If you’re looking for a true off the beaten path part of Japan to visit, Kushimoto is a great option.
A small coastal town, located in the Wakayama prefecture, Kushimoto is simply beautiful. It forms the southernmost point of the main Honshu Island of Japan, which might also have been its rise to fame.
While we were there, we saw a couple of local tourists, but other than that, there were not many visitors. This town is beautiful, so if you have an extra day, I would definitely recommend visiting.
All the places that I mention below are accessible by public transport. But bear in mind that this is a small town with limited visitors, so public transport is not that frequent. You will really have to plan your trip around the bus timings.
But fret not, I have guides and bus timetables included here, to make your visit super stress free.
There isn’t a long lineup of places to visit in Kushimoto. But getting around town, and slowly exploring the town will probably take you all day anyway. Especially with those bus timings. So let it be your slow relaxing day and enjoy!
Let’s get started!
Hashigui-Iwa Rocks
Legend goes that a monk by the name of Kobo Daishi attempted to build a bridge made of rocks but stopped halfway. The Hashigui-iwa rocks do look like they could be the remains of a bridge. But actually, they were created by volcanic eruptions.
Picture by hatake_s on Flickr
Getting here: The Hashigui-iwa rocks are a 25 minute walk from Kushimoto station. I’m sure some of you are thinking, ‘25 minute walk??!!’ There are other ways to get here too.
Drop by the Nankikushimoto Sightseeing Information Centre located right outside Kushimoto station, where you can rent a bicycle. Bicycles cost 1500 yen for 3 hours or 2000 yen for the day. They have to be returned by 5 pm. Bicycles are electric assist bicycles so it wouldn’t be too tiring.
There are no child seats on the bicycles, but they do have that metal bar thingy (a pannier rack) at the back for an extra passenger to sit on.
You can also get here by bus. I’ll put a detailed section on bus routes and timetables below. Both of the buses that I mention below make a stop here.
Cape Shionomisaki – Southernmost Point of Honshu
Cape Shionomisaki is the southernmost point of not the whole of Japan, but of Honshu. Honshu is the largest island of Japan, and the most populous, being that all the major cities in Japan are located in Honshu.
As the southernmost point of Honshu, Cape Shionomisaki features spectacular panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Watch the powerful waves of the Pacific Ocean crash into rocks, and you’ll be mesmerised. I know I couldn’t take my eyes off it for quite some time till little hands pulled me away.
There’s a beautiful lawn near the cape as well, perfect for kids to run around and play. People do bring their dogs for walks here, so its a nice place for your kids to make some paw-friends as well!
A beautiful lighthouse stands nearby which you can climb up for even more spectacular views.
Getting here: Both the Kushimoto Town community bus and the Magutol Sightseeing bus make a stop here.
Turkish Memorial Museum
The Ertugrul Turkish Memorial Museum is located at the easternmost point of Kii-Oshima island.
It was the year 1890 and the Turkish ship Ertugrul was returning back to Turkey after a diplomatic visit to Japan. It was typhoon season and just a day into their journey, the ill-fated ship crashed into rocks off the coast of Kii Oshima.
587 people died in that accident. Villagers on Kii Oshima island worked frantically through the storm to save the remaining 69. The villagers shared their meager food provisions and looked after the survivors until other ships could take them back home.
The Turkish Memorial Museum was built to commemorate this incident and to celebrate the friendship between the two countries. You can read more details about this at the museum. Through strategically placed windows, you can even see the exact rocks that the ship crashed into.
This incident started the friendship between Turkey and Japan, and Turkey repaid their kindness in an incident during the Iran-Iraq war. The two countries even got together to make a movie about their friendship (a pity I couldn’t find it on Netflix).
Note: Tickets cost 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for children.
Getting here: Both the Kushimoto Town community bus and the Magutol Sightseeing bus make a stop here.
Kashinozaki Lighthouse
Walk past the Turkish Memorial Museum for about 5 minutes and you will reach this lighthouse. Kashinozaki Lighthouse, built in 1870, is Japan’s oldest stone-built lighthouse.
You can climb up to the top of the lighthouse and have amazing views of the Pacific Ocean. You can also see the rocks that the Turkish ship crashed on and have great views of the rocky coast of Kii Oshima.
Tip: If you visit from late December to February, you may be able to view beautiful daffodils blooming around the lighthouse.
