Hiking Through Kumano Region, Japan

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Note:
(a) The Orange County Register
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orange_County_Register
(1905- ; daily; Headquarters  Irvine, California)

Santa Cruz Sentinel (1856- ; daily) shares the same ownership.
(i) "Revered for guiding, the three-legged crow god surely had my back."
(A) 八咫烏  Yatagarasu
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/八咫烏
("熊野三山においてカラスはミサキ神 * * * とされており * * * 八咫は144cmとなるが、ここでいう八咫は単に「大きい」という意味である"/ section 1 概要, section 1.2 中国の「三足烏」)

my rough translation: In 熊野三山, crow is deemed manifestation of god * * * Though 八咫 literally means 144 cm, in this context (ここでいう) 八咫 means big. The legend of three-foot crow came from China.)
(B) Japanese-English dictionary:
* ta 咫; 尺 【た】 (n): "(arch[aic]) distance between outstretched thumb and middle finger (approx. 18 cm)"
* karasu 《烏》 【からす】 (n): "crow"
* chichi 乳 【ちち】 (n): "(1) milk; (2) breast"
* iwa 岩 【いわ】 (n): "rock; boulder"
(ii) "A sign at the hallowed 'milk rock' noted a wolf somehow dripped milk from the stone to save a warlord’s newborn son until the infant’s parents finished their divine journey."
(A) milk rock  乳岩 (pronounced ちちいわ chichi iwa)
(B) 熊野古道　息づく伝承を訪ねて（１）赤ちゃん守った聖域／乳岩（田辺市中辺路町栗栖川）. 紀伊民報, Nov 14, 2019
https://www.agara.co.jp/article/33177

two consecutive paragraphs:

"紀伊続風土記は、平安末期の武将、奥州平泉の藤原秀衡が妻と熊野詣でに来た際、妻が急に産気づき、乳岩で出産したと伝える。

"この伝承にはさらに続きがある。安産だったが、赤子を連れて熊野詣ではできない。その夜、夢枕に立った熊野権現のお告げにより、乳岩に赤子を残して秀衡夫妻は旅を続けた。子は山のオオカミに守られ、岩からしたたり落ちる乳を飲んで、両親が帰ってくるまで無事に育ったという。

my rough translation: 紀伊続風土記 [紀州藩が編纂した地誌 which took 33 years to compile (1806-1839)] stated that 平安末期の武将 藤原秀衡 [FIJIWARA no Hidehira (1122? – 1187)] and wife went on a pilgrim in Kumano, wife went into labor [産気 labor pains] and delivered at 乳岩.    The legend [伝承, which literally means "handing down"] went on. Tough the delivery was uneventful, the couple could not bring a baby to pilgrimage. That night, the Kumano god appeared in the (did not say whose) dream 夢枕に立つ, and they did what they were told: leaving behind the baby at 乳岩 and continued their pilgrimage. The mountain god safeguarded the baby, who drank the milk which trickled down したたり落ちる or 滴り落ちる the rock. When th parents returned, the baby wa all right.  


In the map, 滝尻王子 is a tiny, rusty shrine. You should search images.google.com for this shrine.
(iii) "The Kumano Kodo is one of only two UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage routes (the other being Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago) * * * By the 15th century, so many  sandal-clad commoners clogged the long arduous trail in search of holy rejuvenation, it became known as the 'pilgrimage of ants.' The ultimate destinations in this Land of Gods have always been three eminent Grand Shrines"
(A) Kumano Kodō  熊野 古道
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumano_Kod%C5%8D
, where the sea coasts are black, and 古道 marked with various colors (total 5 colors in the top map).

The top map shows 熊野三山: 熊野本宮大社、熊野速玉大社 (located in 和歌山県新宮市)、熊野那智大社.  
(The 新宮 in 新宮市 alluded to 熊野速玉大社. See Shingū, Wakayama 和歌山県 新宮市
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingū,_Wakayama
("Shingū literally means 'New Shrine' and refers to Hayatama Shrine [速玉大社] * * * The 'old shrine' would be Kamikura Shrine" 神倉神社 (Kamikura Jinja; halfway up the 100-meter Mount Kamikura 神倉山) by 熊野速玉大社)
Anyway, The old shrine is not 熊野本宮大社.)

