The Iseji is the eastern branch of the old pilgrimage roads to the three great Kumano shrines, running down the coast of the Kii Peninsula from the Grand Shrines of Ise to Kumano. For centuries, pilgrims followed it through forests and over passes, and stretches of its stone paving still survive in the hills, laid to keep the path usable in one of the rainiest parts of Japan. Owase, a little up the coast, regularly ranks among the wettest towns in the country, and the moss on the stones and the dripping cedar forests show it. The Iseji forms part of the UNESCO listing of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.
The coast around here is wild and dramatic. Near Kumano city, the waves have carved the Onigajō rocks into caves and terraces, and Shishi-iwa, a rock shaped like a lion, guards the shore. South of town, Shichiri-mihama is a long pebble beach that sweeps toward Shingū, where Kumano Hayatama Taisha, one of the three grand shrines, stands near the mouth of the Kumano river. Behind the coast, the mountains rise steeply, cloaked in dark forests of cedar and cypress, cut by clear rivers.
National Route 42, the coastal road, is the main artery, linking the fishing towns along the shore. It is a mix of seaside sections with views over the Pacific, tunnels through the headlands and a few inland climbs. Traffic is moderate, with trucks and local cars, but it rarely feels crowded. For more challenging riding, head inland along the river valleys into the Kii mountains, where narrow roads twist through forests and over passes. Watch out for rain, which can be torrential, and landslides after heavy storms. Typhoon season in late summer and early autumn can close roads entirely.
Shingū, about nineteen kilometres away, and Owase, about twenty-three, both have full services, including fuel and supermarkets. Smaller villages along the coast have convenience stores, often with good coffee and snacks. Try sanma-zushi, pressed sushi with saury, or mehari-zushi, rice balls wrapped in pickled mustard leaves, both local favourites. And if you are tempted to walk a piece of the old route, wear good shoes; the stones are slippery when wet.