This is the second part (and last) of our exploration using the JR Train Pass.
We were up early to travel to Sendai to visit the Yamadera Temple – which entails a 2 hour bullet train ride, followed by a 1 hour journey into the snowy mountains. Once we arrived we started our hike through an amazing forest setting passing a number of temples. We then started the incline up 1,000 steps (the exact number). The temple grounds extend high up the side of a steep mountainside, from where there are awesome views down onto the valley. The temple, actually called Risshakuji, was founded over a thousand years ago in 860.
The next day we transferred to Nagoya to take a local scenic train (similar to the Trans Scenic) to the remote location of Kii-Katsuura on the south coast – of course Alan needed a coffee, so used a vending machine that delivery a hot bottled black coffee!!
There are two reasons to take a 4 hour ‘slow’ train to this remote location; the highest waterfall in Japan and early each morning there is a tuna auction. After a 30 minute drive from Kii-Katsuurais we started our hike to Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine, Nachisan Seiganto-ji Temple and the Three Storey Pagoda we came in sight of the image seen across the internet of Nachi Falls and the Pagoda. This was a constant uphill climb (again), but when we reached the Pagoda we started our descent and were fortunate enough to see two wild deer.
After numerous steps we reached the bottom of the 133 metre Nachi Falls, and it was breathtaking. Following a rest we started the climb back up to catch the bus back to our hostel. At 0645 the next day our alarm went off, and off we trudged to see the tuna auction which was only 5 minutes from our hostel. The tuna industry in Kii-Katsuura is famous because of the 2.82 metre tuna caught in 2017 weighing a massive 446 kg.
On return to Nagoya, we picked up our bags and used our 7 day JR pass for the last time to take us to Kyoto – where we are now. During the 7 days we covered approx 2,654 kms, total spent on individual tickets for both of us would have been 160,000 Yen, meaning we saved a massive 100,000 Yen (or NZ$1,219.51) by using the rail pass (great value).
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Pleased your enjoying our travels, next stops after we leave Thailand are Laos, Taiwan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.