The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails start here, threading through mountains to ancient shrines. The coastline is dramatic. Shirahama's white sand beach sits beside onsen that have been flowing for 1,300 years. Wakayama is also home to Koyasan, the mountaintop monastery where you sleep among the monks.
What Wakayama is known for
Top-rated in Wakayama
Ogumotori-goe Jizo-do Hall
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The Jizo-do Hall is home to 32 statues of the bodhisattva Jizo, who is said to watch over travelers.
Okunoin
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Koya-san's Okunoin is Japan's largest cemetery and one of its most sacred sites.
Tamaki Shrine
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Tamaki Shrine sits at the summit of Mt. Tamaki at 1,076 meters in the Kii Mountains and is believed to have been founded in 37 BCE during the reign of Emperor Sujin.
Tsugizakura-oji
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Kumano Kodo shrine famous for its massive, ancient cedar trees and pure natural spring.
Kumano-Kodo Nakahechi Route (Chikatsuyu-Oji - Kobiro-Oji Section)
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The classic, misty mountain hiking trail of the ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrimage.
Nachi Falls
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Japan's tallest single-drop waterfall at 133m, worshipped alongside a vermilion pagoda for 1,000 years.
Kumano Hongu Taisha
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The spiritual heart of the Kumano Kodo, known for its austere architecture and massive torii gate.
Kumano Nachi Taisha
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Mountain shrine offering iconic views of a pagoda framed by Japan's tallest waterfall.