Wakayama Hidden Gems
The spiritual Kii Peninsula — a mountaintop monastic town, pilgrimage trails through cedar forest, and hot springs on a warm Pacific coast.
4 spots
Climate & Best Season
One of Japan's wettest areas; warm and humid, with mild winters on the coast and cold nights on Koyasan. Spring and autumn suit hiking.
Famous For (Food)
- Mikan oranges
- Umeboshi
- Wakayama ramen
- Maguro (Katsuura tuna)
Signature Sights
- Koyasan temple lodgings
- Kumano Kodo (UNESCO)
- Nachi Falls
- Shirahama beach & onsen
Dorokyo Gorge
Dorokyo is a gorge on the Kitayama river where it forms the boundary between Wakayama, Nara and Mie — thirty-odd kilomet…
Kumano Hayatama Taisha
The third of the Kumano grand shrines, at the mouth of the Kumano river in Shingu, and the most compact — vermilion hall…
Meharizushi
Meharizushi is a ball of rice wrapped in a pickled takana leaf, and it was the working lunch of the Kumano river basin —…
Kamikura Shrine
Kamikura is where, in the Kumano tradition, the gods first came down to earth — before Hayatama, before Hongu, before an…