Discover the best travel guides, tips, and experiences for Wakayama
Fujinoya Okunoin, the second whole-house rental of the Fujinoya brand, has opened in Tanabe, Wakayama, a 10-minute walk from JR Kii-Tanabe Station, with no dinner served so that guests can eat out in town.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama is holding its first nighttime event, LIGHT PARKS in Adventure World spotlighted by FeStA LuCe, from October 24, 2026 through March 31, 2027, blending giant light-art animal sculptures with the park's real animals after dark.
Wakayama Marina City heads into autumn with the "Starlight Illusion" fireworks show, an indoor VR Land, and Kuroshio Ichiba's seafood gourmet fair featuring fresh tuna and seasonal catches, running from September through November 2026.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama will celebrate the first birthday of Emperor Penguin chick "Yoyo-chan" (E044) with online birthday parties and in-park events on September 30 and October 3–4, 2026, looking back on 365 days of growth watched over by guests.
Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, will host the 5th ONSEN Gastronomy Walking on December 5, 2026, a roughly 7.5km course featuring local tuna and Kumano beef dishes plus a soak in Nanki-Katsuura Onsen, with applications open until November 16.
SEN.RETREAT, a series of unmanned lodges along Wakayama's Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, is offering guests a 15% discount on stays throughout September to mark Jugoya, the traditional harvest moon.
On August 29, 2026, Ryujin Onsen in Tanabe, Wakayama, will glow with lanterns for a single night, with a lantern-lit street walk, a photo shoot, a photo exhibition, and a quiz about Ryujin Village.
On October 2, 2026, Hotel Granvia Wakayama marks the 10th installment of its Craft Draft Beer Festival, bringing together 8 breweries from Wakayama and the Chubu-Tokai region — Mie, Aichi, Gifu, Nagano, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi — for a one-night, all-you-can-drink event priced at 5,500 yen in advance.
On September 12, 2026, a guided walk exploring the Japan Heritage story "Living with Whales" and the nature of Ugui Peninsula takes place in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, marking two anniversaries.
Kinokawa Citizens' Festival 2026, a hand-made summer festival organized by the Kinokawa Citizens' Festival Executive Committee in Wakayama Prefecture, will feature one of the prefecture's largest fireworks displays alongside stalls run by local businesses and community groups.
From September 1 to November 30, 2026, Nanki Shirahama Marriott Hotel's first-floor lounge is offering "Harvest Voyage Afternoon Tea — A Taste of Autumn Woven by Hokkaido and Wakayama," a seasonal menu of sweets and savories inspired by both regions' ingredients.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama has confirmed the season's first Emperor Penguin egg, laid by the parents of last year's chick "E044." Five eggs have been confirmed in total so far, and the park continues its artificial insemination research following last year's world-first fertile egg produced by that method.
From September 1 through November 30, 2026, Nanki Shirahama Marriott Hotel's restaurant "Grill & Dining G" is offering "Hokkaido Gastronomy Journey in Shirahama," a seasonal dinner course pairing Hokkaido ingredients with Wakayama's local flavors.
On Saturday, August 8, 2026, Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama will hold a one-day-only Krispy Kreme Doughnuts pop-up sale along with a doughnut decorating workshop featuring the park's animals, as part of the brand's 20th anniversary campaign in Japan.
The Taiji Fireworks Festival takes place on Friday, August 14, from 8 PM at Taiji Fishing Port in Wakayama Prefecture, featuring around 1,000 fireworks and the traditional Hashiramatsu ceremony. The event marks the 10th anniversary of the Japan Heritage recognition of Taiji's whaling history and is a beloved summer tradition for locals and visitors alike.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama is running a limited-time Polar Expedition Tour from August 1 to 23, 2026, letting small groups step into the same space as its King and Gentoo penguins.
With SKY ART FESTIVAL 2026 just three days away, large-scale stage construction is progressing at Shirarahama Beach in Shirahama, Wakayama, turning the familiar beach into a one-day resort entertainment venue with live music, a sunset, and 8,000 musical fireworks.
