Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [334]
There are various coffee shops and shokudō dotted around town where you can have breakfast or lunch (most close before dinnertime).
Maruman (56-2049; noodle dishes from ¥370; 9am-5pm, closed irregularly) This simple shokudō is a good spot for lunch. All the standard lunch items are represented by plastic food models in the window. Katsu-don is ¥820. It’s just west of the tourist office on the main street – look for the food models in the window. If this is full or doesn’t suit, the Nankai Shokudō next door is similar.
Hanabishi Honten (56-2236; 769 Kōyasan; lunch ¥2100-5250, dinner ¥2100-16,000; 11am-6pm, closed irregularly) If you fancy something a little nicer than a shokudō, you could try this slightly overpriced restaurant. At lunch, the sankozen set (a variety of vegetarian dishes; ¥2100) is a good choice. Look for the grey facade and the food models in the window (which will also help with ordering, if necessary). English menu; reserve after 6pm.
Getting There & Away
Unless you have a rental car, the best way to Kōya-san is the Nankai-Dentetsu line from Osaka’s Namba Station to Kōya-san. The trains terminate at Gokurakubashi, at the base of the mountain, where you board a funicular railway (five minutes, price included in train tickets) up to Kōya-san itself. From the cable-car station, you take a bus into the centre of town (walking is prohibited on the connecting road).
From Osaka (Namba Station) you can travel directly on a Nankai-Dentetsu line kyūkō to Kōya-san (¥1230, 100 minutes). For the slightly faster tokkyū service with reserved seats you pay a supplement (¥760).
From Wakayama you can go by rail on the JR Wakayama line to Hashimoto (¥820, one hour) and then continue on the Nankai-Dentetsu line to Gokurakubashi Station (¥430, 38 minutes).
From Kyoto go via Namba in Osaka. From Nara you can take the JR line to Hashimoto, changing at Sakurai and Takadate en route.
Getting Around
Buses run on three routes from the top cable-car station via the centre of town to Ichi-no-hashi and Oku-no-in. The fare to the tourist office in the centre of town at Senjūin-bashi is ¥280. The fare to the final stop, Oku-no-in, is ¥400. An all-day bus pass (ichi-nichi furee kippu; ¥800) is available from the bus office outside the top cable-car station, but once you get into the centre of town you can reach most destinations quite easily on foot (including Oku-no-in, which takes about 30 minutes). Note that buses run infrequently, so you should make a note of the schedule before setting out to see the sights.
If you don’t feel like walking, bicycles can be rented (per hour/day ¥400/1200) at the Kōya-san Tourist Association office Click here.
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SHIRAHAMA
0739 / pop 22,980
Shirahama, on the southwest coast of the Kii-hantō, is Kansai’s leading beach resort and has all the trappings of a major Japanese tourist attraction – huge resort hotels, aquariums, amusement parks etc. However, it also has several good onsen, a great white-sand beach and rugged coastal scenery.
Because the Japanese like to do things according to the rules – and the rules say the only time you can swim in the ocean is from late July to the end of August – the place is almost deserted outside the peak season. Thus, this is a great place to visit in, say, June or September, and we’ve swum in the sea here as late as mid-October.
There’s a tourist information office (42-2900; 9.30am-6pm) in the station, where you can pick up a map to the main sights and accommodation. Since the station is a fair distance from the main sights, you’ll need to take a bus (one way/all-day pass ¥330/1000, 12 minutes to the beach) or rent a bicycle if you arrive by rail. The JR office at the station rents bicycles (¥500 per day); unfortunately, no one would describe these as performance vehicles.
Sights & Activities
SHIRARA-HAMA BEACH
Shirara-hama, the town’s main beach, is famous for its white sand. If it reminds you of Australia don’t be surprised – the town had to import sand from Down Under after the