Best around Kumano Kodo, Shingu, Shirahama Spot List

Introduces Kumano’s world heritage sites

The popular open-air bath looks out across the beach

View the world six meters below the water surface

The spectacular views of the enormous rocks will impress you

A beautiful attraction associated with the legendary Kobo Daishi

The head Kumano shrine where various Kumano deities are worshiped

A large rock protruding into the ocean

Handmade cuisine prepared by the proprietress. Reservations are required for the highly popular Kodo Bento lunch boxes

Formerly Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, this shrine is located on the grounds where Kumano’s three deities descended

Immerse yourself in the ambiance of Mount Nachi

Located in a town famous for its tuna, this hotel specializes in preparing some of the country’s best tuna

The first of 33 temples on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, Seiganto-ji is an ever-popular destination for worshipers

Enjoy a sweeping view of the sea at Shirahama

The serene atmosphere and space provide a leisurely onsen experience for travelers

Enjoy a meal with brown rice in an traditional Japanese-style home

Exquisite hamburg steak made from domestic boar

This observation deck lies at the southern tip of Shionomisaki. The seventh and eighth floors, which are 100 meters above sea level, are observation galleries, commanding a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean. On a fine day, the vista even takes in the distant Mt. Nachi. On entering the deck, you'll receive a certificate for visiting the southernmost point of Japan's main island as proof of your visit to Shionomisaki. The grasslands at the tip of the cape, called “Boro no Shiba,” stretch out over 100,000 square meters. A restaurant there serves a variety of dishes using locally sourced ingredients.

A festival of fire unfolds at Nachi Falls

The starting point for the World Heritage Kumano Kodo, offering services that help visitors travel with confidence.

This is a specialty restaurant serving meharizushi (rice balls wrapped in pickled takana (leaf mustard greens)), which is a local specialty that passes down a simple traditional taste to the modern day. This restaurant’s meharizushi is characterized by the rice containing chopped stalks of takana, which is marinated in the special secret sauce. The rice is then wrapped in a large takana leaf. Popular menu items include a pack of four meharizushi (560 JPY) and a sample set containing meharizushi, kushikatsu (deep-fried skewer of meat) and tonjiru (miso soup with pork and vegetables) (1,300 JPY). The meharizuke-making set (1,890 JPY), where you can make your own meharizushi, is an ideal souvenir.