Wakayama Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)

Going to Kansai and discovering a fun place - Wakayama Yacht City. You can enter the Europa Port Park for free and take a variety of beautiful photos on the streets of Europe. In addition, there are playground facilities. In the Kuroshio market, you can watch the disintegration of tuna on the spot, and buy fresh and delicious sushi, plum wine, dessert and other specialties. If time permits, you can also soak in the Kuroshio Hot Springs and relax in the open-air hot springs.

eating seafoods barbecue

yummy and fresh try 😋😋😋

illumination at marina city

small place but you can enjoy it with a rides 😘😘

We took a bus to kimiidera from Wakayamashi station. It took about 35 minutes and dropped us right by the entrance. I like shrines that are built onto the hillside so this one was nice. There are loads of cherry blossom trees around the area that would be excellent during peak season. It is worth a look after you've seen the castle and there are some great views from the top. I also spent some time walking around the hillside graveyard above the shrine. I happen to find Japanese graveyards fascinating and beautiful. #givethanks #givethanks

Wakayama Koyasan: Enjoying the View of Wakanoura Bay During Cherry Blossom Season

The historic Koyasan in Wakayama was founded in 770 by a Chinese monk and is a temple with a long history. The Tokugawa family, which played a significant role in Japan's history, also prayed and worshipped here during their most prosperous times. Climbing up more than 200 steps, you will find many cherry trees planted around. If you come at the right season, this is also one of the earliest places where cherry blossoms bloom, attracting many tourists every year to visit and take photos. Moreover, you can enjoy the beautiful view of the entire Wakanoura Bay.

Kimiidera Temple in Wakayama overlooks the sea and cherry blossoms

Transportation information: Take the JR from Wakayama Station to JR Kimiidera Station, and it's a 15-minute walk from there. Alternatively, you can take a BUS from Wakayama's transportation hub, which takes about 40 minutes. The BUS stops not far from the entrance, just a 3-minute walk away. In Wakayama City, there isn't much to do – it's either Wakayama Castle or this place. Admission is free, but there is a fee for taking the cable car up and down the mountain! It costs 400 yen and takes about 1 minute to reach the top. There are two to three hundred stone steps, which can be somewhat tiring, but it varies from person to person. ❤️ Recommended reason: The temple is halfway up the mountain, and once you arrive, you can overlook the sea, enjoy the mountain full of cherry blossoms and the distant sea, and the sacred torii gate, all in one view, which is pleasing to the eye and delightful 🌸.

Kimi-dera Peace, Love and Sakura

#cherryblossom2024 Golden statue, sakura, pilgrims and the emperor in a magnificent temple The Kimii-dera Temple was founded in 770. It is a stunning example of Buddhist architecture with a sparkling red facade that stands out against the greenery of the mountain landscape. It is believed that it was visited by emperors, so it occupies an important place in the list of attractions of Wakayama Prefecture. It is interesting Sakura begins to bloom very early in the sanctuary It is the second temple on Japan's oldest pilgrimage route How to get there The temple can be reached on foot from Kimiidera Station on the Kisei Line. Kimiidera Station is a couple of stops from Wakayama Station. Early flowering If you arrive in early spring, marvel at the bright blanket of petals from over 500 magical sakura trees. Pale pink flowers on the background of a bright red temple and dark trunks are very impressive. Amazing photos can be taken here. Magnificent view of the Vacanura Bay The main hall is reached by a staircase of almost 200 steps. The reward will be a stunning view of the Vacanura Bay. This landscape has inspired poets and writers for centuries. It is especially beautiful here at sunset. The Main hall You can visit it for a small fee. There are works of Buddhist art included in the cultural heritage list. Its territory, on which there are majestic statues and an ancient camphor tree grows, also breathes history. The Gilded Goddess In 2008, the largest standing wooden statue was completed and installed — the multi-armed goddess of mercy Kannon, who greets visitors with beauty and serenity.

