The Kii Peninsula (the tip of it)

The “Kii Peninsula” basically refers to Wakayama and Mie Prefectures and the southern part of Nara prefecture. This section, though, focuses on the southern part of the peninsula: Wakayama prefecture and southern Mie. What’s great about this area is that it looks and feels so different from much of the rest of Kansai. Palm trees, virtually year-round warm weather, sandy beaches, scuba diving, areas that aren’t hilly and where no buildings have been built…..it would be ideal if it weren’t so far away from everything!!

Getting down here (“here” refers to the coast from Wakayama City, down around the tip of the Kii Peninsula in Kushimoto, and up through Shingu-shi through Kumano-shi in Mie Prefecture) is the trick. There is one JR train line that runs around the coast. It is slow, infrequent and one must go to Osaka, Wakayama City, or Nagoya to catch it. Buses mean a five hour ride from Gojo to Shingu through the Yoshino mountains. So, for all intents and purposes, this is car (or bike) area.

So what’s to do? Well, lying on a beach is pretty high on many people’s lists. Shirahama (lit. “white beach”) just south of Tanabe City has some beautiful beaches. They do tend to get crowded on the weekends in the summer and at least one Nara JET has reported having a hard time finding a minshuku or hotel that would allow a gaijin guest. Kushimoto at the tip of the Kii Peninsula is the most southern point on all of Honshu (get map out and check if you don’t believe it). A warm sea breeze and abundant palm trees make it seem more like Kagoshima in Kyushu than Kansai!! Kushimoto is also one of the few close areas where one can do some scuba diving. Shingu is a nice enough city, but not all that different from the Nara-ken variety. It does have a more coastal and laid back feel, and in areas, if one squinted her/his eyes, one could be fooled into thinking (s)he were on the west coast of the United States (this pertains to the whole area). There is great seafood to be found anywhere. Kumano, over in Mie Prefecture has long rocky beaches that are good for just lounging around on and having a bar-b-que. There are also some cool rock formations made by the acidic ocean water wearing away on the calcium carbonate in the sandstone…..

Wakayama City

Wakayama City has a number of beautiful temples and shrines, but the two most famous of these are probably Kimii-dera Temple and Toshogu Shrine. There are 230 steps to reach Kimiidera Temple but once there the view of Wakayama Temple is quite expansive. In April this is one of Wakayama’s famous hanami spots. Toshogu Shrine also boasts quite a steep set of stairs to reach the top. This shrine is dedicated to one of Wakayama’s most famous sons, Tokugawa Yoshifune, the 8th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate. He is portrayed in the NHK drama of the same name. Also in Wakayama City is Marina City. Marina City was the site of the 1994 World Resort Exhibition held last summer. Marina City is built on a man-made island in Wakanoura Bay. There is an amusement park, a marina, a fisherman’s wharf and restaurants and shops galore. Wakayama City is also a port town where ferries to Shikoku and Kyushu can be caught.

Koyasan and the Koya-Ryujin Skyline

The most famous place in Wakayama prefecture is the Shingon sanctuary of Koyasan. Set high up in the mountains (just west of Nishiyoshino in Nara Prefecture), this is where the Shingon sect of Buddhism was first established in Japan by Kobo Daishi (a.k.a Kukai) in the year 816. The beauty of the mountains and the more than 120 temples on the 3000 ft plateau that resembles the lotus flower attracts religious pilgrims and visitors alike. In winter the grounds are covered with snow and although cold it is breathtakingly beautiful. Many visitors come to the Koyasan in the summer just to escape the heat of lower altitudes. It is possible to stay at one of the Buddhist temples and experience Buddhist rituals and cuisine first-hand. From Koya, one can drive along the Koya-Ryujin skyline which crosses the highest point in the prefecture, Mt. Gomadan. In Ryujin-mura (just a hop skip and a jump west of Totsukawa) you can relax in the outdoor hot springs.

Shirahama

Shirahama beach resort is famous among Japanese people; in fact, many Japanese may never have heard of Wakayama prefecture but will have heard of Shirahama. In the mid-summer months the place is flooded with tourists coming to enjoy the beautiful beaches. As well as the beach there are many hot springs. One of the most beautiful is set in the rocks on the shore of the Pacific. So as you relax your time away in the spa you can watch the sun set over the ocean and one of Shirahama’s famous landmarks, Engetsuto - the “eyeglasses-shaped rock.”

Nakahechi-Hongu

The Nakahechi-Hongu area, just south of Totsukawa, is overflowing (literally) with hot spas. Yunomine and Kawayu are two of the most popular. Senninburo is free and co-ed. It literally means 1,000 person bath and is just a very big hole dug out in the river. Most of the onsens are located outside and it is also fun to just dig your own onsen right in the river. There are numerous minshukus and ryokan here as well. Hongu is also the home of Hongu-Taisha (one of the three Kumano Sanzan shrines – the other two are Haitama Taisha, in Shingu, and Nachi Jinja, in Katsura–), which is the traditional end of the Omine-san hike.

Karekinada-Kushimoto

This area boasts some of the most spectacular coastline in the entire area. The southernmost tip of Honshu is here and there is some great scuba diving available. Kushimoto is the farthest north that coral reefs grow and Japan’s largest underwater tunnel and underwater observatory provide ideal viewing for those not keen to venture into the water.

Shingu-Dorokyo

More water sports abound in this area. One is the fabulous Kitayama whitewater rafting which is done on traditional Japanese rafts made of wood. Rafters stand on the rafts holding on to handrailings and the long rafts are expertly maneuvered through the waters by Japanese handlers. Its is an exhilarating experience that can be had during the summer months and must be booked in advance. The area boasts one of Japan’s most magnificent gorges that can be viewed from more tame motor boats.

Tachi-Nachikatsura

The most famous part of eastern Wakayama is the Nachi waterfall. It is the largest waterfall in Japan with a height of 133 m and a width of 13 m creating a 10 m deep pool. There are several smaller pools and falls. This area is also good for hiking. Also there is one of the world’s largest whale museums (and if you want you can then head over to Shingu and eat some whale…).

Kumano

Just over the border into Mie is Kumano city. This area has long, wide rocky beaches. The seafood is great here and the worn-away rocky coastline is beautiful. This is also an important area for Chinese herbal medicine (kanpo-yaku).