Magose Pass

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

Magose PassKumano KodoIsejiOwase cypressstone paving

Photo: Yasuyuki Hirata / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · original

A visit to Magose Pass is easy to underplan — bring more time, and less certainty about what you'll find, than you'd expect.

Magose is the most walked section of the Kumano Kodo Iseji, and the reason is the paving. Two kilometres of stone laid through a forest of Owase cypress, kept in better condition than anywhere else on the route because this coast gets over four metres of rain a year and unpaved paths simply wash away — the stones were a practical necessity, not a decoration.

The climb is moderate and the surface is even, so it is walkable by people who would not attempt the harder passes. From the top a side path climbs to Tengura-san, where a boulder with a ladder up it gives a view over Owase town and the bay. From the Michi-no-Eki Miyama to Owase Station takes about two and a half hours over five kilometres, and there are no toilets on the pass.

What to know before you go

Access hours

Open access | Daylight only

Closed: Open year-round | Avoid in heavy rain

When to go

Spring and autumn | Avoid heavy rain and midsummer heat

Fee

Free | Free parking at the roadside station

Time to allow

2 hours 30 minutes | 3–4 hours with Tengura-san

How to reach it

Access notes

Magose-cho, Owase, on the Kumano Kodo Iseji between Kihoku and Owase. From the Michi-no-Eki Miyama, which has a free car park for about 20 vehicles, to JR Owase Station is about 5 km and around 2 hours a short walk. From Nagoya IC via Miyama IC is about 2 hours by car; by rail, take the Nanki limited express to JR Owase Station, about 2 hours from Nagoya, then a Mie Kotsu bus to the Washige stop. There are no toilets on the pass — use those at the roadside station. Free to walk.

Beyond the guidebook

**No toilets on the pass.** Use the roadside station before starting. It is a two-and-a-half-hour walk with nothing in between. **The stones exist because of the rain.** Over four metres a year on this coast. Unpaved sections wash out, which is why this is the best-preserved paving on the Iseji. **Add Tengura-san.** A side path from the summit to a boulder with a ladder, and a view over Owase and the bay. It adds about an hour and is the best part. **Walk it one way and take the train back.** Roadside station to Owase Station, then rail. Doing it as an out-and-back doubles the distance for no gain. **Wet stone is slippery.** In a place that rains this much. Boots with grip rather than trainers.

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