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Wakayama

Kick around Kumano Kodo and Mount Koya

About Wakayama
Nachi Shrine & Waterfall (Photo: Virginia Gonzalez / JT)

Top Attractions in Wakayama

Around Wakayama

Wakayama City

Wakayama City

Wakayama is a city in Japan’s Kansai region. Overlooking the city, central Wakayama Castle has an original moat and stone wal...

Wakayama
Tanabe

Tanabe

If you are a serious Aikido buff, you will have heard of Tanabe. This little town on the shores of the Pacific Ocean on the s...

Wakayama
Shingu

Shingu

Shingu (新宮市) is a small seaside city in the south of Wakayama Prefecture, Shingu is a treasure trove of holy sites set in ...

Wakayama
Koyasan

Koyasan

Koyasan, or Mount Koya, is a mountaintop sanctuary in Wakayama Prefecture and the center of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, making...

Wakayama

Top Articles

Upcoming Wakayama Events

Wakayama All Meat Festa 2025

Wakayama All Meat Festa 2025

Kim

The All Meat Festival in Wakayama will include around 60 stalls serving up all manner of tasty meat-based eats, along with st...

Wakayama

Where to eat in Wakayama

Places to stay in Wakayama

Temple Camp in Kumano

Temple Camp in Kumano

Alena Eckelmann

Temple Camp or Temple Hotel, staying at Daitai-ji temple in Kumano, Wakayama, you can enjoy sauna and Zen near the famous Nac...

Wakayama
Shiraraso Grand Hotel

Shiraraso Grand Hotel

Alena Eckelmann

A beautiful beach and many attractions nearby, healing onsen and hospitality at its best, Shiraraso Grand Hotel is the ideal ...

Wakayama

Latest Wakayama Reports

Kitayama Log Rafting

Kitayama Log Rafting

Julian Kloby

Dorokyo Gorge located in Yoshino-Kumano National Park is where you will find the infamous “Logging River Runners” of Kitayama...

Wakayama
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About Wakayama

Wakayama
Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Kansai
Island Honshu
Capital Wakayama
Population 1,002,198
Area 4724.68 sq. km

Just south of Osaka, Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県, Wakayama-ken) offers a stark contrast to its northern neighbor - idyllic countryside views and a much more laid-back lifestyle, but with more than enough places to see to keep you busy for at least a couple of days.

Wakayama’s main attraction is Mount Koya, one of Japanese Buddhism’s most sacred sites. Okuno-in, which is the largest graveyard in Japan and is the final resting place of the great monk Kukai (or Kobo Daishi) along with many daimyo, as well as the famous temple Kongobu-ji, are located within this area. Some of Mount Koya’s temples even offer one-night stay experiences. Much of the Kumano Kodo, the World Heritage Site pilgrimage, is also located within Wakayama.

Historical and cultural significance aside, Wakayama also attracts tourists due to its beaches and hot springs, the best of which can be found in Shirahama.

Around Wakayama

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