A stopover if you visit Nakaheji 8 recommended lunches and cafés in Nakaheji
The Kumano Kodo, registered as a World Heritage Site, is a historic path that many people have walked since the Heian period (794-1185) to reach the three shrines known as the Kumano Sanzan.
There are five major routes along the Kumano Kodo, but the most beginner-friendly route with many places of interest is called Nakahechi.
This issue introduces restaurants and cafés along the Nakahechi Road! If you are wondering where to have lunch or tea, please take a look.
If you want to know more about the Kumano Kodo, check out this article!
You can’t go wrong if you choose to stay here!Four lunch options along the Middle Passage.
We have picked out a wide range of restaurants that offer delicious lunches using seasonal ingredients from Kumano, as well as restaurants with spectacular views.You’re sure to whet your appetite!
[Near Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine] Kumanoko Shokudo.
The Kumanoko Shokudo is popular for its menu, which uses plenty of ‘Kumano’s bounty’. This cozy eatery is run by an immigrant.
The vegetables are fresh from their own farm, Kumanoko Farm. No pesticides or chemical fertilisers are used, so you can eat with peace of mind.
You can also enjoy gibier caught by hunters in the town of Motomiya, Tanabe City. Some people may not like the smell of meat when they hear the word ‘gibier’… In fact, if the meat is processed quickly and properly, you can enjoy tender gibier with no smell at all. The wild game available at Kumanoko Shokudo is fresh and tasty, as the hunters are responsible for the meat processing.
Venison Bolognese, curry, Kumano beef steak plate, pasta with seasonal vegetables, etc. This is a restaurant you will want to visit again and again.
Name of shop
Kumanoko-Shokudo.
Opening hours
Lunch: 11:00-15:00
Dinner: 18:00-21:00
（Closed: Mon, Tue, Fri)
Address
452-1 Hongu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Access
8-minute walk from Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine.
Official website
Bread and café food, Kumano Vegetable Café [near Chikatsuji Oji].
This is also a vegetable café started by an immigrant from Tokyo. The former warehouse of a liquor store was renovated and turned into a café. The retro Showa-era signboard is still there, giving the place a great atmosphere.
The freshly baked bagels, available only on Fridays and Sundays, are also very popular! Many people go out of their way to visit for these bagels. If you are lucky enough to visit on a day when bagels are on sale, be sure to get some.
There are many spots along the Kumano Kodo named after ‘Oji’. One of them, Chikarou Oji, is known as the place where Emperor Go-Toba held a poetry festival when he made a pilgrimage to Kumano. The Kumano Vegetable Café is only a minute’s walk from Chikarou Oji and the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Art Museum, making it the perfect place to stop by during your sightseeing tour.
The menu includes the Kumano Vegetable Lunch (1,200 yen, with coffee), Morning (1,000 yen) and Bagel Sandwich (500 yen). In addition, if you make a reservation, they can also prepare packed lunches for you to enjoy on your way along the Kumano Kodo path.
Name of shop
Bread and café food Kumano Vegetable Café
opening hours
6:30-13:00 approx (sometimes open until evening depending on the owner’s mood).
(Closed: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)
Address,
〒646-1402 1139 Chikanuro, Nakaheji-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Access
1 hr 10 mins by bus from Kii-Tanabe Station.
Official website
Nakahechi Observatory (Kogen) KonakuCafe de Ricca
This Italian restaurant serves dishes that make use of seasonal ingredients from the neighbourhood, served in dishes and cups made by the owner, who is also a ceramic artist. You can enjoy oven-baked pizza, pasta and dolce. Pasta lunch, pizza lunch and plate lunch are all available for 1500 yen.
On sunny days, you can have a pleasant lunch under a parasol. The restaurant is located on top of a mountain, so the view is excellent. The garden is carefully maintained and you can enjoy the seasonal flowers.
This restaurant is recommended for those who want to enjoy a relaxing lunch on top of a mountain in a rich natural setting.
Cooking classes are also held regularly, so be sure to check this out!
Name of shop
Café de Ricca
opening hours
10:30-16:30 (Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays).
Address
〒646-1421 291-96 Kurisugawa, Nakaheji-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Access
40-minute drive from JR Kii-Tanabe Station.
Official website
https://www.instagram.com/cafe_de_ricca/
[Near Kiyohime’s grave] Nemunoki Restaurant.
Nemunoki Shokudo, which serves lunch, natural yeast bread, baked cakes and baked goods, was re-launched in 2021 with Countryside Gastronomy and Cafe Park, which was also located along Nakabeji.
