Shirahama & Kumano Kodo

Shirahama, the Kansai region's seaside hot spring resort with Shirarahama Beach and Sandanbeki, linked with the World Heritage Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route, Kumano Hongu Taisha and Nachi Falls.

Shirahama & Kumano Kodo lies in southern Wakayama Prefecture on the Kii Peninsula, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is the Kansai region's most famous seaside hot spring area and home to the World Heritage "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range." The town of Shirahama is the gateway to Nanki (southern Kii), with the white sands of Shirarahama Beach, the seaside open-air Sakinoyu Onsen, the sea-carved cliffs and rock shelves of Sandanbeki and Senjojiki, sunsets at Engetsu Island and Adventure World all within a few kilometers of each other. Neighboring Tanabe City to the north is the starting point of the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route. The Kumano Sanzan (Three Grand Shrines of Kumano) are spread between mountains and sea: Kumano Hongu Taisha and the giant torii gate at Oyunohara stand in an inland valley about 50 km from Shirahama, near the Tsuboyu bath at Yunomine Onsen and Kawayu Onsen; Kumano Hayatama Taisha is in Shingu at the mouth of the Kumano River; and Nachi Falls, Seiganto-ji Temple and Kumano Nachi Taisha are in Nachikatsuura, about 80 km from Shirahama, where Katsuura Port is renowned for fresh tuna. At the southern tip, Kushimoto has the Hashigui-iwa rock pillars and Cape Shionomisaki, the southernmost point of Honshu. The climate is mild, with frost and snow rare even in winter. Spring and autumn are best for walking the ancient trails, Jul–Aug for swimming in the sea, and winter for hot springs and tuna. Getting there: fly from Tokyo Haneda to Nanki-Shirahama Airport in about 1 hr; or from Shin-Osaka take the JR Kuroshio limited express to Shirahama (about 2.5 hr) or Kii-Katsuura (about 4 hr). Buses around Kumano are infrequent, so renting a car is recommended, or check Ryujin, Meiko and Kumano Kotsu bus timetables in advance. Allow 3–4 days: 1–2 days in Shirahama, 1 day for Hongu and Yunomine, and 1 day for Nachi and Shingu, staying in Katsuura or Yunomine.

Top sights

Shirarahama Beach – The signature beach of Shirahama Onsen, with about 620 m of pure white quartz sand and turquoise sea. It is listed among Japan's 100 Best S…
Adventure World – A theme park that combines a zoo, an aquarium and an amusement park. Sightseeing vehicles take you through the wildlife area, and dolphin a…
Kumano Kodo Nakahechi (Hosshinmon-oji to Hongu) – The most popular half-day walk on the World Heritage Kumano Kodo. It covers about 7 km of forest stone steps and village paths and ends at…
Kumano Hongu Taisha – The head shrine of Japan's more than 3,000 Kumano shrines and the heart of the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano, known for its hinoki-bark-roo…
Sandanbeki Cliffs – Sea cliffs about 50 meters high stretch roughly 2 km along the coast. An elevator takes you down to the caves at the base, where you can wa…
Senjojiki – White sandstone terraces eroded by the waves into layer upon layer, like a thousand tatami mats laid out. A famous sunset spot in Shirahama.
Engetsu Island – A small island in the bay with a round sea-eroded hole at its center. The sunset framed through the circular opening is one of Wakayama's '…
Sakinoyu Onsen – One of Japan's oldest hot springs, reportedly with more than 1,300 years of history. Rock-hewn open-air baths sit right against the Pacific…
Toretore Market – One of the largest seafood markets in western Japan, where tuna is cut on site and you can buy sashimi and sushi, with a self-service barbe…
Kyoto University Shirahama Aquarium – A research-oriented aquarium run by the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory of Kyoto University, displaying about 500 species of invertebrate…
Tokei Shrine – A World Heritage shrine in central Tanabe and an auxiliary shrine of the Kumano Sanzan. Legend says the Kumano naval forces chose their all…
Minabe Bairin Plum Grove – Known as 'a million blossoms in one view, fragrance carried for miles,' this is one of Japan's largest plum groves and the home of Nanko um…
Takijiri-oji Shrine – The entrance into the Kumano sacred domain along the Nakahechi route of the Kumano Kodo, and one of the especially important 'Five-Body Ōji…
Oyunohara – The former site of Kumano Hongu Taisha, with a giant torii about 34 meters tall, one of Japan's largest, standing dramatically amid the ric…
Yunomine Onsen & Tsuboyu – A legendary Kumano hot spring said to be 1,800 years old. The tsuboyu, a small hut by the river, is the only World Heritage bath you can ac…
Kawayu Onsen – Hot springs well up from the riverbed of the Ōtō River. Dig your own pool on the riverbank for a private open-air bath, and in winter a hug…
Doro Gorge – A gorge on the Kitayama River, a tributary of the Kumano River, designated a national Special Place of Scenic Beauty. Emerald still waters…

Where to eat

Kaisen Sushi Toretore Ichiba – Conveyor-belt sushi beside Shirahama's large seafood market, with over a hundred kinds of sushi and local tuna and grou…
Kiraku – A popular seafood restaurant in Shirahama Onsen, famous for its spring and autumn mochi-katsuo sashimi and winter group…
Sushi Kappō Kōzushi – A long-established sushi kappō restaurant in Shirahama Onsen, known for local live-fish nigiri and winter-spring kutsu-…
Fukubishi Kagerou Cafe – The flagship café of Fukubishi, an old Shirahama shop known for its Kagerou pastry, with an ocean-view terrace and fres…

Itineraries

Kumano Kodo: Nakahechi, Hongu & Nachi – Hike the highlights of the World Heritage Nakahechi route, connecting the Kumano Sanzan while staying in hot spring and…
Kii Peninsula Road Trip: Koyasan & Kumano Coast – A scenic drive around the Kii Peninsula, staying in temple lodgings and hot spring resorts, featuring the Kumano Sanzan…