On October 7th, 2023 in Santiago de Compostela the 5000th DUAL PILGRIM was registered!
Ms June-Lian Mok from Singapore. Congratulations!
KUMANO KODO
Date: Nov. 5, 2018
Route: Kii-Tanabe to Kumano Hongu Taisha
WAY OF ST. JAMES
Date: Oct. 7, 2023
Route: Baiona to Santiago de Compostela
A “Dual Pilgrim” is someone who has walked both the Kumano Kodo and the Way of St.James (Camino de Santiago).
This program was developed to celebrate, honor, and share the stories of those who have completed both UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage routes and began on Feb 1st, 2015.
Comments
I am very excited and happy with this achievement. Both are challenging and get to meet people from all over the world and provide insights into different culture and religious. It is a life changing experience. Both cultures have wonderful tradition and hospitality.
June-Lian Mok
Congratulations on the reaching of a major milestone of the 5000th Dual Pilgrim registered; I am very thrilled. This program began in February 2015, 8 years and 8 months ago, with the beginning of the Tourism Partnership Cities agreement between Tanabe City and Santiago de Compostela. With this monumental achievement, brings us the opportunity to attract more people to experience both the Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes creating strong bonds between us which will contribute to sustainable development of our mutual communities.
Mayor of Tanabe City, Mr. Mitsutoshi MANAGO
I would like to send my sincere gratulations to the memorable 5,000th Dual Pilgrim who has completed both the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route in Spain and the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route in Japan. This program is a mark of our deep friendship which crosses cultural and spiritual boundaries.
Head Priest of Kumano Hongu Taisha, Mr. Ietaka KUKI
Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the registration of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Japan “Sacred Sites & Pilgrimage Routes (Kumano Kodo) in the Kii Mountain Range”. I hope that this milestone will motivate more people to embark on the pilgrimage routes of Santiago de Compostela and the Kumano Kodo to make a new start in their lives.
Congratulations and thank you.
After the hardships and stagnation of pilgrims for over three years because of the Covid-19 global pandemic, I am thrilled, happy, and grateful for the 5000th Dual Pilgrim to be registered. Since the end of the pandemic the number of Dual Pilgrims has increased at a tremendous rate. I would like to express my heartfelt respect and gratitude to each Dual Pilgrim who has walked the two pilgrimage routes which are approximately 10,000 km in distance from each other. I sincerely hope that the Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago, and their unique cultures, which have been passed down uninterruptedly for more than a thousand years, will be carried on for the next thousand years.
Director of Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau, Mrs. Noriko TADA
Compostela would like to congratulate June-Lian Mok for receiving the 5,000th Dual Passport, which is awarded to those that complete the Camino de Santiago and the Kumano Kodo, both of which have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO. The Dual Passport symbolizes the union between the Galician and Japanese peoples. Although we are two very different peoples, we also have points in common, such as our love of nature and respect for our historical and cultural heritage. It is precisely these points in common that enable us at Compostela and Tanabe to work together in harmony to promote our pilgrimage routes. And it is these points in common that make our cities attractive for millions of people from all over the world.
Santiago de Compostela Mayor
The awarding of Dual Passport number 5,000 confirms that the Camino de Santiago and the Kumano Kodo are two routes that enjoy global attraction. It also confirms that the joint promotion that we have been carrying out for years enables us to reach every corner of the earth with a common message. There is one fact that demonstrates the force of this joint promotion. The five countries that have been awarded the most Dual Passports are, in numeral order, the following: Japan, Australia, USA, Spain, and Taiwan. These are five countries belonging to four different continents featuring a wide range of cultures. In this regard, Compostela is committed to continuing to reinforce the promotion of the Dual Passport as a tool that enables us to place our city on the global map. This is especially true in the case of long-distance markets that are essential to reach our goal of developing our tourist model towards one with greater added value, following the example of Japan and Taiwan.
Santiago de Compostela Councillour of Tourism