usually is! You can expect to find the quiet river filled with boisterous sounds and loud laughter on the day of the competition.

The spring waters of Kawayu Onsen are said to warm up both the body and soul. When your body gets a bit chilly from playing in the sea during summer, come to Kawayu Onsen it get it all nice and warm again!

If you want to stay in the area to fully enjoy everything it has to offer at leisure, you’re spoiled for choice! There are three ryokan (each with 29 to 90 rooms), one business hotel (78 rooms), five homestays (each with 3 to 11 rooms), one boarding house (6 rooms), and one rental house in Kawayu Onsen, all practicing the Japanese hospitality the island nation is well-known for.

Wataze Onsen is packed with useful facilities like three hotels (5 to 30 rooms each), one guesthouse (3 rooms), 11 cottages in a cluster, a hot spring center, camping grounds, and more, living up to its reputation as an enjoyable outdoor hot spring resort area.

Wataze Village, located along Yomura River, is where you can take part in a full range of outdoor activities. That’s not all! It also comes with nine open-air hot springs, including western Japan’s largest one (900 yen, tax included)! Soak up all the natural nutrients abundantly available in these hot springs and make rejoice after the long journey there.

Otonashi no Sato is the hot spring center of Wataze Onsen where you can find even more bathing facilities like hot bubble baths and lie-down baths. These baths are indoor-only, but the large variety of family-friendly tubs can be enjoyed by all whether young or old.

The center is within walking distance from Wataze Onsen’s cottages and camping grounds, so that guests can feel free to refresh themselves physically and mentally at any time they like.

More details on all three hot springs in Kumano Hongu can be found on the official website of Kumano Hongu Tourist Association (English available). Lodgings can also be reserved from the homepage of Kumano Travel.

Kumano Hongu Tourist Association: http://www.hongu.jp/stay/
Kumano Travel (English): https://www.kumano-travel.com/en

In terms of tasty food, there’s something you absolutely have to try at Kumano Hongu - the Kumano Beef Hot Spring Shabu Shabu (Japanese hotpot)!

The sodium bicarbonate components in the hot spring water enhance the umami taste of Kumano beef, making it even softer to chew than before. Don’t be afraid to order this delectable dish at your lodgings, because it really is worth it!

Meharizushi refers to a large sushi roll that’s wrapped in a big piece of pickled mustard leaf. The sushi inside can be vinegar rice sprinkled with sesame seeds or just some warm rice bought from a cafe. It’s designed to taste really good even cold, which makes it a perfect meal to pack for lunch. That was how the ancients did it, at least!

This mochi (sticky rice pastry) treat comes with a blessing of good health and is only being sold in the three major shrines of Kumano. The finely strained bean paste used as stuffing is not too sweet and accentuates the fragrance of the brown rice powder used to make the dough.

Just to let you know: The Yatagarasu (three-legged raven) featured on the package of the mochi being sold in Kumano Hongu Taisha is a unique Japanese design that you might want to check out!

Located right next to Kumano Hot Spring Village is the World Heritage Site, Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (Kumano Kodo). This is the road taken by countless pilgrims from all over Japan as they visit the temples in Kumano.

The ancient path cuts through dense forest and is clad with an air of mystique. We think you might find it a refreshing experience to walk this path while taking into consideration the beliefs of the ancients that moved them to do the same a long time ago. Here are a few example routes you’ll be able to complete in about half a day.

First, head to the Kumano Kodō for a walk. From Hongu Taisha Mae, take a bus to Hosshinmon-oji (about 15 minutes, 470 yen), then follow the trail on foot toward Kumano Hongu Taisha. The route is about seven kilometers (4.3 miles) long and takes roughly three hours, but with so many scenic highlights along the way, the walk feels pleasantly effortless.

Eventually, you’ll arrive at Kumano Hongu Taisha, a grand shrine where the religious still visit nowadays as a sanctuary of spiritual rejuvenation. Many Japanese hold this temple in high regard, and it has a history of being visited by the royal family or royalty since the Heian period, where it was known as the “gate to the Pure Land”.

The three-legged raven known as Yatagarasu is said to be a servant of Kumano’s gods and is used in the insignia of JFA (Japan Football Association). Offerings designed after the Yatagarasu are actually quite popular as a “Cool Japan” product among young Japanese and foreign visitors!

The somber mood of the shrine will erase away all signs of fatigue of the walk you took to get here. There are four buildings on temple grounds, so take your time to visit each one in sequence, starting from the second one from the right, then the building left of it, right of it, and finally, the building on the right. It’s considered common courtesy to perform the Shinto bowing and clapping rituals (two bows, two claps, and then one more bow) at each shrine you visit.

This temple was opened in the year 1892, but used to be in Oyunohara before a great flood swept it away in 1889.

In case you’re curious and interested in visiting the old site as well, Oyunohara is about a 10-minutes walk from this shrine.

Cross the highway in the direction of Kumano River and you’ll see a large torii, or temple gate. The forest behind it is Oyunohara, where the former Kumano Hongu Taisha used to stand. This torii is about 42 meters tall (about 138 feet) - quite an imposing sight up-close! Oyunohara is said to be a place where the gods descend, making it a powerful site of spiritual rejuvenation. These gods are still being enshrined in stone hokora, or miniature shrines all over the area, so don’t forget to pay them a visit as well!

As you make your way to Kumano Hongu Taisha from Oyunohara (on the east side of Hongu Taisha Mae bus stop), you’ll pass by Kumano Hongu Heritage Center, a handy information place that introduces the places of interest found in Kumano. The center is also equipped with Kumano-related videos, exhibitions, and pamphlets (English ones too!) for your reference.

In the southern building where Kumano Hongu Tourist Association is located, English-speaking staff on hand will be able to help international visitors with any inquiries they may have.

Whether visiting the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage or looking to enjoy a journey of rejuvenation with plenty of sightseeing and leisurely hot spring soaking, plan your visit to Kumano Hongu today!