Umikongo Rocks
Take a 20-minute walk from the museum along the coast and you will reach Umikongo. Umikongo is a beautiful viewing point where you can see splendid rock structures in the ocean. This is also a wonderful place to see the Kashinozaki Lighthouse from a distance.
The Umikongo rocks are works of art made by the ocean waves breaking against the island. Watching the waves crash onto the rocks on a good day makes me really wonder how breathtaking it would be to watch them during a storm.
Getting here: If you’re taking the Kushimoto Town Community Bus, you’ll need to take a short walk here from the museum stop. The Magutol Sightseeing bus will stop here and wait for 25 minutes. This is great if you don’t want to waste time waiting for the next bus.
Kushimoto Marine Park
Kushimoto Marine Park is a hidden gem in Kushimoto. If you’re visiting Kushimoto with kids, this is definitely not to be missed.
The first marine park built in Japan, this marine park is unfortunately not as famous as Kaiyukan, the aquarium in Osaka. This is probably because the number of people who visit Kushimoto is far less than those visiting Osaka. Nevertheless, this marine park has some gems that you cannot find at Kaiyukan.
The two most special things you will have to experience here are the Undersea Tower and the glass-bottomed sightseeing boat.
The glass-bottomed boat is a great way to view marine animals in their natural underwater state. Instead of a usual glass-bottomed boat, the Stella Maris has seats where you can sit and look out of large windows in the underwater viewing room.
Note: The boat has fixed departure times, and each cruise time is 25 minutes.
The undersea tower goes 6.3m below ground to witness undersea life in the ocean. Large windows in the tower allow you to see into the ocean and see fishes in their natural state. These fishes are not in tanks but in the ocean itself.
Note: Tickets cost 1800 yen for the aquarium and the undersea tower for adults, and 800 yen for kids. You can buy a combined ticket inclusive of the glass-bottomed boat for 2600 yen for adults and 1400 yen for children.
Getting here: Board the Kushimoto Town Community Bus at the train station and it’ll get you here in 13 minutes. Tickets cost 200 yen each.
Getting Around Kushimoto
Getting around Kushimoto does require some planning beforehand. There are some sightseeing buses that take you to the main tourist spots here. But since there aren’t huge numbers of visitors visiting Kushimoto, bus timings are infrequent.
When you get to Kushimoto, definitely drop by the Nankikushimoto Sightseeing and Tourist Information center which is right outside the station. The staff there are wonderful and will give you all the information on how to get around. There was one English-speaking staff there the day we visited.
Electrical Assist Rental Bicycles
The tourist information center has electrical assist bicycles that you can rent. You need to return them by 5 pm. The bicycles can be a fun way to get you to the Hashiguiiwa rocks and Cape Shionomisaki, but I would not recommend you cycle into Kii Oshima island.
Kii Oshima island has a rocky and hilly terrain with many steep uphill roads. It’s going to be really difficult with kids at the back of your bicycle. Even without kids, if you’re not an avid cyclist, it is going to be a huge challenge.
Sightseeing Buses
So there are 2 sightseeing buses in Kushimoto.
First is the Kushimoto Town Community Bus. It has a few different lines, which take you to Shionomisaki, Hashiguiiwa rocks, Kushimoto Marine Park and Kii Oshima island. Tickets on any of the lines cost 200 yen each one way. Pay on-board.
Here are the timetables of the Kushimoto Town Community Bus to each of these areas (unfortunately I couldn’t find an online version in English).
The next bus is the Kushimoto Sightseeing Tour Bus Magutol. It’s a grey shuttle bus with a picture of a cute little penguin wearing a red suit on it. Tickets cost 500 yen per ride, or alternatively you can purchase a 2 day pass for 1000 yen. Tickets are half price for kids / students. Tickets can be purchased from the bus driver himself.
You can find the timetable on their website.
It’s really important that you check out all the bus timetables, and plan your route. You can mix and match them if they make for convenient timings. Not planning your route ahead of time could result in you missing out on seeing some places or getting stranded somewhere.
Taxi
If cycling around town is not your jam, and planning your route around the bus timings is giving you a headache, there’s always the good ol’ private hire taxi. They even have bigger vans for big groups.
How To Get To Kushimoto From Osaka
If you’re based in Osaka, getting to Kushimoto is a breeze. A 3-hour breeze, but a breeze nonetheless. Board the Kuroshio limited express train from Shin-Osaka station, and it’ll bring you straight to Kushimoto station.
