Japan 🇯🇵 - Nachikatsuura

Tips 👏

• The road to Nachikatsuura is beautiful but very long and curvy if you come from Koyasan, so be prepared if you get motion sickness.
• Bring comfortable shoes for the Daimonzaka climb as the stone steps can be uneven.
• The town is very retro, feeling like going back in the 70s.

🏠 Accommodation

We stayed at the Hotel Urashima, a massive resort-style hotel located on a peninsula. Since you cannot park on the island, we left our car at their dedicated mainland parking lot and took the hotel shuttle/ferry across. We were initially sceptical on going there, but because it's so unique and old-fashioned we didn't regretted at all. Also the food (both breakfast and dinner) was incredible, along with the facilities!

🚲 Getting there

We drove about 3 hours to reach the town. The road was incredibly scenic but super long and curvy. We had initially planned to stop at the tallest Torii gate in Japan on the way but actually missed the turn. Once arrived, the logistics of parking and transferring to the hotel were straightforward.

⏱ Duration

We stayed for two nights, which felt like the perfect amount of time. It allowed us to have one full day dedicated to the mountain area and relaxing in the onsen without rushing, before driving back the next day.

Nachikatsuura City & Market 🐟

Upon arriving in town, we headed straight for lunch at the local fish market, Katsuura Gyoko. The tuna here is famous and it was absolutely delicious. We then took a little stroll through the city, which has a very authentic, retro fishing village vibe including a lot of abandoned houses and hotels since mass tourism is less popular on this coast of Japan compared to the 70s. We grabbed a coffee at Kumano Coffee terrace and enjoyed the view of the shrine on Benten Island in the distance before heading to our hotel.

Urashima Resort ♨️

The Hotel Urashima is an experience in itself. It is a massive, retro complex that feels like a time capsule. The absolute highlight is the onsens; we tried four different ones during our stay, including the famous natural cave baths that open right out to the ocean. Listening to the waves while soaking was unforgettable. We also had the dinner buffet, which was huge and offered top-quality food (all your can eat sashimi and all you can drink), perfect after a long day of travel. We were the only foreigners there which made it extra special.

Nachi Falls & Temple ⛩️

The next day, we took the shuttle to our car and drove ten minutes to the Daimonzaka parking lot. From there, we climbed the Daimonzaka slope, a stunning 600-meter stone staircase lined with ancient cedar trees and moss. It is a bit of a workout, but the atmosphere is incredible.

At the top, we explored the Kumano-Nachi Grand Shrine and Seiganto-ji Temple, where we walked through a hollow camphor tree for good luck. We hiked down to the three-story pagoda to get that iconic photo of the red structure with Nachi Falls in the background, then continued down to the base of the waterfall to feel the spray. We then took the bus to get back at the top of the stairs to grab some food, before taking the stairs down to the car. Note that it's possible to take the bus to get back to the parking lot, but we fancied another run at the view.

Drive to Osaka 🚗

We then drove back to Osaka to catch our train to Hiroshima. We broke up the drive with a stop at the Hashiguiiwa Rocks (beautiful rock formations on the sea) and the monument of the southernmost point of Honshu (for the view and bragging rights). We also stopped at Toretore Market for a seafood lunch and some pottery shopping before dropping off the rental car.

Hope this was helpful, you can ask us any questions on Instagram.