Nanki-Shirahama Marriott Hotel is renewing its Adventure World collaboration room and launching a new "Smiles and Animals Room Stay" plan from August 1, 2026, where guests complete animal-themed missions to become an "Animal Master."
Nanki Shirahama Marriott Hotel in Wakayama is renewing its former Panda Room into "Smiles and Animals Room Stay," a special guest room decorated with animals from neighboring Adventure World, available for a limited time from August 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
A community dance festival that has colored Wakayama's summer nights for more than half a century, Kishu Odori "Bundara-bushi" returns to Wakayama Castle's Keyaki Odori avenue on Saturday, August 1, 2026, preceded by a pre-festival at Nishinomaru Plaza the evening before.
Shiraraso Grand Hotel in Shirahama, Wakayama, is partnering with SIEFtour to launch hotel-departure day-trip tours from July 17, 2026, taking guests to the rarely accessible Phoenix Fold rock formation, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, and the Nanki-Shirahama Geopark.
On July 15, 2026, the Kozagawa Town Tourism Association is lighting up the national natural monument Mushikui-iwa in yellow for a single night, while the roadside station Michinoeki Mushikuiiwa opens after dark so visitors can pick up local yuzu drinks, gibier, and honey.
From July 10 to August 16, 2026, Isebe Kakimoto Shrine in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture, is holding its Wind Chime Festival, displaying about 200 colorful wind chimes made using traditional Kishu lacquerware techniques throughout the shrine grounds, filling the approach with cool sounds each time the wind blows.
Kawasaki Plaza Wakayama in Kainan City reopens on July 3, 2026 with a refreshed interior featuring new CLEAN, CAGE, ISLAND DISPLAY, COMMUNITY SPACE, and HERITAGE WALL design concepts for motorcycle riders and enthusiasts.
Nachikatsuura Tourism Organization will run a special cruise timed to the town's summer fireworks display, taking a maximum of 40 guests past the islands of Kino Matsushima to watch the fireworks from the water off Nachi Bay on August 11.
Kintetsu Department Store Wakayama packs July 2026 with back-to-back events, including a food festival featuring Jojoen and Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory, the return of a Flying Tiger Copenhagen pop-up store, and a hands-on World Insect Exhibition with 24 live species.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama has welcomed Magellanic Penguins and Humboldt Penguins, making it Japan's only park where visitors can encounter 10 different penguin species, and the world's largest penguin-keeping facility by both species count and number of individuals.
Nanki Shirahama Marriott Hotel will hold "HANABI Night Terrace 2026," an exclusive fireworks-viewing dinner for hotel guests at the 4th-floor Ocean Deck terrace, running on select dates from July 18 to September 13, 2026.
Kumano Nachi Taisha, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Wakayama Prefecture, will hold its annual grand festival "Nachi no Ogi Matsuri" on July 14, 2026, featuring a dramatic fire ceremony where 12 massive torches purify the stone-step path to Nachi Falls.
Hotel Granvia Wakayama is introducing a new Japanese multi-course menu called Kishu Kaiseki at its fifth-floor restaurant Mari, showcasing premium local Wakayama ingredients including Kumano beef, Ogata sweetfish from Shirahama, and seasonal seafood.
Shiraraso Grand Hotel in Shirahama, Wakayama is launching a hotel-guest-only nighttime beach program called "Moon & Wave Beach," running from July 1 to August 31, 2026, offering an evening of relaxation with the sound of waves, moonlight, and local Wakayama drinks.
Fairfield by Marriott Wakayama Kumano-Kodo Susami is hosting a special backstage tour of Susami Town's Shrimp and Crab Aquarium on August 2, 2026, exclusively for guests staying at the hotel the night before.
Ten artists including YU-KI & DJ KOO from TRF, DA PUMP, and STU48 will take the stage at Shirahama Beach on August 1, 2026, with a grand finale of 8,000 music fireworks.
