Kumano Kodo trail, Japan, For over 1000 years people from all levels of society have made the arduous 40 day pilgrimage through a network of trails in the mountains of the Kii Penninsula including the sacred sight of Kumono. This includes three major Shinto temples and several subsidiary shrines known as Oji. This rugged network of trails is called the Kumano Kodo and is one of two trails in the world protected as a World Heritage Site (the other one is in Spain). The walk itself is an integral part of the pilgrimage process as they undertook religious rights of worship and purification.