Stand on the grounds of Wakayama Castle and the city opens out below you: the rooftops, the Kinokawa plain, and on a clear day the water of Wakanoura to the south. It is a quiet castle, without the crowds that queue for the reconstructions in Osaka, and that quiet is the point.
Wakayama suits travellers who have already done the big Japanese cities and want a slower day of shrines, gardens and hot springs, with a coastline and a set of islands within easy reach of the station. It rewards people who are happy to walk from a bus stop and take things as they come.
This guide covers the three shrines south of the city, the castle area, the Kada coast, the Wakanoura shoreline and the onsen baths where you can end the day.
Top things to do in Wakayama
1. Wakayama Castle
Wakayama is best known for its castle, and it is the natural first stop. It is a partial reconstruction, having suffered bomb damage during the war, but it is far less commercial than comparable castles elsewhere, and it is usually very peaceful. From inside you get a good view of the city, and there are small exhibits showing some of the castle's understated history.
Get off at the Shiyakusho-mae bus stop. Entry to the castle is ¥400 for adults and ¥200 for children. There is a zoo within the castle grounds, which the source material describes as a depressing experience best avoided.
2. Momijidani Teien (Garden)
A garden in the castle area, reached from the same Shiyakusho-mae bus stop, and free to enter. It opens daily from 09:00 to 17:00. Because it sits beside the castle, it pairs naturally with a castle visit in the same morning or afternoon.
Its name refers to maple leaves, so it is worth timing your visit to the season when the trees carry colour.
3. The Koshoan
A tea house in the castle area, also served by the Shiyakusho-mae bus stop. It is open daily from 09:00 to 16:30, and Japanese green tea with sweets costs ¥460.
This is the obvious place to sit down between the castle and the garden, and the closing time of 16:30 means it is better suited to a mid-afternoon stop than an evening one.
4. Hinokuma Jingu / Kunikakasu Jingu
This shrine is equivalent to Ise Grand Shrine and is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. It is popularly known as Nichizengu, and it has two shrines within its grounds.
It is a five minutes' walk from Nichizengu station, which makes it straightforward to combine with other stops along the same line.
5. Kimii-dera
A temple in the Wakanoura area of the city. You can reach it by getting off at JR Kimiidera Station and walking fifteen minutes, or by getting off at the Kimiidera bus stop and walking five minutes.
The bus stop option is the shorter approach, so it is worth checking which suits your route before setting out.
6. Kishu Toshogu (Shrine)
A shrine in the Wakanoura area, beside the Gongen-mae bus stop. It sits in the same part of the city as Kimii-dera, so the two can be visited on the same outing.
Plan the Wakanoura sights together rather than making separate trips, since they share a bus corridor.
7. Wakanoura (Imoseyama / Tamatsushima-jinja (Shrine) / Furobashi (Bridge))
The Wakanoura shoreline groups Imoseyama, Tamatsushima-jinja and Furobashi, and is reached from the Tamatsushima Shrine bus stop. Furobashi, the bridge, has its own stop beside it.
Treat this as a walk rather than a single sight: the shrine, the hill and the bridge are the components of one stretch of coast.
8. Yosuien / Minato Goten (Palace)
A garden and palace in Nishihama, reached from the Yosuien-mae bus stop. It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, and entry is ¥600.
It sits in the Wakanoura part of the city, so it fits into the same day as the shrine and bridge walk.
9. Bandoko-Teien (Garden)
A garden at Saikazaki, reached from the Saikazakiyuen bus stop. It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, and entry is ¥500.
Like Yosuien, it belongs to the Wakanoura group of sights and is best combined with them rather than visited on its own.
10. Awashima-jinja (Shrine)
A shrine in the Kada area. Take the Nankai train and get off at Kada Station, then walk fifteen minutes.
Kada is a separate trip from the city centre, so give it its own half-day and pair it with the Kada onsen baths listed below.
11. Tomogashima islands
The islands off Kada. The source material notes that they are said to look like the setting of Castle in the Sky, the 1986 animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
They are reached from the Kada area, so combine them with Awashima-jinja and the Kada baths in a single excursion.
12. Kada Kasuga-jinja (Shrine)
A shrine at 1342 Kada, in the same coastal area as Awashima-jinja and the Kada onsen baths.