熊野古道 is also known as 熊野参詣道 Kumano San-kei-michi, where michi is Japanese pronunciation of kanji 道.

The ja.wikipedia.org for 熊野古道 says there are six 道 ("6つの道"):
• Iseji 伊勢路 (navy blue, on the east; name after 三重県伊勢市)  (The kanji 路 has Japanese pronunciation ji when 路 was a suffix.)
• Kohechi  小辺路（hiragana: こへち (pronunciation kohechi: this map mispronounced it as "koChechi"); why 路 is pronounced chi in lieu of jo is not explained; red)
• Nakahechi  中辺路 (orange)
• Ōhechi  大辺路 (green)  (中辺路 and 大辺路 intersects at the west, where the city hall 市役所 of 和歌山県 田辺市 is located; hence the word 辺 in two 路.)
• Kiiji  紀伊路 (cyan, on the west)
• 大峯奥駈道 （not shown in this map)  
For map, see 縦走・熊野古道 大峯奥駈道
https://www.mitsumine.gr.jp/kaiho/363/contribution-5.html

In Japan, temple 寺 is Buddhist, whereas shrine 社 is Shinto.
(B) Kumano Region  熊野 地方
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumano_Region
(is "situated on the southern part of the Kii Peninsula" Region 熊野地方
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumano_Region)
(C) pilgrimage of ants  蟻の熊野参り

The verb ma-i-ru 参る (whose corresponding noun is ma-i-ri) means 参上する, and is「行く」の謙譲語. (Japanese language does not have diphthongs, such as ai, which should be pronounced separately as distinct vowels.)

The 「行く」の謙譲語 means that 参る and 行く both are to go, but 参る means I humbly go.

choi

(b) "along another historic path, the centuries-old Nakasendo trail once used for commerce and still flecked with authentic post towns that look like Hollywood movie sets. Feudal barons, samurai, merchants and princesses regularly took this route in the Japanese Alps to get between political hubs Kyoto and Tokyo. * * * These two off-the-beaten-track walks headlined 'Japan Hiking Highlights,' an enthralling 11-day small-group trip run by tour operator Oku Japan (okujapan.com). * * * apprentice geisha (maiko) [舞子] * * * We concluded our trip in Tokyo among the neon marquees, bustling crowds and infamous Asahi beer headquarters adorned with a massive flame-like sculpture that locals dub the 'golden turd.' * * * yukata [浴衣] * * * the meditative soaking [in onsen 温泉] did wonders for my quads. * * * we arrived at the Takijiri [滝尻(王子); see Note (b)(iv)] trailhead of the classic imperial Nakahechi route, one of several pathways of the Kumano Kodo.   I didn't worry about the poisonous mamushi [蝮 (pit viper)] snakes, the giant stinging 'murder hornets,' or the jumbo venomous mukade [百足] centipedes because Kumano's almighty mountain god was by my side. * * * torii gates festooned with shide, the zig-zagging folded white papers that represent purity and protection. Smaller oji sub-shrines, guarded by lion-dog statues, dappled the trail. So did the Jizo [jizō 地蔵] stone figures"
(i) Nakasendō  中山道 was was one of Edo Five Routes  五街道.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_Five_Routes

Kanji 山 has two Chinese pronunciations: san and sen -- the latter is rare.
(ii) The kanji 奥 (with Japanese pronunciation oku) means inner part/ interior.
(iii) One can not see the golden turd in en.wikipedia.org for Asahi Brewery. One can use images.google.com to search (asahi brewery headquarters).
(iv) The quads (usually in plural; dictionary form is quad) are short for quadriceps.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadriceps
(v) The shide is not English but Japanese, hence its pronunciation the Japanese way.
ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shide_(Shinto)
(vi) "Smaller oji sub-shrines, guarded by lion-dog statues, dappled the trail."

