"Honejima Island" along the Kumano-gawa River(Kumano-gawa-no Honejima)

熊野川の骨嶋

Along the river sits a gigantic rock that resembles a backbone

If you take a boat ride down the Kumano-gawa River, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for serving as a river pilgrimage route, numerous scenic spots and odd-shaped rocks appear one after another on both sides of the river. A rock resembling a pure white vertebral column that lies on the shore of the river is so-called “Honejima Island” (literally, “Bone Island”). Legend has it that it is a bone of Kishin (a demon deity) severed by Kumano Gongen (the major deity of Kumano). 

Information

Root
Kumanogawa Kumano-gawa River Traditional Boat Tour Center (Kawabune Center) > Gongen Gawara
Municipality
Shingu City
Area
Takata, Shingu City
Season / Time zone
Spring Summer Autumn(March - November) / Daytime
Weather conditions
Sunny Cloudy
Frequency of appearance
According to weather

Access

Get on the Kumano Kotsu Bus at a stop near JR Shingu Station or Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine, and get off at “Michi-no-Eki Kumano-gawa”[道の駅熊野川] stop. Then, board a river boat (kawabune) from the Kumano-gawa River Traditional Boat Tour Center (Kawabune Center).

Recommended spot

Kumano-gawa River Traditional Boat Tour Center (Kawabune Center) > Gongen Gawara