Mie Prefecture Kumano Kodo Center

Mie Prefecture Kumano Kodo Center

Mie Prefecture Kumano Kodo Center 熊野古道センター

• Exhibits
• Architecture
• Art
• Hours
• Admission
• Access
• Nearby

The Mie Prefecture Kumano Kodo Center in Owase town in Mie Prefecture introduces the history, culture, flora, fauna and the particular weather of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes through Mie Prefecture and the wider area.

Kumano Kodo Center, Mie PrefectureKumano Kodo Center, Owase, Mie Prefecture 

Kumano Kodo is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (紀伊山地の霊場と参詣道) which for centuries were travelled by monks and nuns to and from the different centers of worship which, after the introduction of Buddhism, grew into a syncretic mix of Buddhism and more indigenous religions, Taoism and what is now called Shinto.

Mie Prefecture Kumano Kodo Center opened in 2007 and was built using 6,549 local hinoki (Japanese cypress) trees ranging from 60-80 years old, affording visitors a lovely scent as they enter the building.

Exhibits

On entrance a large wall map showing the various pilgrimage routes greets visitors in the spacious atrium. Owase is on the Iseji Route from Ise Jingu to Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine and Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine in Shingu and Hongu in Wakayama Prefecture.

First off on a tour of the museum is a short, explanatory video guide to the area, which can be viewed either in Japanese or English.

The main gallery has exhibits on the flora and fauna of Mie Prefecture including the incredible variety of ferns and mosses found in the dense forests (over 600 species of moss can be found in the region) and panels on the dangerous Japanese hornets (Vespa mandarinia japonica) that dwell among the trees. Sea turtles are also featured and these endangered species come ashore on the beaches south of Owase to lay its eggs.

The local cuisine such as sushi made from the oily saury (sanma) then pickled in salt, mehari sushi (rice balls rolled in takana leaves - pickled mustard leaves), dried fish (himono), and, of course, the ubiquitous mandarin orange, is also highlighted and displayed on wall panels with the explanations largely in Japanese. The sunfish (manbo in Japanese) is also a local delicacy here.

The particular microclimate of Owase, which is one of the wettest places in Japan if not the wettest is demonstrated by three cylinders showing the total rainfall of Abashiri in Hokkaido (800mm per year), the driest place in Japan, the Japan average (1600mm) and Owase (4000mm).

Pilgrim Mannequin, Kumano Kodo Center, Owase

The special white clothing worn by pilgrims on the Kumano Kodo and the accoutrements they carry is explained using a mannequin with the distinctive headband, staff and beads. Local arts and crafts, tools and farming implements are also on display. Owase for example is known for its Owase wappa - wooden items made from hinoki (Japanese cypress) that are then lacquered.

There are also displays of model sandanbo boats that sail on the Kumano River, the Japanese wolf and the Kishu inu or Kishu-ken, a dog bred in the region for wild boar and deer hunting.

Architecture

The Mie Prefecture Kumano Kodo Center has a modern, minimalist design using local timber and other materials locally sourced.

Large windows, form part of the building's walls along with large eaves to protect them from the frequent, heavy downpours.

Kumano Kodo Center
 Kumano Kodo Center, Owase, Mie Prefecture

As well as the permanent exhibition galleries, the Kumano Kodo Center stages special events and exhibitions. There are also study rooms used for demonstrations of making local crafts.

Right next door to the museum is the Yume Kodo Owase which has a restaurant serving locally sourced food, a souvenir shop selling local products and a cafe housed in a kominka - traditional house. There's an usual onsen as well using deep-sea water.

Kumano Kodo Center, Mie Prefecture

Hours

9 am-5 pm every day. Closed December 31 - January 1.

Admission

Free

Kumano Kodo Center, Mie Prefecture

Access

Kumano Kodo Center
12-4 Mukai, Owase
Mie Prefecture 519-3625
Tel: 0597 25 2666

There are local Fureai buses from Owase Station or walk from the nearer Osoneura Station on the  JR Kisei Main Line with trains to Nagoya Station, Matsusaka and Shingu Station in Shingu (20 minutes).

Take a Fureai bus for Kii-Matsumoto from Owase Station and get off at Kumano Kodo Center-mae bus stop (12 minutes) or take a Mie Kotsu Nanki Expressway Bus (8 minutes).

Nearby

From Owase it is easy to get to the beginning of the trail over the Magose-toge Pass on the Kumano Kodo, go canoeing or camping at Camp Inn Miyama on the banks of the crystal-clear Choshi River or visit Owase Jinja and Kongo-ji temple in Owase town.

Kumano Kodo Center, Mie Prefecture

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