The Wakayama region, south of Osaka in Japan, has won the award in the sustainability category of Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. Sustainability permeates everyday life in Wakayama in many ways; the legacy of the Kumano Kodo, the preservation of Buddhist traditions and sustainable marine life. According to Lonely Planet's readers, all visitors get unique access to the genuine natural life on offer in Wakayama.
When it comes to hiking in Wakayama, it’s the Kumano Kodo – one of only two UNESCO-certified pilgrimage routes in the world. The other is the Camino De Santiago in Spain. For over 1,000 years, these pilgrimage routes have been crossed by former emperors, aristocrats, samurai and pilgrims from far and wide on their way to the sacred sites of the Kii Mountains. Conservation is nothing new in Wakayama – it has been a natural part of Kumano’s history, with a deep-rooted reverence for rivers, trees and mountains that are seen as gods and worshipped by the locals since time immemorial. The pilgrimage routes are still used today by both pilgrims and ordinary hikers, who make their way along the trails for anything from a couple of hours to several days. The historic trails lead past shimmering waterfalls, via temples and shrines that spread a pleasant peace of mind.
There are more than 100 Buddhist temples in Koyasan. Shukubo, which literally means ”lodging with the monks”, means that visitors can take part in genuine traditional Buddhist traditions such as meditation, immersion in sutras and tasting Shojin ryoriwhich is traditional Buddhist cuisine with dishes prepared from local vegetarian crops.
The beautiful Shirahama coastline has lovely white sandy beaches and is perfect for sustainable marine activities such as diving and snorkeling. There are also natural hot springs here that have been appreciated for more than 1300 years. A perfect relaxing end to a long hike. A hike on the Kumo Kodo historical pilgrimage trails, a visit to a Buddhist temple in Koysan, diving along coral coasts or a relaxing bath in a hot spring are just a few examples of unique experiences for sustainable tourism in Wakayama.
