Festivals & Events

Spring

Hina Nagashi

The Hina Festival is a traditional Japanese event for girls in which people imbue dolls called “hina” with their wishes for the healthy growth of their children. Each year, a stately ceremony called “Hina Nagashi” is held on March 3. People write their wishes on the hina dolls, place the dolls on boats, and allow them to drift out into the spring ocean. The dolls, which are dressed in scarlet and yellow kimono, sway beautifully on the open sea that glitters in the sunlight.

 

Date	March 3
Location	Awashima Shrine
Contact information	Awashima Shrine, telephone: +81-(0)73-459-0043
Location	10 minutes by foot from Nankai Kada Station

 

Cherry blossom viewing

Cherry blossoms serve as a symbol of Japan and bloom from late March until early April. Approximately 600 cherry trees bloom inside the Wakayama Castle grounds, which are full of the faintly sweet fragrance of cherry during the season when the trees are in full blossom. The trees at Wakayama Castle are lit up at night, creating truly magical and exceptional scenery. Kimiidera Temple, which is known as a spot where the cherry blossoms flower early, and Heisogen Park, located in Shirahama, are also recommended.

 

Date	Late March-early April
Location	Wakayama Castle, Kimiidera Temple, and Heisogen Park
Contact information	Wakayama Castle, telephone: +81-(0)73-435-1044 (Wakayama Castle Management Office) Kimiidera Temple, telephone: +81-(0)73-444-1002 Heisogen Park (Shirahama Town Tourism Department), telephone: +81-(0)739-43-5555
Access	Wakayama Castle: take the Wakayama Bus from JR Wakayama Station and get off at Koen-mae; Wakayama Castle is a short walk away Kimiidera Temple: 5 minutes by foot from JR Kimiidera Station Heisogen Park: take the Meiko Bus from JR Shirahama Station and get off at Heisogen; Heisogen Park is a short walk away

 

Strawberry picking

Visitors can enjoy picking strawberries – a special product of Kishigawa in Kinokawa City – from the warm and pleasant early spring to early summer. Kishigawa is the first place where strawberries were grown in Wakayama. These large strawberries are bright red and fragrant with plenty of sweetness, and have a texture that practically melts in your mouth. Enjoy the unique delicious flavor of strawberries that have been freshly picked.

 

Date	February 1-mid-May
Location	135-1 Maeda, Kishigawa Town, Kinokawa City
Contact information	Kishigawa Tourism and Strawberry Picking Society, telephone: +81-(0)736-64-7212 (January 10-late May)
Access	15 minutes by foot from Kishi Station on the Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line

 

Opening of the ocean

The Shirarahama Swimming Area is a beach in Shirahama Town, which has a climate that is comparatively warm for Honshu. It opens on May 3, and is famous as the swimming area that is open the earliest in Honshu. The Shirarahama Swimming Area is the “sister beach” of Waikiki Beach, and the beautiful contrast between its powdery white sand and marine blue ocean is sure to leave an impression. In summer the beach is lined by sun umbrellas made of palm leaves, creating a tropical mood.

 

Date	May 3
Location	Shirarahama Swimming Area
Contact information	Shirahama Tourist Association, telephone: +81-(0)739-43-5511
Access	Take the Meiko Bus from JR Shirahama Station and get off at Shirarahama; the Shirarahama Swimming Area is a short walk away

 

Suna(sand) Festival Contest

This famous event is held at Shirarahama beach , which has a length of 640 meters and shares a “sister beach” relationship with Waikiki Beach. The contest at the beach features a competition of three-dimensional artworks that are made only from the white sand and ocean water on the coast. These works of art made from pure white sand are definitely worth seeing.

 

Date	May 29
Location	Shirarahama Swimming Area
Contact information	Shirahama Tourist Association, telephone: +81-(0)739-43-5511
Access	Take the Meiko Bus from JR Shirahama Station and get off at Shirarahama; the Shirarahama Swimming Area is a short walk away

 

Hydrangea Festival

The Hydrangea Festival is a Shinto ritual held at Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors view hydrangea and pray for sound health while expressing gratitude for the blessings of nature. Dozens of types of hydrangea bloom in the shrine precincts, which are home to about 2,500 bushes. People who visit the shrine by around noon can also receive matcha green tea.

