Kada

Located on the coast to the west of Wakayama City, Kada (加太) is a quiet harbor town known for its attractive ocean views, the Awashima Shrine and as the sole access point to the nearby island of Tomogashima. Kada has a very long history and is even mentioned in the Kojiki, Japan's first written record dating to 712. Poems praising the beauty of its coastline can also be found in the Manyoshu, Japan's oldest existing collection of poetry compiled some time after 759.

Apart from its scenery, the town became important as the main crossing point into Shikoku. During the Edo Period (1603-1658), it flourished once again due to the need for regional lords to alternate between living in their home provinces and in Edo, today Tokyo, bringing lords from Shikoku through the town at least twice per year accompanied by large retinues.

Today, one of the town's main draws is its access by ferry to the nearby island of Tomogashima, known for a number of abandoned military facilities left over from the Second World War and earlier.

One of the town's sightseeing spots is Awashima Shrine (淡嶋神社社, Awashima Jinja), a unique shrine located by the sea front a few steps from the Tomogashima Kisen Ferry terminal. Dedicated to a deity associated with women's reproductive health, it is known for its unique festival, held annually on March 3, in which traditional dolls are placed in little boats and floated out to sea.

Arranged in various places around the shrine precinct are thousands of dolls and figurines, sent by their former owners to be ritually burned in ceremonies held throughout the year so as not to risk incurring bad luck by simply throwing them away.