Wakayama Hidden Gems
The spiritual Kii Peninsula — a mountaintop monastic town, pilgrimage trails through cedar forest, and hot springs on a warm Pacific coast.
8 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
Koyasan Temple Town — Sacred Mountain & Temple Stays
Koyasan sits at 900 meters, a temple town of 117 buildings founded in 816 by Kukai (Kobo Daishi) as Shingon Buddhism's h…
Nachi Falls & Kumano Nachi Taisha — Japan's Tallest Waterfall
Nachi Falls (那智滝, Nachi-no-Taki) is Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall, plunging 133 meters from a sheer cliff into a…
Okunoin Cemetery Night Walk — 200,000 Lantern-Lit Tombs
Okunoin (奥之院) is a 2-kilometer path through 200,000 moss-covered tombstones and memorial monuments beneath towering 500-…
Kumano Hongu Taisha — Grand Shrine at Sacred Rivers' Confluence
Kumano Hongu Taisha (熊野本宮大社) is the head shrine of the Kumano Sanzan (Three Grand Shrines) and spiritual terminus of the…
Kongobu-ji Temple — Shingon Buddhism Headquarters
Kongobu-ji (金剛峯寺) is the head temple of Shingon Buddhism and the administrative center of Koyasan's 117 temples, founded…
Takijiri-oji Shrine — Gateway to Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage
Takijiri-oji (滝尻王子) is the starting point of the Nakahechi Trail, the most popular Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, and his…
Kimii-dera Temple — Hydrangea Hillside & Cherry Blossoms
Kimii-dera (紀三井寺, 'Temple of Three Wells of Kii Province') is a hilltop temple complex founded in 770 AD, famous for its…
Kumano Nachi Taisha Fire Festival — 1,400-Year-Old Torch Ritual
The Nachi-no-Hi Matsuri (那智の火祭り, Nachi Fire Festival), held annually on July 14th, is one of Japan's three great fire fe…