If you love nature, the sea, and scenic spots that give a powerful, spiritual, and calming feeling - Nachikatsuura (Nachi) might be for you. Situated on the southern side of Japan’s Kii Peninsula in Wakayama Prefecture, Nachikatsuura is a small town of less than 15,000 people, home to two incredibly famous landmarks: Seiganto-ji Temple’s Three-Storied Pagoda and Nachi Falls. Depending on how much time you have, there’s more to see in the area, but it’s possible to comfortably visit the two famous spots in just a two day, one night trip. I’ll outline a short itinerary filled with my advice, photography tips & gallery, and finally provide some additional places you can visit if time permits.

Left: Seiganto-ji Temple’s Three Storied Pagoda, Right: Hiro Shrine Torii, with Nachi Falls behind.

Background & History

Seiganto-ji is believed to have been founded around the 4th century B.C. by the Indian monk Ragyō Shōnin near the sacred Nachi Falls. Over time, it became an important center of syncretic worship (now called the “Kumano” faith), blending Buddhism and Shinto, and served as a key stop on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route during the Heian period. The current main hall was rebuilt in 1590 under Toyotomi Hideyoshi's orders. Despite the enforced separation of Buddhism and Shinto during the Meiji era, Seiganto-ji survived and retained its spiritual significance. In 2004, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains a popular destination, especially for its iconic view of the pagoda with Nachi Falls in the background. The famous three-storied pagoda was repainted and restored in 2024, welcoming visitors with its bright vermillion sheen.

Adjacent to Seiganto-ji is Kumano Nachi Taisha, one of the “Kumano Sanzan” (three Grand Shrines of Kumano) and a key spiritual site rooted in ancient nature worship. It is dedicated to the deity of Nachi Falls, Japan’s tallest single-drop waterfall, which has been revered since ancient times. Along with Seiganto-ji Temple, this shrine became a major pilgrimage destination during the Heian period as part of the Kumano Kodo, attracting emperors and commoners alike.

Hiro Shrine (Hiro Jinja), situated at the base of Nachi Falls, is a sacred site where nature and spirituality intertwine. Unlike typical Shinto shrines, Hiro Shrine lacks a main hall; instead, worshippers venerate the waterfall itself, considered the physical embodiment (shintai) of the deity Hiryū Gongen. This practice reflects ancient nature worship traditions, where natural elements like waterfalls were revered as divine. As an auxiliary shrine of Kumano Nachi Taisha, Hiro Shrine is still part of the Kumano Sanzan trio. Visitors can partake in rituals such as drinking the sacred "enmeisui" (longevity water) from the falls, believed to bestow good health.

How to Visit, Tips, and Itineraries

This information is based on my own trip in April 2024. Although I stayed for two nights, I knew beforehand that I wanted to take some time to explore the surrounding area on top of the main two sights, which really only requires one night. There’s no “best” or “right” way to visit many of these places, but I found my trip to be efficient while still not feeling rushed. It also led to some fantastic photography, resulting in images that are still among my favorite I’ve ever taken. Since opening hours, road status, train schedules, and more can change often, please ensure to do your own research as you plan your trip!

Getting to Nachikatsuura

Nachi is accessible via major cities like Kyoto, Osaka, or Nagoya via JR Limited Express trains. From Kyoto or Osaka, you’ll want to reserve the Kuroshio Limited Express, and from Nagoya, it’ll be the Nanki Limited Express. To ride these trains, a Limited Express ticket is needed in addition to paying the basic fare, and seat reservations are recommended. You can get these tickets from a JR ticket office or the machines that indicate they vend Limited Express tickets. The closest station to the main Nachikatsuura Town is Kii-Katsuura Station. Note that if you want to leave from Kyoto, only a handful of Kuroshio services begin there, whereas all either pass through Osaka or begin in Osaka. Regardless of if you start in Kyoto/Osaka or Nagoya, the journey will be approximately 4 hours. That’s the perfect amount of time between the traditional accommodation check-out time at your starting point and the check-in time for a Nachi accommodation. Alternatively, you can come earlier and store your bags at an accommodation or luggage locker.

Accommodation Options

From hotels & ryokans to guesthouses & hostels, there’s accommodations of every type available in town. I stayed at a traditional guesthouse called Oyado Hana, which is right next to Kii-Katsuura Station. They have Japanese-style tatami rooms with shared bathrooms, a private bath “onsen” you can reserve with the host, as well as a few parking spots available just a two minute walk away (first come, first serve). It’s extremely clean with friendly staff, and I had a great two-night stay there. Oyado Hana is also relatively budget friendly - I paid about $65 USD per night in peak spring season, taxes included. Depending on the season, rates could be more or less.

