Pilgrim Hut No.11 Katsuura

General Description: About 10 km from Tatsueji (T19), in the car park of Hinanosato Michi no Eki, in Katsuura Town. It is also very close to the beginning of the mountain climb to Tairyuji (T20) which is about four kilometres of mountain trail. To find the hut, at the entrance of Ikuna village, continue on Prefectural Road No. 16 without turning left toward the trailhead for Tairyuji (T20).

The round central pillar of the hut is a polished log of Kitayama cedar, and the symbol of the local specialty “Mikan” (Mandarin) is on the roof.

The area has a spring “Big Doll Festival” which attracts many tourists and many places associated with the dolls can be found in Katsuura town.

19/4/2019 Comments: There is a very good Information Bureau in the Michi no Eki. They can arrange for hotel transport if required. Nobody seemed to use the hut that I saw.

About two in the afternoon I got to the Michi no Eki (photos included in review) and went to see the ladies at the information section. Although earlier information I had that there was no accommodation in the area had me worried, the ladies were easily able to find me a place.

The ladies from the info desk indicated I should wait on a bench and the hotel would pick me up in a while. As I waited there other Ohenro turned up. After we had been there about three quarters of an hour a small sedan pulled up. The driver was a young man who spoke fairly good English and on the drive to the hotel we discussed which was worst, natto or vegemite.

3 photos submitted

Don’s sleep score: 3

Great place for a break, with food, water, toilets. No great for sleeping, right in front of the stores and next to a fairly busy road (trucks all night). Buy food here and sleep at the thatched pilgrim hut about 1.5 kilometers along the trail, which is one of the best huts on the island. (But in bad weather, this is the better option.)

1 photo submitted