 

Date	June 14
Location	Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine
Access	At JR Kii-Katsuura Station, take the Kumano Kotsu Bus and get off at “Jinja/Otera Chushajo”; Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine is 10 minutes by foot

 

Summer

 

Nachi Fire Festival

This festival, also called the “Folding Fan Festival,” is the annual festival of Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and is one of the three largest fire festivals in Japan. Twelve large flaming pine torches that weigh more than 50 kilograms are paraded about the precincts of Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine. This spectacle fills people with enthusiasm and increases strength.

 

Date	July 14
Location	Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine
Access	At JR Kii-Katsuura Station, take the Kumano Kotsu Bus and get off at “Jinja/Otera Chushajo”; Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine is 10 minutes by foot

 

Minato(port) Festival

This festival, which is attended by many people each year, is a seasonal tradition for summers in Wakayama City. Many food stalls are set up, and the approximately 3,000 fireworks that are launched from barges about 300 meters off shore are not to be missed. The clever “trick” fireworks add brilliant color to the night sky.

 

Date	The third Monday of July
Location	Nakafuto, Wakayama Port
Contact information	Wakayama Port Promotion Association, telephone: +81-(0)73-432-3116
Access	10 minutes by foot from Wakayamako Station on the Nankai Wakayamako Line

 

Shirahama Fireworks Display

This famous, large-scale fireworks display is symbolic of the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture. The highlight is the clever fireworks that explode in a splendid manner, and the ocean illuminated beautifully by fireworks sparkles in a romantic way.

 

Date	August 10
Location	Shirarahama
Contact information	Shirahama Tourist Association, telephone: +81-(0)739-43-5511
Access	Take the Meiko Bus from JR Shirahama Station and get off at Shirarahama; Shirarahama is a short walk away

 

Okunoin Mandokuyo-e Ritual (Candle Festival)

The purpose of this festival is to hold memorial services for the spirits of ancestors resting at Okunoin. Approximately 100,000 candles are placed along the roughly two-kilometer area from Ichinohashi Bridge to Okunoin, appearing to resemble a flowing river of light that mystically illuminates the path.

 

Date	August 13
Location	Okunoin
Contact information	Koyasan Tourist Association, telephone: +81-(0)736-56-2616
Access	Take the Nankai Rinkan Bus from Nankai Koyasan Station and get off at Okunoin-guchi; Okunoin is 15 minutes by foot

 

Yata Fire Festival

This festival features a parade of women dressed in clothing from the Heian period who carry lit bamboo pipes. Candles faintly illuminate the road to the shrine around sunset, and people wearing historical costume from the Heian period proceed slowly from Oyunohara (the previous location of the shrine) followed by men wearing white Heian period clothing and bearing the “Flame Mikoshi” (portable shrine). During the festival, a mystical atmosphere envelops the area.

 

Date	Late August
Location	Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, Oyunohara
Contact information	Yata Fire Festival Executive Committee, telephone 0735-42-0070 (General Affairs Section, Hongu Administration Office)
Access	Take the Ryujin Bus from JR Kii-Tanabe Station and get off at Hongu Taisha-mae; Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine is a short walk away

 

Autumn

Mifune Festival

The annual festival of Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine (the Mifune Festival) is held on October 15 and 16. This festival recreates images of ancient times and features a boat race that includes nine rowboats leading beautiful shrine boats. The boat race is a majestic ritual with a history of over 1,000 years in which rowboats race around Mifune Island, which is located in the center of Kumano River. It is also designated as one of the prefecture’s intangible folk cultural assets.

 

Date	October 15, 16
Location	Kumano River side
Contact information	Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine, telephone: +81-(0)735-22-2533
Access	15 minutes by foot from JR Shingu Station

 

Fruit picking

Wakayama is famous throughout Japan as a fruit production area. In the autumn, visitors can enjoy harvesting fruits such as mandarin oranges, Japanese persimmons, and grapes at various locations. In particular, grapes can be picked in September and mandarin oranges can be picked from mid-October in Tanabe City. You can eat the fresh fruit you just picked, which is juicy and exceptionally delicious.