The Kuroshio train travels along the coast and beautiful villages. The scenery makes for a wonderful ride.
How To Get To Kushimoto From Kyoto
From Kyoto, simply board the Haruka shinkansen to Shin-Osaka station. This takes about 45 minutes. Then change over to the Kuroshio train, straight to Kushimoto, in about 3 hours 22 minutes.
How To Get To Kushimoto From Tokyo
Now I’m going to be honest with you. Traveling from Tokyo to Kushimoto is going to take you a little more than 6 hours. So if I were based in Tokyo, I wouldn’t really be traveling to Kushimoto. There are plenty of other amazing places that you can visit from Tokyo with way less traveling times.
But if you’re really set on Kushimoto (after reading my amazing article ;)), board the Haruka shinkansen from Tokyo station to Shin-Osaka (approximately 3 hours) and then change over to the Kuroshio limited express (3 hours and 22 minutes).
When Is The Best Time To Visit Kushimoto
Anytime really. Kushimoto has a sort of tropical climate and doesn’t get too hot or too cold.
Are There Other Places To Visit Near Kushimoto
Yeah, definitely. The whole of south Wakayama is really like a sleepy town, but sleepy towns often have the best natural scenery.
1. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine and Nachi Falls
Kumano Nachi Taisha is a very famous Shinto shrine, and is also a UNESCO world heritage site. It is definitely a beauty to look at.
But the Nachi Falls, now that is just a spectacular work of God.
Photo by Modes Rodriguez on Flickr
Getting Here: The Kuroshio train stops at Kiikatsura station, from where you can take a local bus which gets you to both the shrine and the waterfall in around half an hour.
2. Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle is another beautiful white castle in the land of beautiful castles. It is surrounded by beautiful grounds which are great for cherry blossom viewing during spring.
Getting here: Take a local bus from Wakayama station, followed by an approximately 30 minute walk.
Photo by Yu-Jen Shih on Flickr
3. Mount Koya
Mount Koya is a beautiful shrine set in the middle of a thick cedar forest on a mountain. This place will take your breath away!
Photo by Geoff Whalan on Flickr
Getting Here: This is a bit more difficult to get to if you’re relying on the Kuroshio train to get you there. From Wakayama station, you’ll need to take 2 trains (the JR Wakayama line and the Nankai Koya Line) to get to Gokurakubashi station.
From there, get the Koya-San cable car to Koyasan.
Note: The Nankai Koya Line and the cable car are not covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Is The Japan Rail Pass Worth It
Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it? Well, it really depends on which parts of Japan you’re traveling to. We traveled to a number of places in Japan, so the Japan Rail Pass was incredibly worth it for us.
But if you’re only traveling to certain regions in Japan, you can buy a regional JR pass such as the Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist Pass.
It includes unlimited travel on non-reserved seats for JR lines that travel between Kansai Airport, Shin-Osaka, Kushimoto, Nagoya, Wakayama and others. You can also use it to reserve seats on the Kuroshio Limited Express.
It cannot be used on shinkansens sadly, and the Nankai Koya Line to Mount Koya is not included as well.
What Is The Best Japan Travel App That You Need
The best Japan travel app that you need is the Japan official travel app. It is a wonderful app for finding your way around Japan. You can filter routes according to what travel pass you have. It also gives detailed information about your train, such as what platform to board at. At massive stations like Tokyo, this is a huge help!
I would highly recommend that you download it before you arrive. You can plan your routes prior to arriving in Japan, down to the exact train timing that you require. This would make it much easier to make your train reservations in advance.
Conclusion
Small sleepy towns like Kushimoto are wonderful places for nature lovers and to really get a sense of travel like how the locals do. These are some of my favourite places to visit.
I hope you liked this guide and if you did, do let me know in the comments!
By the way, there’s this little non-descript building right opposite Kushimoto’s train station.
If you enter it, it leads into this elegantly styled bakery where you can buy a variety of Japanese buns and other delicacies. We bought these ‘pancakes’ which had a red bean filling and were so scrumptious.
Do try them out and let me know if you like them!
Related Posts:
If you would like to visit more places in Japan, do check out these posts:
10 Day Japan Itinerary: Japan With Kids
Off The Beaten Path Japan – Aomori Itinerary