Since it shares the Kada location, it slots into the same half-day without extra travel.
13. Wakayama Marina City
Wakayama Marina City is where you can watch a tuna cutting show at Kuroshio Market. The market is at 1527 Kemi, open 10:00 to 17:00, and can be reached from Wakayama Station by bus in roughly thirty minutes.
Kinokuni Fruit Village is also part of the Marina City complex. The bus journey makes this a half-day rather than a quick stop.
14. Kiifudoki no Oka
Megalithic tombs, or tumuli, of the Ki clan. It is open daily from 09:00 to 18:30, with last entry to the museum at 16:00, and entry is ¥190.
Note the museum's earlier last entry when planning your arrival. The Hanayama Onsen Yakushi no Yu bath is reached by the same Kifudoki no Oka direction bus from JR Wakayama Station, so the two can be paired.
15. Itakiso Jinja Shrine
Dedicated to Itakeru no Mikoto, also known as Izanagi, who is recorded in the Nihon Shoki as having travelled the country planting trees. He is revered as the god of trees, and the shrine receives many visitors from the timber industry. In the Kojiki he is recorded as Oho Yabiko no Kami, and is written as having saved the life of the great deity Okuninushi when he encountered disaster, so the shrine is also believed to be a god of life and a god of disaster avoidance, with visitors coming to pray for healing from illness and protection against misfortune.
It is a five minutes' walk from Idakiso station, which places it on the same line as the other shrines south of the city.
16. Kamayama Jinja Shrine
Dedicated to Hikoitsusenomikoto, Emperor Jimmu's eldest brother. During the pacification of Yamato he fought the army of Nagamochi Hiko at Kugayaga Hill, was injured by a stray arrow, died at Osuimon and was buried in the land of Kamayama; the shrine stands on that historical site. It is listed in the Engishiki's list of deities as Kamayama Shrine in Kii Province, Nagusa District, and has long received offerings from the government.
It is a fifteen minutes' walk from Kamayama station. The walk is the longest of the three shrines, so allow for it.
17. Eiunji
A temple at 3-1-66 Fukiage, and the site of Masatake Fujibayashi's tomb. He wrote the Shōninki, a medieval ninja document from Kishū province.
This is a specific stop for anyone following the ninja connection rather than a general sight, so build it into a route rather than making a special journey.
18. Wakayama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art / Museum
The prefectural museum of modern art and museum, in the city. It is an indoor option for a wet or very hot day.
Check locally for what is on before you go, as the source material does not give opening times or admission details.
19. Kada Awashima Onsen Osakaya Hiina no Yu
A drop-in bath at 142 Kada, open daily 11:00 to 14:30 and 15:00 to 19:00. A drop-in bath with towel is ¥900 for adults and ¥500 for children, with bath towel rental at ¥200 and a private bath for forty-five minutes at ¥3,150.
It is roughly twenty minutes from Kada Station by train or bus, which makes it the natural end to a Kada day.
20. Wakayama Kada Onsen Kada Kaigetsu
A bath at 1905 Kada, available for bathing only from 11:00 to 15:00, with last entry at 14:30. Bath only with bath towel rental is ¥1,200 for adults and ¥700 for children, and a lunch plan with bath starts from ¥3,675.
The early last entry means this is a lunchtime stop, not an evening one.
21. Natural Onsen Nishihama Goten no Yu Yu-bath Wakayama Branch
At 20 Minato, open daily 06:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:00. Onsen bathing is ¥780 for adults and ¥400 for children; general bathing is ¥420 for the large public bath only, with towel rental at ¥50 and bath towel rental at ¥100.
It is three minutes on foot from the Kaobashi bus stop on the Wakayama Bus Shin-wakanoura route, so it fits neatly after the Wakanoura sights.
22. Natural Wakanoura Onsen Manpa Manyo no Yu
At 2-10 Shinwakaura, with drop-in bathing from 11:00 to 15:00. Drop-in bath with towel rental is ¥1,400 for adults, there is a charge for bath towels, meals come with a discount, and a private bath for fifty minutes is ¥3,990.
It is two minutes on foot from the Shin-waka Yuen bus stop, again on the Wakanoura bus corridor.