Alternatively, for hot springs lovers with more budget, Hotel Urashima is a famous accommodation on east side of the Katsuura Bay with a handful of different onsen on the property. Most famous is the Bokido, a cave onsen overlooking the ocean. The hotel is sprawling, with four different accommodation buildings, breakfast and dinner buffets, and scenic overlooks. They do offer shuttles by bus or ferry from Kii-Katsuura station or the port at certain times of day. If you have more time to spare, especially because the location being a bit less central, this could be an interesting option for a memorable experience. Otherwise, accommodations in town closer to the station will end up being more convenient.

Rental Car vs. Bus

I highly recommend renting a car if you want to visit Seiganto-ji and Nachi Falls in the morning, where you can enjoy both before the tour buses arrive with more people. Watching the sunrise at the three-storied pagoda, with the sound of the falls roaring, golden light starting to bathe the scene, and the temple priest playing the conch trumpet (Horagai)… it’s one of my favorite memories from years of traveling around Japan. Even at Nachi Falls, for a good 20 minutes, I was the only person there other than the priest. In a world where places like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are more crowded than ever, this is a rare opportunity to enjoy two incredibly powerful places quietly. There is ample parking available in the morning at Seiganto-ji and Nachi Falls, just mind that although well-paved, the drive up is still on some steep mountain roads.

I rented from Toyota Rent-a-Car, which takes reservations online. It’s a short walk from Kii-Katsuura station. I started my rental in the evening of my arrival, around 5:00 PM, so I had 24-hours with the car which allowed me to explore other parts of Nachi and nearby Shingu.

If you elect to depend on the bus, the first bus is usually around 6:30 - 7:00 AM, depending on the season. Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus should take contactless payment like Visa/Mastercard credit cards. Just note that since Seiganto-ji and Nachi Falls are quite high up the mountain, you’ll be at the mercy of the bus schedule and crowd levels to get back to town - it’s not practical to walk down. Since I decided to rent a car, I can’t personally speak to the bus experience.

Food & Drink

If you stay at Oyado Hana, there’s a great restaurant next door called Kumano no Mezame. Staff are very friendly and they have a few menu sets to choose from. A good, convenient option especially if you want simple choices to choose from. It seems very popular with foreign visitors too. If you decide to stay at Hotel Urashima or similar, they’ll have breakfast and dinner buffets on offer as a part of the stay.

As you head into town, there’s many casual seafood spots, especially closer to the fish market and waterfront. The area is super famous for tuna, so most places will offer maguro sashimi or even donburi. Note that some places will have limited opening days and opening hours, just around lunch or dinner time, so check online before heading over. In my short time there, it seemed many restaurants were starting to offer English menus too, because of the inbound tourism.

If you find yourself walking around the harbor area, there’s a nice small cafe called Bonkura Cafe, or you can search “ボンクラコーヒー” on Google Maps. The baristas here are friendly, professional, and make great coffee. They even gave me a free slice of poundcake on the house.

When all else fails, there’s a few convenience stores around - two Lawson locations flanking either side of Kii-Katsuura station and a FamilyMart a bit further north of the station.

Summary Itinerary - Two Days, One Night

One night is plenty if you’re just focused on seeing Seiganto-ji from outside and Nachi Falls, including getting great photos. Here’s how I would break it down:

Day 1

Depart Osaka around 12 PM on JR Kuroshio bound for Kii-Katsuura, arrive around 4 PM.
Check in at Oyado Hana guesthouse, drop off luggage, make onsen reservation for the evening. Explain to the host that you’ll go for sunrise at Seiganto-ji, and see if you can arrange an early morning checkout (depending on sunrise time, maybe 4:45 AM) where you’ll clear the room and store your bags in the lockers in the morning. Their stated checkout time is 5 AM, but with planning they should be able to accommodate a little earlier. If not, note that you’ll need to come back to check out before 10 AM on Day 2.
Walk over to Toyota Rent-a-Car for reservation pickup around 5 PM.
Drive over to a scenic boardwalk which leads to Nanki Kumano Geopark, parking lot coordinates: 33.631265, 135.952304.
Enjoy a sunset walk around the boardwalk to Benten Shrine and the Nanki Kumano Geopark. Note that around sunset will likely be high tide, so you can’t actually walk up to the shrine, unless you come for low tide the next day.
After sunset, return to the car, find dinner either in town or nearby.
Overnight at Oyado Hana, enjoy the onsen reservation, get ready for an early day.

