Kumano
Hongu ➡ Shingu ➡ Nachi
This is where you are going to be reborn!
The pilgrimage trail is well maintained and comfortable.
People are warm and lovely.
Supplier
Mrs. Yae Maeda
Family-run AKATSUKI Inn owner in Kumano Kodo.
It’s a fabulous experience to stay at AKATSUKI at the beginning of your trip to Kumano. You are going to stay at the real warm home in Japan, as if you are visiting your closest friend. Yae speaks clear and kind English which makes you relax deeply. AKATSUKI Inn will become your home away from home in Japan once you stay there.
Yae is not only the owner of this cozy inn, but has also been supporting children in Nepal for many years, teaching English to children, doing volunteer work for elderly people through listening to their stories deeply as a professional listener.
She is an excellent cook who provides tasty dinners, breakfasts & even lunch boxes if you ask her. Fresh vegetables are available from her own farm which Yae’s husband Satoru is taking care of. Satoru is a master of 'kendo', Japanese fencing.
The AKATSUKI Inn is not just a simple inn. It also provides all the necessary information on the Kumano Kodo trail where you are going to enjoy yourself fully for several days. Yae once worked for Tanabe City promoting tourism back when no one mentioned Kumano Kodo. In other words, she knows the area throughout! You can ask her anything about Kumano, and she has a variety of enjoyable ideas for you. Yae will make your visit more special and exciting.
Yae is one of my closest friends and she always makes me happy whenever I talk to her or even think of her. Come and meet her in Kumano as if you see one of your longtime friends.
Mr. Hayami - an excellent cross-cultural communicator in Mie
♨ Whenever we travel around Kumano ancient trail area visiting World Heritage sites, such as Hongu, Shingu and Nachi grand shrines, we introduce our guests to this amazing driver, Mr. Hayami. He is from Maruyama Senmaida, famous for its terraced paddy fields. He knows throughout this region. What surprises us the most is that even though he speaks only in Japanese, he can talk freely and cheerfully with all the English-speaking visitors from abroad. His competence to communicate with everyone comes from his motto. He always tells himself that he is dealing with an important part of someone else’s life. Mr. Hayami takes us to the most beautiful place on that day, taking into account the weather, the visitors' nationality, age, and preferences. He is always right to find the best location. Sometimes it is deep inside the mountain area where three prefectural borders of Nara, Mie, and Wakayama meet. Some other time it can be an old castle's remains without anyone else there. He talks about its history as if he has a time machine. I will never forget when he took us to Maruyama Senmaida, which literally means 'one thousand paddy fields', where he is originally from. It was a foggy day. At the beginning, we could not see anything. Then, gradually the paddy fields appeared in front of us for just 10 seconds, then disappeared again. It was like magic performed by this gentleman!