A baby bottlenose dolphin was born at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama on June 22, 2026. The newborn, estimated at 120 cm and 20 kg, can now be seen swimming alongside its mother at the Dolphin Touch Pool.
Hotel Granvia Wakayama's 1st-floor cafe "Hotels Cafe Password" is hosting a cake buffet on July 18 and 19, 2026, featuring an all-you-can-eat spread of cakes and soft-serve ice cream made by the hotel's own patissiers.
Starting July 18, 2026, Sandanbeki Cave in Wakayama Prefecture's Shirahama runs a limited summer mystery hunt themed around the legend of the Kumano Suigun navy — three difficulty levels for all ages.
Shiraraso Grand Hotel in Shirahama, Wakayama, is launching new autumn and winter stay plans including a chef's kaiseki course spotlighting carefully selected local ingredients and a kue (longtooth grouper) kaiseki course featuring the prized fish.
Mercure Wakayama Kushimoto Resort & Spa is offering three limited summer stay plans for 2026, including a sea urchin lamp craft workshop led by a local guide, a sparkler set plan, and a pool float package — all paired with seasonal garden pool access and an all-inclusive buffet.
Starting July 11, 2026, Shiraraso Grand Hotel in Shirahama, Wakayama, is offering a summer-limited lunch menu at Lounge Sugar Beach, featuring locally sourced Wakayama ingredients — from shirasu don and Kumano pork yakisoba to Cremia cream soda — available for dine-in or poolside and beachside takeout.
Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine in Wakayama is opening its hydrangea garden to the public from June 3 to June 30, 2026, featuring approximately 3,000 hydrangea plants in bloom amid the World Heritage forests of Kumano.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama is launching the "38°C MIRACLE Project" and inviting guests to submit names for all 19 Emperor Penguins living at the park, starting June 1, 2026.
From June 1 to August 31, 2026, the Nanki Shirahama Marriott Hotel's 1st-floor lounge is serving a seasonal whole peach custard parfait priced at 2,700 yen.
From June 1 to August 31, 2026, the Nankishirahama Marriott Hotel will hold its first-ever afternoon tea, showcasing Arakawa peaches from Wakayama with six sweets, four savories, and a selection of organic teas.
A hilltop dog run called Sky Site has opened at Kannonyama Fruit Garden in Kinokawa City, Wakayama, offering one group per hour the chance to enjoy sweeping views of the Kinokawa River alongside their dogs.
The 7th Nanki Shirahama Air Show 2026 takes place on April 25 at Shirarahama Beach in Wakayama Prefecture, featuring Japan's top aerobatic pilot Yoshihide Muroya in his first flight performance of the 2026 season.
Emperor penguin chick "No. 44," born at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama on September 30, 2025, is set to move to a new habitat area on April 15, 2026, marking a significant milestone in its journey toward adulthood.
The "Medetai Densha Sachi," Nankai Electric Railway's charming sightseeing train on the Kada Line in Wakayama City, marks its 10th anniversary with a two-day event on April 25 and 26, 2026, featuring a sea bream food marché, train wash experience, kids' uniform photo shoots, and a special 10-yen all-day ride ticket for children.
A plum experience workshop is taking place at Ume no Mise Senrianin in Minabe Town, Wakayama — one of Japan's top plum-producing regions — on May 4 and 5, 2026. The 1.5-hour session includes a plum orchard visit, hands-on plum syrup making with a bottle to take home, and making your own ume onigiri from a choice of 10 plum varieties.
Comfort Hotel Himeji and Comfort Hotel Wakayama have undergone renovations, incorporating local cultural design elements and enhanced guest facilities just in time for the spring tourism season.
An Emperor Penguin chick born on September 30, 2025, at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, is reaching its half-birthday on March 30, 2026. A special celebration featuring an ice cake and a hands-on animal talk with a penguin robot is planned.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama is launching a new electric bike tour through its safari area in collaboration with local mobility company glafit, starting March 21, 2026. Riders aged 16 and older can explore the animal zone and enjoy feeding experiences — no driver's license required.
