Temples & Shrines in Wakayama

Wakayama is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region. It lies at the mouth of the Kinokawa River on the northwestern Kii Peninsula, facing the Kii Channel. The city grew as the castle town of the Kii Domain, ruled by the Kii branch of the Tokugawa from 1619. Wakayama City was established in 1889 and was heavily damaged by air raids in 1945 before rebuilding as a regional center. Wakayama Castle, originally built in 1585 by Toyotomi Hidenaga and now reconstructed, anchors a hilltop park with a small history museum. Kimii-dera temple, a stop on the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage, is noted for early cherry blossoms. The Wakanoura area is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. Wakayama Port runs ferries to Tokushima, and Nankai Electric Railway links the city to Osa...