El devenir turístico de Kumano, su adaptación a las nuevas tendencias de la espiritualidad japonesa y su proyección internacional a través del hermanamiento con el Camino de Santiago

Abstract

Japan has a long tradition related to pilgrimages and the Kumano pilgrimage is closely related to Japan’s origins and, also, to the development of tourism. Since the pre-modern period, pilgrimages and spiritual tourism have moved crowds and nowadays, in a different form, they still exert attraction over the Japanese population. The focus of my contribution is the pilgrimage of Kumano Kodō, situated in the Kii Mountain Range, a special significant place in the formation of the National Myths of Japan and the identity consciousness of the Japanese people. I will point out how this pilgrimage route has evolved throughout time up to the present day when it has been influenced not only by different tourist campaigns but also by the new trends in Japanese spirituality and by the International Agreement for the Twinning of Pilgrimage Paths with Santiago de Compostela.