Wakayama – From the Sea to The Mountains | 3-Day Trip

Wakayama – From the Sea to The Mountains | 3-Day Trip

From the beautiful ocean to sacred 
mountains, Wakayama is an underrated gem and a less traveled destination compared 
to its neighboring Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. On this 3-day trip I’ll be exploring the 
highlights of Wakayama City before walking along a pilgrimage route to Koyasan 
and staying overnight at a temple. So join me, Raina Ong, as I go on a journey 
through Wakayama from the sea to the mountains. Day 1 I take the Kuroshio limited express train to 
Wakayama City. Arriving at Wakayama Station,  we head to Wakayama Castle and explore the grounds. Then, we’ll take a taxi to the coast to visit Bandoko Garden. We carry on to visit a few shrines in the Wakaura district before taking a taxi back to central Wakayama 
to have dinner not far from our accommodation. Public transport like trains, local buses, rental bicycles, taxis and sightseeing taxis are available to get around in Wakayama City, I start first with Wakayama 
Castle in the city center. Wakayama served as the seat of the Kishu Tokugawa clan, one of the three major branches of the ruling Tokugawa family. They ruled from Wakayama Castle for two and a half centuries until the end of the feudal age in 1868. This bridge over here connects the feudal lords 
living and workspace with his relaxation area over here. Now as you can see there are walls 
and a roof which provide protection against wind and rain as well as privacy as you cannot 
see how’s using the bridge from the outside. Views of Wakayama City can be seen 
from the top of the castle and even the islands of Shikoku and 
Awaji when the weather is good. From the castle, I make my way to Bandoko Garden. During the feudal period, local lords had 
to defend from intruders attacking from the sea, and built several lookout 
points, which are called bandoko, along the coast. The lookout point that Bandoko Garden sits on is the closest to Wakayama Castle and an 
important one to signal for intruders. Today, the flat headland is a 
beautiful garden where visitors can enjoy panoramic coastal views, go 
fishing and rent cabanas for barbecues. Moving on, I head to the area 
affectionately referred to as Wakaura, which has long been known 
as a place of scenic beauty. In addition to the panoramic coastal views, 
several historical shrines have gained prominence since their establishments. One of them is Wakaura Tenmangu Shrine. As the seat of Kishu Tokugawa clan, Wakayama 
City is naturally also home to a Toshogu Shrine. There are several dozens of 
Toshogu shrines found across Japan, all dedicated to the spirit of Tokugawa 
Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. These steps behind me are known as the Samurai-zaka. 
There are 108 of them which correspond to the number of worldly passions of man, like hate, 
anger and desire. Now it is said that with each step you take, you lose one worldly passion, and thus you arrive at the top clean and pure. The shrine’s main buildings feature intricate 
carvings and vibrant colors, earning Kishu Toshogu the nickname “Nikko of the West” due to its 
resemblance to the Nikko Toshogu Shrine near Tokyo. From Kishu Toshogu, I make 
my way towards the water. Historically, visitors will come 
here to Shiogama Shrine first to cleanse and purify themselves before 
continuing on to Tamatsushima Shrine Shiogama Shrine is a unique shrine built 
into a boulder on the grounds of the adjacent Tamatsushima Shrine, and has long been the 
protector of fishermen and safe childbirth. After my exploration of Wakaura, I return to 
downtown Wakayama for dinner. There are a lot of dining options in the vicinity of my hotel 
and Wakayama Station. I head to Chihiro,  an elegant kaiseki restaurant specializing 
in seasonal cuisine and local ingredients. For dinner tonight I’m having the Kishu 
Tokugawa Ke Kensho ryori. Which is a meal that was served to the feudal lord. Now this version has ingredients that are local to Wakayama, and the flavors have been updated 
to suit the modern palette. So far I like this, and this 
and this. I live everything. I am ready to call it a day after dinner, and 
I’m so glad my hotel is only a short walk away. Oyasumi Day 2 We take a taxi to the town of Kudoyama at the base 
of a sacred mountain to visit Jisoin Temple and a rest stop. Then continue with a train ride to 
Kii-Hosokawa station from where we’ll hike part of the Choishimichi pilgrimage trail to Koyasan 
and spend the night at the Rengejo-in Temple. My second day begins with a 45 
minute taxi ride to Kudoyama, a historical town at the base 
of the mountain temple Koyasan. Sightseeing taxis, in which the driver makes a few stops along 