 

Date	From September to December for mandarin oranges, Japanese persimmons, grapes, etc. (other types of fruit can be picked in other seasons as well)
Location	Various locations throughout Wakayama Prefecture

 

Autumn leaf viewing

During the season of autumn foliage, the leaves of the trees turn red due to the cold weather. In the Koyasan and Ryujin Skyline area, autumn foliage can be viewed as early as November. At Koyasan it’s possible to enjoy a splendid combination of autumn leaves and historical buildings, and the area is also perfect for taking photographs. The practice of gathering the autumn leaves which have fallen on the ground is a custom from ancient times, and it’s common in Japan to use the leaves you have picked up as bookmarks.

 

Date	Around November
Location	Koya Town, Tanabe City, etc.

 

Winter

Sennin Buro bath

Kawayu Spa is located in the Hongu Hot Springs Area. The Sennin Buro bath is a natural open-air bath which is created by partitioning one section of the river. The large bathtub can fit 1,000 people, and allows visitors to enjoy bathing at night underneath the starry sky.

 

Date	November 1-end of February
Location	Sennin Buro
Contact information	Kumano Hongu Tourist Association, telephone: +81-(0)735-42-0735
Access	Take the Ryujin Bus from JR Kii-Tanabe Station and get off at Kawayu Onsen; the Sennin Buro is a short walk away

 

Shirarahama Illumination "White Sand Promenade"

This event takes place at Shirarahama in the winter. Various “light objects,” including constellations, illuminate the sky in mystical colors. You will surely never forget the light and the quiet sound of the waves amidst the cold air.

 

Date	December 1-January 31
Location	Shirarahama Swimming Area
Contact information	Shirahama Tourist Association, telephone: +81-(0)739-43-5511
Access	Take the Meiko Bus from JR Shirahama Station and get off at Shirarahama; the Shirarahama Swimming Area is a short walk away

 

Maguro(tuna) Festival

This festival is held at the market where more fresh tuna are landed than anywhere else in Japan. Visitors can sample tuna cuisine, especially “kabuto-yaki,” a famous dish made by baking tuna heads in a covered pan. Other enjoyable events include displays and sales of tuna products, as well as games.

 

Date	The last Saturday in January
Location	Katsuura Fishing Cooperative Market
Contact information	Tuna Festival Executive Committee Office (Nachikatuura Tourist Association), telephone: +81-(0)735-52-5311
Access	3 minutes by foot from JR Kii-Katsuura Station

 

The southernmost fire festival in Honshu

Honshu’s southernmost “lawn burning” takes place at the Observation Tower Lawn, an approximately 100,000 square meter lawn plaza at Shionomisaki Cape in Kushimoto Town. Members of Japanese archery clubs at local high schools shoot a series of lit arrows high into the air, setting the lawn on fire. The dusk highlights the flames, creating mystical scenery that is accompanied by performances of traditional taiko drums.

 

Date	Late January
Location	Observation Tower Lawn,Shiono-misaki Cape , Kushimoto Town
Contact information	Kushimoto Town Tourism Association, telephone: +81-(0)735-62-3171
Access	At JR Kushimoto Station, take the Kumano Kotsu Bus bound for Shionomisaki Cape and get off at "Tower-mae"

 

Oto Festival(Fire Festival)

This soul-stirring fire festival is held at Kamikura Shrine, a branch shrine of Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine (which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). This Festival has also been designated as one of Wakayama Prefecture's intangible folk cultural assets, and features approximately 2,000 men dressed in white clothing running down 538 steeply sloping stone steps while carrying flaming torches. This event is referred to as "A flame dragon going down the sacred mountain."

 

Date	February 6
Location	Kamikura Shrine
Contact information	Shingu City Tourist Association, telephone: +81-(0)735-22-2840 e-mail: shingu@rifnet.or.jp
Access	15 minutes by foot from JR Shingu Station