Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [337]
Daimon-zaka takes you up to the steps at the base of the shrine. After visiting the shrine, walk down to the falls. At the base of the falls you will find Nachiyama-oku-no-in (), where you can pay ¥200 to hike up to a lookout that affords a better view of the falls.
The Nachi-no-Hi Matsuri (Fire Festival) takes place at the falls on 14 July. During this lively event mikoshi are brought down from the mountain and met by groups bearing flaming torches.
Buses to the waterfall and shrine leave from Nachi Station (¥470, 25 minutes) and from Kii-Katsuura Station (¥600, 30 minutes). Buses to the Daimon-zaka stop leave from Nachi Station (¥330, 15 minutes) and from Kii-Katsuura Station (¥410, 20 minutes).
Sleeping
There are a few places to stay near Nachi Station and Kii-Katsuura Station.
Hotel Ura-Shima (; 0735-52-1011; www.hotelurashima.co.jp, in Japanese; r per person with 2 meals from ¥10,650; ) Laying claim to an entire peninsula in Katsuura-wan, this vast hotel-onsen complex is either a lot of fun or an overpriced tourist trap, depending upon your mood. It’s got two fantastic baths built into caves looking out over the Pacific, and two others located high atop the peninsula, reached by the longest escalator we’ve ever seen. The fun of the baths is offset by uninspiring food, ageing rooms, and the noisy announcements in the hallways.
Getting There & Away
Nachi and Kii-Katsuura (the stations are only two stops apart) can be reached by JR Kii main-line trains from Shin-Osaka Station (tokkyū, ¥6700, 216 minutes; futsū, ¥4310, 332 minutes) and from Nagoya Station (tokkyū, ¥7510, 213 minutes; futsū, ¥3920, 327 minutes). Futsū are significantly cheaper but take almost twice as long.
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SHINGŪ
0735 / pop 33,070
Shingū functions as a useful transport hub for access to the Kumano Sanzan, the three major Shintō shrines of the Kii-hantō. The first of these, Kumano Hayatama Taisha (), is actually in Shingū itself, a 15-minute walk northwest of Shingū Station. The other two are Kumano Hongū Taisha (right) and Nachi Taisha (opposite). There’s a helpful information office (22-2840; 9am-5.30pm) at the station.
Station Hotel Shingū (; 21-2200; fax 21-1067; station@rifnet.or.jp; s/d/tw from ¥4900/10,000/10,000; ), a small business hotel, has decent Western-style rooms. It’s 200m southeast of the station. The whitish building is visible from outside Shingū Station. Ask for a room in the shinkan (new wing).
A two-minute walk north of the station, Hase Ryokan (; 22-2185; fax 21-6677; r per person with 2 meals from ¥6300) is a comfortable and reasonable choice for those who prefer Japanese-style accommodation. Call from the station and someone will collect you, or ask at the information office for a map.
The JR Kii main line connects Shingū with Nagoya Station (tokkyū, ¥7190, three hours) and Shin-Osaka Station (tokkyū, ¥7010, four hours).
There are buses between Shingū and Hongū, about half of which make a loop of the three surrounding onsen (Watarase, Yunomine and Kawa-yu). See Hongū (below) for details.
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HONGŪ
Hongū itself isn’t particularly interesting but it makes a good starting point for the onsen nearby. Hongū is also home to Kumano Hongū Taisha (), one of the three famous shrines of the Kumano Sanzan. The shrine is close to the Ōmiya Taisha-mae bus stop (the buses listed in this section stop there).
Buses leave for Hongū from JR Gojō Station and Kintetsu Yamato-Yagi Station in the north (¥4000, 283 minutes), Kii-Tanabe in the west (¥2000, two hours) and Shingū in the southeast (¥1500, 80 minutes). Shingū is the most convenient of these three access points (departures are most frequent from there). Most Hongū buses also stop at Kawa-yu, Watarase and Yunomine onsen (in that order), but be sure to ask before boarding. Keep in mind that departures are few in any direction, so jot down the times and plan accordingly.
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