the way for a fixed price, are also available. In 817, Kobo Daishi, the 
founder of Shingon Buddhism, set up Koyasan as a monastery for Buddhist 
studies and meditation. As a monastery,  the temple was off-limits to women, and 
his mother, who wanted to see the temple he established, had to settle instead in 
Kudoyama at the bottom of the mountain. Jisonin Temple is dedicated to Kobo Daishi’s 
mother, and worshippers come here to pray for a safe childbirth or anything relating to having 
children or parenthood. Now this building over here is the start of the Choishimich 
pilgrimage trail, which is one of the original trails that leads up to mount Koya. It takes about 6-7 hours to hike all the way  up Koyasan from Jisonin Temple, but more on that later as I plan to hike a part of it. From the temple, I return to the main street and head for Michinoeki Kudoyama. A rest area where visitors can stop to recharge with 
local specialties, and use the public facilities. I continue on my journey walking 
towards Kudoyama Station, from where I will take the train to Kii 
Hosokawa Station, the start of my hike. This part of the Choishimichi trail is more suitable for regular travelers and takes about 2-3 hours. Starting from Kii Hosokawa Station, 
it takes about 40 minutes to reach the trail. This is where the trail from the 
station meets the Choishimichi route, and where the 60th marker is. Now, there’re only 59 to go before we reach Koyasan. These stone markers are known as Choishi. Cho is a unit of measurement which is equivalent 
to 109 meters, while Ishi means stone, so these stone markers are placed in 
intervals of 109 meters along the route. They also represent the five 
elements. We got space at the top, followed by wind, fire, water and earth. The Daimon gate marks the 
traditional entrance to Koyasan, and it is a welcome sight 
to know that I have arrived. In addition to hiking to Koyasan, 
one of the ways to fully experience the mountain temple is to stay 
overnight at a temple lodging. Staying at a temple lodging or Shukubo allows 
you to experience the simple lifestyle of Buddhist monks, and eating Buddhist 
vegetarian cuisine is one of them. Day 3 We explore Koyasan, Starting with Okunoin, 
one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in Japan. Then the central temple complex before heading home. Ohayogozaimasu, it’s just before 6am and I’m going 
to join the morning prayers before breakfast. Monk speaks during morning prayers This is the traditional entrance to Okunoin, 
one of the most sacred places in Japan. Now, It is about a two kilometer walk 
from here to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum, where the founder of Shingon is 
said to be in eternal meditation. The Gobyobashi bridge leads to the 
innermost sanctuary of Okunoin, and this is the furthest our footage of the area goes as 
photography is not permitted on sacred grounds. Following Okunoin, I make my way to Kongobuji 
and the Garan, Koyasan’s central temple complex. I am in the Garan, the area where Kobo Daishi 
first established his temple on Koyasan. Now the Konpon Daito or the two storied pagoda 
you can see behind me is a reconstruction but is as it was when it first was 
constructed. Look how massive it is. Having fulfilled my spiritual side, it was time 
to head back home. From the sea to the mountains, it has indeed been a fulfilling trip to Wakayama 
immersing myself in history and culture. Thanks for joining me. I hope this 
video has been enjoyable and perhaps even inspires some ideas, should you 
decide to plan a trip to Wakayama. For more information about this 
trip or to watch another video, click the links on the screen now, 
or head over to japan-guide.com, your comprehensive, up-to-date, travel 
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Read more about Wakayama: https://www.japan-guide.com/ad/wakayama-coast-to-mountain/

Wakayama, with its beautiful ocean and sacred mountains, is an underrated gem and a less-traveled destination compared to the neighboring cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. On this trip, I spent three days, beginning in the coastal prefectural city and traveling inland to Koyasan, a sacred mountain retreat.

*Video Credits*
Host & Narrator: Raina Ong
Videographer: Thomas Roennlund
Producer: Stefan Schauwecker
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*Chapters*
00:00 Intro
00:47 Day 1
01:36 Osaka to Wakayama
01:45 Wakayama Castle
03:17 Bandoko Garden
04:32 Wakaura Shrines
06:52 Dinner at Chihiro
07:49 Day 2
08:33 Kudoyama
08:53 Jisonin Temple
09:40 Kudoyama Roadside Station
10:20 Choishi Michi trail
11:43 Koyasan
11:43 Rengejo-in Temple
14:31 Okunoin Temple
15:38 Garan
16:20 Outro