九十九王子 ōji refers to 99 sub-shrines hastily built in the 12th to 13th centuries by 皇族・貴人 (therefore 王子), as guides during 熊野詣, per ja.wikipedia.org for 九十九王子.

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(c) At "Hatayama Taisha [速玉大社] * * * We walked until reaching the 800-year-old 'husband and wife' cedar trees, so-named because their roots intertwine below. From there we climbed up the Daimon-zaka [大門坂, leading toward Nachi Shrine], an ancient cobblestone staircase * * * teenage Princess Kazunomiya, en route to marry a shogun, was carted through here in a man-held palanquin * * * [in Nakasendo] for the next two days a hike in the beautiful, forested Kiso Valley to well-preserved post towns enchantingly lined with old wooden latticed buildings and landmark water wheels. * * * [also in Nakasendo] There was a tree stump that a Tengu goblin had sat upon * * * Our trek winded through the quiet, inhabited post towns of Magome and Tsumago before we traveled by train again for our last test, the exerting uphill hike over the Torii Pass. No prob. Finally we strode into Narai, once the wealthiest of what had been 69 post towns along the popular route. Nowadays, artisans still sell speciality handmade wood combs called orokugushi [verb oroku to become absent-minded, to grow senile (not represented by kanji) + kushi 櫛 comb]; brushing your hair with one supposedly eliminates headaches. (Apparently, samurai wielded them to primp their topknots.) Many porches displayed tanuki statues, hoping the jolly sake-clutching raccoon dogs brought prosperity."

(i) Japan has quit a few meoto 夫婦 sugi 杉, which are a pair of cedars  Google 夫婦杉. The kanji 夫婦 is now pronounced fūfu (the Chinese pronunciation), and the meoto (the Japanese pronunciation is "dated" according to Jim Breen online Japanese-English dictionary.
(ii) Kazu-no-miya  和宮. See 和宮 親子内親王
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/和宮親子内親王
(1846-1877; "仁孝天皇の第8皇女。御称号は和宮（かずのみや）。江戸幕府第14代将軍・徳川家茂の正室")

Wedding ceremony was held in 1862 (at 16, she was unwilling). Her husband (the shogun 将軍; born in 1846) died in July 1866 and she became a Buddhist nun in December of that year.
(iii) Kiso Valley  木曾谷
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiso_Valley
(centers on the valley of the upper portions of the Kiso River * * * the Nakasendō, an old trade route, ran through the valley, which led to the creation of eleven post stations along the route")
(A) The en.wikipedia.org does not have a map, but ja.wikipedia.org has one for the river. See 木曽川
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/木曽川
(B) Nakasendō
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakasendō
(section 2 Today, section 2.1 National Historic Site)
(iv) tengu  天狗
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu
(v) Torii Pass  鳥居峠 (pronounced torii tōge)

See photo attached below.
(vi)
(A) Magome-juku  馬籠宿
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magome-juku
(B) Tsumago-juku  妻籠宿  (The tsuma is Japanese pronunciation of kanji 妻.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsumago-juku
(vi) For tanuki 狸, see Japanese raccoon dog
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog
is similar, if not identical, to common raccoon dog found in East Asia including China.

choi

(d)
(i) caption of photo 1: The Seiganto-ji Temple, backdropped by the Nachi Waterfall, is one of the most sacred, iconic sites of the Kumano Kodo trail in rural Japan. (Photo by Norma Meyer)

Seiganto-ji  青岸渡寺
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiganto-ji
(Nachi Falls 那智滝 (113 meters))
(ii) caption of photo 3: The post town of Narai is an authentic centuries-old gem on the Nakasendo Way. You can imagine samurai walking through the hamlet. (Photo by Norma Meyer)

Na-ra-i-juku  奈良井宿
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narai-juku

宿 (whose Chinese pronunciation is juku) here is short for 宿場 or 宿駅, either of which is defined as "relay station or post station (esp. on Edo-period highway)."