Nemunoki Shokudo is located on the banks of the Tonda River, where you can have lunch in a spectacular setting. Lunches include the nutritious Colourful Plate Rice Set (1,400 yen) and Beef Cutlet Set (1,800 yen). It is healthy with plenty of vegetables. We recommend adding a dessert to your meal.
Tatami mats and children’s sets (JPY 770) are also available, so you can bring your children along. On fine days, we recommend the terrace seats with a view of the Tonda River.
Name of shop
Nemunoki-Restaurant
Opening hours
11:00-17:00 (Closed: Mon & Tue).
Address
〒646-1415 1-2 Masago, Nakaheji-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Access
35 minutes by bus from JR Kii-Tanabe Station.
Official website
https://nemunoki1021.thebase.in/
A breather between treks!Four Nakaheji cafés
After walking along the Kumano Kodo, I’m starting to feel a bit hungry…We have selected cafés that you should definitely stop by at such times.
[Near Kii-Tanabe Station.] tanabe en+
tanabe en+ is a co-working space, café, antenna shop and rental space that together form an exchange centre linking new discoveries and encounters. The building is made from Kishu timber.
At this café, you can enjoy a menu of Tanabe ingredients prepared in various ways. You may discover new ways to enjoy local ingredients!
The highlight of the menu is ice cream. You can enjoy Kinan ingredients such as shiranui, strawberries and kiwi as ice cream. You can also enjoy citrus and plum juices from Wakayama Prefecture, as well as local craft beer, plum wine and sake.
If you stop by here, be sure to take a look at the antenna shop. The shop also stocks a variety of goods, making it a great place to look for souvenirs.
Name of shop
tanabe en+
Opening hours
10:00-19:00 (No mid-year holiday)
Address
〒646-0031 41-1 Minato, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Access
Right in front of the entrance of JR Kii-Tanabe Station.
Official website
[Near Kii-Tanabe Station.]cafe*mille
Café Mill is a café with siphon coffee and a nostalgic appearance. Espresso and carefully selected speciality coffees are recommended.
The traditional café menu includes chiffon cakes, toast, sandwiches and rice dishes such as shrimp pilaf. Mixed juices and cocoa are also available, so even if you don’t like coffee, it’s okay.
The entire shop also has a nostalgic appearance. It may remind you of the tastes of the cafés you ate at as a child. Customers spend their time in the shop reading, chatting and doing whatever they want. The fact that it is open until late at night is also a nice point.
Name of shop
cafe*mille（カフェミル）
Opening hours
9:00-22:00 (closed on Wednesdays) *Open until 20:00 as of 2022 Apr for shorter hours.
Address
465-16 Shimomaro, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Access
15 minutes by bus or on foot from JR Kii-Tanabe Station, or 10 minutes by car.
Official website
[Near Ongawa and Plateau] Paradise Café Ongawa.
Paradise Café Ongawa, with its large terrace seats overlooking the great outdoors, is marked by its red building. It was built by renovating a warehouse.
The line-up of baked goods includes scones, financiers, brownies, baked cheesecakes and more, making it hard to decide which to try. Lunch is only available on Saturdays and Sundays at the Corona Disaster, but you can enjoy takeaways on Wednesdays to Fridays as ‘pastry days’. Outside seating is available, so enjoy your baked goods like a picnic on a sunny day.
Pasta, curry, pizza and more… Also open for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
Name of shop
Paradise Café Ongawa
Opening hours
Regular opening 11:00-17:00 (L.O 16:30) (Sat & Sun)
Sweets day 12:00 – 16:00 (*Take-out only, Wed, Thu, Fri)
Address
〒646-1434 170 Ongawa, Nakaheji-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Access
40-minute drive from JR Kii-Tanabe Station.
Official website
https://www.facebook.com/huta.nikki/
[Near Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine.] choux
choux, which serves cream puffs and coffee, is located a 6-minute walk from Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine and a 3-minute walk from Kumanoko Shokudo, introduced earlier. Cream puffs are often sold out quickly, so reservations by phone or in-store are recommended.
In addition to cream puffs, sweets made from delicious Wakayama ingredients are sometimes available in the shop. If you are lucky, you can get one. There is also a wide range of drinks on the menu, including hot coffee ground from beans, café au lait and carbonated drinks.
The shop specialises in take-out, but there is a small counter, benches and terrace seating outside, so you can also eat there.
Name of shop
choux
Opening hours
11:00-17:00 (Closed: Mon & Tue).
*Closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from May 2022.
Address
〒647-1731 1571-15 Hongu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Access
6-minute walk from Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine.
Official website
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