At 133 meters high and 13 meters wide, Nachi-no-Otaki boasts the greatest drop of any one-tier waterfall in Japan. It has been worshipped since ancient times as a divine object of Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Hiro-jinja stands next to the waterfall basin. Also, the entire area surrounding the waterfall is protected as primeval forest of Nachi. The place for ascetic training by mountain monks who practice Shugendo, made up of large and small waterfalls known collectively as the 48 waterfalls of Nachi, is upstream.

Daimonzaka is the approach path to Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachisan Seiganto-ji. It is about 640 m long and has 267 mossy stone steps. At the base of the staircase are two 800-year-old Japanese cedar trees called the Meoto-sugi or “married couple cedar trees.” The path is also surrounded by camphor and other trees and provides a representative image of the Kumano Kodo. Its name means “large gate slope” and has its origins in the large shrinegate that once stood at Kumano Nachi Taisha. At the teahouse partway up Daimonzaka, you can experience a pilgrimage dressed in a Heian Period costume.

After passing Ukui, the trail follows route 42 and crosses two small passes, Kokuji-toge Pass and Okuji-toge Pass. “Kuji” is said to mean kujira, or whale, and there are thought to be whalers’ lookouts on these passes.

Ojigahama Beach is about 4 km long and is made from gravel deposited from the mouth of the Kumano-gawa River. It is also known as a loggerhead turtle spawning ground.

From Onigajo, Shichirimihama continues about 22 km to the mouth of the Kumanogawa River, making it Japan’s longest gravel beach. The unique scenery incorporating the majestic Kumano-nada Sea, the sandy beach and rows of pine trees is a highlight. Caution is required when walking along the beach as the waves of the Pacific Ocean strike hard when they break on the beach and the current is strong.

This is the trail that heads to Odomari from Hadasu, and the Tomari Kannon statue that was at Seisui-ji is thought to be the origin of its name. Seisui-ji Temple was closed in 1964 and the statue was moved to Seitai-ji at the foot of the mountain.33 Kannon statues line the trail climbed from the foot of the mountain. This trail was also used along with Obuki-toge Pass in the Edo Period.

In addition to the ease of climbing to 135 m above sea level, beautiful cobblestones remain on this pass and you can also get a panoramic view of Shichirimihama from the lookout point so this is one of the most popular passes on the Iseji. A large 1.8 m tall Jizo statue stands at the pass. It is said that a hunter mistook it for a monster and shot it. This pass was known in the Edo Period as Kinomoto-toge Pass.

This is a ridge trail that leads to the Kannon-michi to the north from Obuki-toge Pass. It has a lookout point with views of Matsumoto-toge Pass and Shichirimihama, and a large shishigaki wall.

A shishigaki built in the Edo Period remains near this pass at 205 m above sea level, and the Obuki-chaya tea house was run here until about 1950. Rare on the Kumano Kodo, there is a bamboo forest here.

Cobblestones said to remain from the Kamakura Period remain on Hadasu-no-Michi, each one large and heavy. In the settlement of Hadasu is a shrine where large camphor trees grow thickly known as Jofuku-no-Miya. It is said that in ancient times, Jofuku came here from China in search of the elixir of life, and transferred technologies including pottery.