A bit pricy but worth going - Fish Market at Wakayama

One of the most visited tourist spot at Wakayama, Kuroshio Market. It is cleaner and tidier than that at Osaka, which made us feel more comfortable. There are separated stalls which sell sashimi, skewers, sushi, juices and drinks, etc. We grabbed some sushi including scallop and tuna, and also a bowl of sashimi rice with different parts of tuna. Also some eel&egg and shrimp skewers, and last but not least local mandarin juice, which is one of the must drink. The shrimp was bad as they were very overcooked due to prolonged heating, but the rest were fine. We also enjoyed the tuna cutting show. The market is surrounded by a fruit market, an amusement park so you can visit multiple places at the same time.

When I went to the Kuroshio market in Wakayama with my friends, there was a Europa theme park next to the Kuroshio market. The place was not very big, but it was indeed the feeling of a European town. If you don't have a weekend, you can't basically see any tourists. It's a good choice to take a photo. The landscape is relatively small, but you can also take some good scenes. However, it is a pity that basically many houses are not allowed to enter, just decorative, less fun to play. But after eating and drinking in the Kuroshio market, its a good choice to take a photo in the past. By the way, there is a regular tuna dismantling performance in the Kuroshio market, please don't miss it! ( )

Visiting the Cat Stationmaster | Wakayama Electric Railway

🚎 The Wakayama Electric Railway is a local railway that connects Wakayama Station in Wakayama City with Kishi Station in Kinokawa City. It is the first private railway in Japan to have a cat stationmaster. === === === === === === === === === 🔻 After entering the platform, you will see signs with illustrations of the cat stationmaster 'Tama'. The walls are adorned with various poses of calico cats, and the steps also have cat paw prints. 🔻 This time at Kishi, I met the new stationmaster 'Yontama', and there is also 'Nitama' who is the second-generation cat stationmaster. The first-generation stationmaster 'Tama' has passed away in 2015. They are all calico cats. 🔻 I took the Tama train directly this time, which is the famous cat-faced train. The interior of the train is quite retro and chic, with all-wooden decorations, different patterns on the seat cushions, cat-shaped lights, and a cabinet with Doraemon inside. 🔻 Kishi Station is very small, with a museum cafe inside that tells the history of the cat stationmasters. Next to it is a souvenir shop with lots of cat-related merchandise. 🔻 Kishi is actually quite a rural place, and there's not much to see once you leave the station. Watching high school students ride their bikes home, I also realized that my journey was coming to an end. === === === === === === === === === 🚎 Transportation 🔻 Wakayama Station, Platform 9 'Wakayama Electric Railway', heading to Kishi Station. 🔻 Transportation cards cannot be used, similar to taking a bus, get a numbered ticket when boarding, and pay cash according to the fare when alighting. 🔻 You can buy a 'Wakayama Electric Railway One-Day Pass' for 800 yen for unlimited rides. 🔻 The 'Ise Kumano Wakayama Tour Pass' also allows unlimited rides on the Wakayama Electric Railway.

Tomogashima Steamship

Tomogashima is a group of uninhabited islands off the coast of Wakayama, consisting of Jinoshima, Torashima, and Okinoshima. It is part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park. The main island, Okinoshima, is a popular spot for local excursions, picnics, and camping. However, the reason that attracts tourists to make a special trip here lies hidden in the forests: the red-brick military ruins. During World War II, Tomogashima served as a defensive fortress for Osaka Bay. After the war, as the military withdrew, it gradually became an uninhabited island ruin. To this day, it still retains abandoned military relics, including the remains of five gun batteries, ammunition warehouses, and soldiers' barracks. Some of the structures that are safe can be freely visited, naturally attracting military enthusiasts from home and abroad to make a pilgrimage. However, because the facilities are covered by forests, the red-brick structures are dilapidated, and overgrown with weeds, the photos taken are strikingly similar to Laputa from the anime master Hayao Miyazaki's 'Castle in the Sky', thus gradually becoming the most famous check-in hotspot in Wakayama City. To go to Tomogashima, one can take a ferry from Kada for about 20 minutes to reach the island. On the island, there are campsites at Minamitarui Square, Kitatarui Square, and Ikejiri Square. However, those who are not camping should pay attention to the ferry schedule. The last ferry from Tomogashima usually departs at 4:30 p.m. If you miss it, you will have to stay on the island all night. Be sure to check the ferry schedule before boarding the island. Tomogashima Steamship (友嶋汽船) Address: Tomogashima-bound boarding area, Kada, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture