Region

Wakayama

1 quiet, car-free day trip in Wakayama — no rental car needed.

The wide cypress-bark roof of the main hall at Kongobuji sweeps across a bright gravel courtyard, its white plaster walls and dark timber verandas lit by low sun. — © 663highland / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.5

Lantern-lined approach through tall cedars at Okunoin — © Christophe95 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Koyasan before the day begins: a quiet morning at Okunoin

High in the forested mountains of Wakayama, south of Osaka, Koyasan is not a sight to be ticked off but a working monastic town.

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