Until then the pilgrimage route to Kumano including Kohechi had not been registered by the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, and the registration was planned for reporting the plan of the preservation and management of the site to obtain the recommendation as a World Heritage site.
小辺路を含む熊野参詣道はそれまで文化財保護法による指定を受けておらず、世界遺産への推薦に先行して保存管理の計画を示す必要から登録されたものである。