Hardly any approach in Japan is as dramatic as the one up to Seiganto-ji. A temple has been here for well over a millennium, founded according to tradition in the fourth century, but what hits you is how it sits: a vermilion three-storey pagoda in front of a 133-metre waterfall, the tallest single-drop fall in the country, with the cedar forest pressing close on both sides. The temple and the neighbouring Nachi shrine share the mountain and the same story. Together they form one of the three Kumano shrines on the Kii Peninsula, and the pilgrim trails that link them are on the World Heritage list.
The ride to get here is the real prize. Coming down from the north on Route 42 you follow the Kii coast with its sea cliffs, tunnels and tiny fishing harbours, then turn inland at Nachikatsuura and climb a steep, twisting mountain road through plantation cedar to the temple car park. Expect hairpins, damp tarmac and bad visibility in rain, because this part of Japan gets some of the heaviest rainfall in the country. Shingu is the bigger town nearby, with fuel and supermarkets; the coastal strip has stations too, but fill up before you climb.
The pagoda is open for you to climb, and the view from the top, when the weather behaves, shows the waterfall right in front of you and the Pacific beyond. The old stone steps that lead down from here to the falls are part of the Daimon-zaka path, lined with giant cedar trees; even if you do not walk the whole thing, a few minutes on the stones is worth it.
Culturally, Kumano blends Buddhism and the native Shinto faith so thoroughly that the line between them blurs. Three-legged crows appear on amulets here, a symbol of the divine guide who led the legendary first emperor through these mountains. In the early afternoon the tour buses arrive, so aim for first thing in the morning. Winter is quiet and cold but sometimes clear, and spring brings azaleas.
Ask at the temple about the traditional hearty teahouse food nearby; the mountain is well-fed with noodles and mochi.