23. Nagomi Nukumori Fukuro no Yu
In the basement of Fortewajima, 2-1 honmachi, open daily 10:00 to 24:00 with last entry at 23:00. Bath is ¥1,000 for adults including towels or bath towels and ¥500 for children including a bath towel; the rock bath is adults only at ¥1,300, and bath plus rock bath is adults only at ¥1,650.
It is a quick walk from the Honmachi 2-chome bus stop, and the late closing makes it the most flexible option if you are finishing the day in the city centre.
24. Hanayama Onsen Yakushi no Yu
At 574 Narukami, open daily 08:00 to 23:00. Bath is ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for children, with a discount after 17:00 to ¥600 for adults and ¥300 for children. A bath with the Hanayama Kaiseki course is ¥5,250, and a Tebura set including a small towel and rental bath towel is ¥350, with the small towel yours to keep.
Take the Wakayama Bus in the Kifudoki no Oka direction from JR Wakayama Station and get off at the Akizuki bus stop, which makes it a good pairing with Kiifudoki no Oka.
25. Kimiidera Onsen Hana no Yu Garden Hotel Hayashi
At 673 Kimiidera, open daily 11:00 to 22:00. Bath only is ¥800 for adults and ¥400 for children, and a book of six tickets is ¥4,000.
It is about five minutes on foot from JR Kimiidera Station, so it works well after a visit to Kimii-dera.
26. Kishu Kuroshio Onsen
At 1525 Kemi, open daily 10:00 to 24:00 with last entry at 23:00. Bath is ¥830 for adults and ¥520 for children, or ¥1,000 and ¥600 with towel rental.
It is about fifteen minutes by Wakayama Bus Marina City, which places it next to Wakayama Marina City and the Kuroshio Market.
27. Kada-Awashima Onsen, Pension Fujiya, Aburi no Yu
A bath at 200 Kada, about twenty minutes from Kada Station by train or bus.
It belongs to the same Kada cluster as Awashima-jinja and the other Kada baths, so choose one bath for the day rather than trying to fit in several.
28. Strawberry Picking
Fruit picking is one of the activities the area is known for, and strawberries are the crop listed. It is a seasonal activity rather than a year-round one.
Ask locally about what is in season during your visit before building a day around it.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Wakayama Castle, getting off at the Shiyakusho-mae bus stop, and take in the view over the city and the small exhibits inside. Stay in the castle area for Momijidani Teien, which is free and opens at 09:00, and finish the morning with green tea and sweets at The Koshoan, which closes at 16:30.
Afternoon. Move to the Wakanoura area and visit Kimii-dera, using the Kimiidera bus stop for the shorter five-minute walk, then continue to Kishu Toshogu beside the Gongen-mae bus stop. Walk the Wakanoura shoreline at Imoseyama, Tamatsushima-jinja and Furobashi, and if time allows add Yosuien or Bandoko-Teien, both open until 17:00.
Evening. End with a bath. Natural Onsen Nishihama Goten no Yu Yu-bath Wakayama Branch takes last entry at 16:00, so if you are running later, choose Nagomi Nukumori Fukuro no Yu in honmachi, which stays open until 24:00 with last entry at 23:00.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Wakayama Castle?
Get off at the Shiyakusho-mae bus stop. Entry to the castle is ¥400 for adults and ¥200 for children.
Which shrines are worth visiting outside the city centre?
Hinokuma Jingu / Kunikakasu Jingu is five minutes' walk from Nichizengu station, Itakiso Jinja Shrine is five minutes' walk from Idakiso station, and Kamayama Jinja Shrine is fifteen minutes' walk from Kamayama station.
Can I visit an onsen without staying overnight?
Yes. Several baths offer drop-in bathing, including Kada Awashima Onsen Osakaya Hiina no Yu, Wakayama Kada Onsen Kada Kaigetsu, Natural Wakanoura Onsen Manpa Manyo no Yu and Nagomi Nukumori Fukuro no Yu. Check the bathing hours before you go, as some finish in the mid-afternoon.
What is there to do in the Kada area?
Awashima-jinja is fifteen minutes on foot from Kada Station, Kada Kasuga-jinja is at 1342 Kada, and the Tomogashima islands are reached from the same area. The Kada onsen baths make a natural end to the visit.
Decide which of the three shrine clusters and which stretch of coast you want most, check the bus stops against your route, and start planning your days in Wakayama.