A special spring lobby exhibition is on display at Hotel Granvia Wakayama in its fifth year of collaboration with Kudoyama Town, featuring "Daisuke Yume Juushi" warrior dolls and traditional spring decorations from February 25 through mid-March 2026.
From late March, the grounds of Seigantoji Temple near Nachikatsuura offer a rare springtime view of Nachi Falls and the three-storied pagoda framed by cherry blossoms, best enjoyed on a guided walk along the UNESCO World Heritage Kumano Kodo trail.
Wendy's・First Kitchen introduces two luxurious burger items featuring black truffle sauce, white truffle oil, and creamy mozzarella cheese at select locations starting February 26th.
Seven JR West Hotels across Japan are serving special strawberry sweets this spring, featuring fresh strawberry tastings, award-winning patissier-supervised buffets, and local strawberry specialties from February through May 2026.
Kuroshio Sou, a hotel in Nanki-Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, will host an exhibition by graphic design studio collé from February 19 to March 31, 2026, showcasing design works and spring-themed items.
From March 1 to May 31, 2026, the hotel's first-floor lounge will serve the limited-edition "Strawberry Luxe" parfait, showcasing Wakayama Prefecture's original strawberry variety in an elegant spring dessert.
To celebrate 3,000 participants in the sushi chef job experience activity, Kandu Dainichi visitors can now enjoy a 200 yen discount at Kappazushi restaurants across the Kansai region through April 5, 2026.
Nankai Electric Railway announces the spring and summer dining menu for the GRAN Tenku train, featuring dishes created by Chef Motokawa of Restaurant Genji. The menu showcases local ingredients from Senshu, Minami Kawachi, and Wakayama.
A special photo panel exhibition titled "Staff Camera Roll Leaked!? Exhibition" will be held at SHIRAHAMA KEY TERRACE HOTEL SEAMORE from February 9 to 14, featuring around 20 photos of animals captured by Adventure World staff showing their unique expressions and adorable moments.
Hotel Granvia Wakayama will launch a new strawberry dessert plate featuring Wakayama's original "Marihime" strawberries. Six different strawberry-themed sweets will be available starting February 1, 2026, at the hotel's café.
An Emperor penguin chick born on September 30, 2025, reached its 100-day milestone at Adventure World on January 8, 2026, with special commemorative activities and its first outdoor walk.
Qkamura Nanki Katsuura, a resort hotel located in Yoshino-Kumano National Park, has launched a guided tour package featuring a visit to Katsuura Port's fresh tuna auction and a special market breakfast, starting January 6.
The hotel will host an all-you-can-drink craft beer festival featuring 8 breweries from JR West Hotels' locations across Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Nara, and Toyama. Priced at 5,500 yen in advance.
The all-inclusive resort hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean has been certified as a family-friendly accommodation, offering specially equipped rooms and services for traveling with babies and young children.
Hotel Granvia Wakayama launches special New Year 2026 Lucky Bags with hotel dining packages and gourmet items. Advance reservations start December 26.
Two renovated guesthouses open in Wakayama's historic Kyū-Oguchi Village, a key stopover on the Kumano Kodo trail. SEN.HAVEN NAKAMURA and SAKURAI offer simple, comfortable lodging for trekkers exploring the sacred pilgrimage routes.
Discover two delicious varieties of Kansai-exclusive potato chips, both featuring the regional "dashi soy sauce" flavor but with completely different taste profiles!
History and Overview of “Nanki Shirahama Onsen” “Nanki Shirahama Onsen” is famous as one of Japan’s three major hot springs, and it has a very ancient history. Many emperors, including Emperor Saimei and Emperor Jitō, have visited it. The name of this hot spring comes from “Shirarahama,” a beautiful white sandy beach, and its development […]