Wakaura seen from the entrance to Wakaura Tenmangu Shrine
Wakaura (和歌浦) Wakaura is the area immediately southwest of Wakayama City, along the west coast of the Kii Peninsula. Known since ancient times for its natural beauty, it became popular with artists and members of the aristocracy during the Nara and Heian periods (710-1185) with Tamatsushima Shrine being a particular favorite.
In time, Wakaura flourished as a port town due to its position at the mouth of the Kinokawa River. The beginning of the Edo Period (1603-1868) brought further prosperity as nearby Wakayama grew into a prosperous castle town governed by one of the main three branches of the ruling Tokugawa family, and it was during this time that several of its best known landmarks like Kishu Toshogu Shrine and the Furo Bridge were constructed.
Looking out to sea from Bandoko Teien
While the shape of its landscape has long since changed beyond recognition and its reputation suffered from heavy development along the coast in the 1970s, still it boasts some very attractive coastal scenery, a pleasant stretch of sandy beach and a number of culturally significant sites.
Easily accessible from central Wakayama City, the area is well suited to a half day of sightseeing at a relaxed pace, however please note that there is no public transportation available between the various sightseeing spots, making a taxi or rental car the ideal way to get around for most visitors.
Attractions around Wakaura
Dotted around the area are a number of attractive temples and shrines, in addition to two gardens connected to the region's feudal history.
Kishu Toshogu Shrine
Hours: 9:00 to 16:30 Closed: No closing days), New Year Admission: 300 yen
Believed to be the first of Japan's Toshogu shrines dedicated to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Kishu Toshogu was built in 1621 by his tenth son Yorinobu, who was lord of Wakayama.
Access to the shrine's sacred precinct is along a wooded path, followed by a steep flight of 108 stone steps known as the Samuraizaka or samurai slope. The main building is known for a series of colorful and elaborately carved murals by members of the famous Kano and Tosa schools of various animals.
Wakaura Tenmangu Shrine
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free
founded in the 10th century, Wakaura Tenmangu is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a poet and courtier who posthumously became the Shinto deity of learning and academic success.
Approached by a steep stone staircase, the shrine offers an impressive view over the bay and its buildings feature relief carvings of cranes, turtles and mythical creatures.
Furo Bridge and Canal
Hours: Always open Admission: Free
Built by the lord of Kishu domain in 1851 when such structures were extremely rare outside of Tokyo, this arched stone bridge was intended to be used exclusively by members of the ruling Tokugawa Clan when visiting nearby Kishu Toshogu Shrine.
Tamatsushima Shrine
Hours: 9:00 to 16:00 Closed: No closing days Admission: Free
Known to have existed since at least 724, this ancient shrine has long been a place of pilgrimage for poets due to its appearance in the oldest collection of Japanese poetry (the Manyoshu), and for one of its three tutelary deities being a goddess of poetry.
The area immediately around the shrine was once connected to the mainland only by a landspit that disappeared with the tide, hence its name meaning Round Harbor Island.
Shiogama Shrine
Hours: 9:00 to 17:30 Closed: No closing days Admission: Free
Originally a place of purification belonging to the nearby Tamatsushima Shrine, this small cave was later used to store a portable shrine used in the annual Hamaori ritual before being made into a shrine itself in 1917.
Bandoko Teien Garden
Hours: 8:30 to 16:00 (April to August), 8:30 to 17:30 (September to March) Closed: No closing days Admission: 600 yen
Once a lookout point where samurai kept watch for foreign ships, this relatively simple garden features a large grassy lawn and many small pine trees, with the Kii Channel, surrounding shore and two small, rocky islands creating a spectacular backdrop.
Yosuien Garden
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (11:00 to 17:00 on January 1) Closed: No closing days Admission: 600 yen)
Completed in 1826 by the 10th lord of Kishu is a medium-to-large sized landscape garden featuring pine trees and various seasonal flowers, arranged around a large central pond. Apart from its size, the pond is rare in that it is directly fed by seawater and changes with the tide.
Kataonami Beach
Hours: Always open
Officially ranked as one of Japan's top 100 swimming beach, Kataonami is an attractive, sandy beach extending around 1,200 meters along the Wakanoura Coast.
Getting there and around
How to get to Wakaura
From either JR Wakayama Station or Nankai Wakayamashi Station, take a local bus bound for Medical University Hospital and get off at Wakaura (20 minutes, 390 yen one way, frequent departures).
Alternatively, from Wakayama Station take a local train on the Kinokuni Line bound for Minoshima and get off at Kimiidera Station (6 minutes, 190 yen, 2-3 departures per hour). From the station, Wakaura's various attractions can be reached in 10-20 minutes by taxi.