Day 2

Early wakeup for sunrise at Seiganto-ji Pagoda. It’s about an 18-20 minute drive, early in the morning on steep roads. Leave enough time to complete check out and store luggage. Park at Seiganto-ji’s main lot - you’ll get to drive around the pagoda on your way up.
Sunrise at Pagoda. Stay as little or long as you’d like. The temple formally opens around 7:30 AM, and the pagoda formally opens around 9 AM to go inside, if desired.
Drive down to Nachi Falls parking - it’s just past the large painted crosswalk. There is a small fee to park, with an automatic ticket-based gate.
Explore Hiro Shrine area. The shrine formally opens around 8 AM, but the main view can be enjoyed prior. Stay as little or long as you’d like.
Free until your rental car return and train, depending on how late you want to stay in Nachikatsuura. Some ideas in the section below.
Head back to pick up luggage, then take the train - either via Kuroshio in the direction of Osaka/Kyoto or Nanki in direction of Nagoya. Definitely load up on some snacks at convenience store before the long journey!

Now, if you’re going to extend your trip to a second night, you have some added flexibility. Without the need of potentially making a 10 AM check-out deadline (if early check-out can’t be arranged) you have ample time to wait for things to open up on Nachi. You’ll also be able to make full use of the 24-hour rental car reservation, versus potentially having to return it a little early to catch the train. However, if your focus is to enjoy these places peacefully and take some quiet photos, you may not want to be there when the tour buses arrive en masse.

Other Places Nearby

If you’ll stay a second night like I did, here’s a few ideas of things you can do in Nachikatsuura and the surrounding area.

Nanki Kumano Geopark & Benten Shrine (Low Tide)

Low tide is typically in the early to mid afternoon, and at this time you can walk out to the torii gate at Benten Shrine. Walking out also gives even better views of the surrounding coastline, and if you look carefully on a clear day, you can even see the very top of Nachi Falls! If you bring a telephoto lens or zoom in all the way on your phone, you’ll definitely catch a glimpse.

Katsuura Fish Market & Auction

Nachikatsuura is a famous tuna town, and supplies much of the fresh tuna to Osaka and Kyoto, among other places. The auction is typically around 7 AM, and it’s free to watch from the 2nd floor visitor’s observation area. There’s a fee to walk the floor of the auction, which I don’t think is necessary for most people. Afterwards, you can get fresh seafood at the Nigiwai Market. It’s a much more relaxed experience than Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market or the auction over at Toyosu.

Kumano Hongu Taisha (Tanabe)

Tanabe is a short drive from Nachikatsuura, and is home to the Kumano Hongu Taisha. Along with the Kumano Nachi Taisha (next to Seiganto-ji) and the Kumano Hayatama Taisha (see below), these shrines make up the “Kumano Sanzan” shrines, or the three main sacred shrines of the Kumano faith and those of which the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail is centered. This shrine in particular is famous for being home to the largest torii gate in the world, built nearby at the Oyunohara sandbank.

Kumano Hayatama Taisha (Shingu)

Like Tanabe, Shingu is a short drive from Nachikatsuura (in the opposite direction of Tanabe), and is home to the beautiful Kumano Hayatama Taisha. Visiting this shrine would round out a complete trip to each of the three Kumano Sanzan shrines.

Nachikatsuura Seaside Park & Beach

In front of JR Nachi station (not Kii-Katsuura station) is a beautiful beach and seaside park. There is a parking lot located at: 33.640092, 135.935329 which is equipped with bathrooms, along with a FamilyMart nearby to pick up any picnic snacks. There are plenty of picnic-style benches with partial shades, as well as wide stone steps facing the water. It’s also a popular local surf spot.

Photography in Nachi & Gallery

There’s amazing natural beauty around Nachi’s coastline, as well as the iconic Seiganto-ji Pagoda and Nachi Falls. Below are a few tips for getting great photos around Nachi, along with a gallery of my own photos.

Sunrise and early morning are excellent for photographing both Seiganto-ji and the Hiro Shrine Torii, but note that the Falls itself will likely still be shaded. This can easily be fixed in Lightroom, but if you want natural light on the Falls, you’ll have to wait until later in the morning.
While clear weather is great for Seiganto-ji, some rain or fog can provide a great mood as well, so don’t get discouraged if the weather isn’t perfect.
Long exposures on the falls really highlight its roaring power. I took both long and short exposures, just to have variety.
While the iconic, classic compositions are satisfying to capture, definitely look around for some new ones too - after you take care of capturing “the shot” of course.
The Nachi coast was one of my favorite places to fly my drone - something I haven’t done a lot in Japan, other than around the Fuji Lakes Area. If you have a small one on hand, like the DJI Mini 4 Pro, there are some nice opportunities!