Wakayama Prefecture is located on the Kii Peninsula, the largest peninsula in Japan, in the Kansai region which is also home to Osaka and Kyoto. The estimated population of Wakayama prefecture is 1 million. The prefectural capital is Wakayama City. Wakayama has a warm climate and abundant nature, and produces more fruit (including mandarin oranges, Japanese persimmons, and an apricot like fruit ‘ume’) than anywhere else in Japan. It also has thriving farming, fishing, and forestry industries, including fresh seafood such as tuna as well as skipjack tuna, often grilled and used extensively in many Japanese dishes as a stock.
Wakayama Prefecture is also one of Japan’s famous hot springs areas. Many hot springs are located near mountains, rivers, and the ocean, and are visited by many tourists.
Koyasan, the Kumano Sanzan (Three Grand Shrines of Kumano), and the pilgrimage routes that connect them were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 7th July, 2004, and are also famous tourist attractions.
Koyasan
At Koyasan, visitors can experience the beauty of natural Japan and the four seasons in the clear mountain air. The grand scale of temples and shrines that sit at the peak creates an astonishing ascetic ambience that will make you feel like you have stumbled upon a totally different world. The religious site of Koyasan, located 1,000 meter above sea level at the peak of the mountain, has 1,200 years of history.
The mysterious Koyasan, the three temples and shrines established at the foot of the mountain (Jisonin Temple, Niukanshobu Shrine, and Niutsuhime Shrine) and the Koyasan Choishimichi (Stone Marker Path) that connects them are designated as a World Heritage Site. Within the mountain are 117 temples, about half of which have shukubo (pilgrims’ lodgings).
If you wish, you can stay at one of these shukubo and enjoy shojin ryori (vegetarianBuddhist cuisine), experience early morning scripture readings with Buddhist priests, and take part in other Buddhist traditions such as copying sutras or “ajikan” meditation, all of which lead you from the earthly world to the spiritual world and make your journey to Koyasan even more profound.
Convenient rental audio guides are available at the information centre that provide easy-to-understand historical explanations for 103 points of interest in English
Kumano area
Known as the “holy ground where the gods dwell” since ancient times, Kumano is the home of many legends and stories that have been passed down through generations. Influenced by Buddhism during the Heian period (794-1192), the Kumano region came to be known as the “Pure Land” or “pure world where Buddha dwells.” Pilgrimages to this area were often made by the imperial family and aristocrats from the 10th century onwards. This practice eventually spread amongst the common people, and became widely known as the “ant processions to Kumano.” Thereafter, the Kumano faith spread across the nation, and as a result there are about 3,000 Kumano Shrines in Japan today. Wakayama prefecture is one of the most attractive area in Japan where you can feel the history of ancient times. Please see below for more information!
Web;
http://www.wakayama-kanko.or.jp/world/english/index.html
