Must-see attractions · Kumano and Katsuura
11 attractions with a verified description
Nachi · Free
One of the three grand shrines of Kumano, on the mountain, with a three-legged crow (Yatagarasu) as its symbol. The shrine grounds are free, the treasure hall is ¥300. It is next to the waterfall, and it is a blend of Shinto and Buddhism.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Nachi · Nature
The tallest waterfall in Japan in a single drop, 133 meters, which is itself the deity of Hiryu Shrine. The shrine at its foot is free, the close viewing platform is ¥300. You drink the sacred water from a cup for ¥100.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: 玄史生 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Hongu · Free
The head shrine of the three Kumano shrines, in the forest, in a plain unpainted wooden building. Free. 158 steps along an avenue of cedars, and at the information office next to it you get the Kumano Kodo pilgrim passport stamped.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tim Notari from Tanabe-Shi Wakayama-Ken, Japan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Hongu · Free
The largest torii gate in the world, 34 meters, in black steel, standing on the spot where the shrine stood until a flood swept it away in 1889. Free. You stand under it and it fills your whole field of view.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Yanajin33 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Shingu · Free
The third of the three shrines, in Shingu near the river mouth, in bright vermilion. Free. In the courtyard is a 1,000-year-old nagi tree, whose leaves are considered a protective charm for pilgrims.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Tetsuhiro Terada / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Kumano · Free
A thousand-year-old network of pilgrimage trails in the Kii Mountains, a World Heritage site together with the Camino de Santiago. Free. The Nakahechi section from Takijiri to Hongu is the classic one, and takes two days with a night in a village.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Gohachiyasu1214 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kumano · Free
600 meters of 267 moss-covered stone steps in the forest, the famous section of the Kumano Kodo trail, with a pair of 800-year-old cedars at the entrance. Free. You can rent Heian-period pilgrim clothes for photos (¥3,000).
Price checked September 2026
Nachi · Free
A red three-story pagoda next to Nachi Shrine, with the waterfall behind it: the photo identified with Kumano. The grounds are free, and going up the pagoda is ¥500. It is at its most beautiful in the morning, when the light comes from the side.
Price checked September 2026
Katsuura · Food
The largest tuna port in Japan, where the fish are never frozen. The auction is at 07:00 with a free viewing deck, and tuna bowls at the restaurants by the market cost ¥1,500 to ¥2,500. The auction and the deck are free, and ¥2,000 is an estimate of spending on a bowl.
Shingu · Free
A shrine on a cliff above Shingu, reached by 538 very steep stone steps from the 12th century, with a giant rock at the top (Gotobiki-iwa) that is considered the place where the gods came down. Free, with a view of the sea at the end.
Price checked September 2026
Onsen · Wakayama, Nachi-Katsuura
A huge hotel on a cliff, famous for the Bokido bath: a natural cave open to the sea, where you sit in the hot water while the waves break a
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