Visit Wakayama

Wakayama Prefecture, blessed with a mild climate, produces the largest amount of plums in Japan, including the Nanko-Ume variety. They are popularly processed into pickled plums, plum wine, plum juice, and other products. The standard "umeboshi" (pickled plums) last for a long time, and some are individually packaged, making them a good souvenir.

Plum blossoms bloom as if to call for spring, and the best time to see them is from late January to early March (depending on the region). After the flowers fall, the plum trees bear fruit, and harvesting of the green plums begins around the beginning of June. Please enjoy Wakayama's plums, which can be enjoyed for both the flowers and the fruit.

In Japan's largest plum-growing region, plum wine is produced using a variety of plums. Umeshu is an alcoholic beverage produced by soaking the whole plum fruit in sake along with sugar to obtain the extract. The flavor varies greatly depending on the type of plums and sake, and how long they are soaked for. Try to find your favorite flavor, such as freshly picked green plums, which can only be found in the production area, or plum wine made from super-ripe plums, which cannot be found in stores!

After visiting the temple, check out the souvenirs on the main street of Koyasan! You will find a wide variety of historical and interesting items, such as items used in the vegetarian cuisine served at the lodgings and famous confections that have inherited the traditional taste of the area. Some stores close early to accommodate the check-in time of the lodgings, so be sure to purchase your favorite items as early as possible.

Yuasa Town is the birthplace of soy sauce, which is now loved around the world along with Japanese food culture. Yuasa Town is also recognized as a Japanese Heritage Site.

It is said that it all started with "Kinzanji Miso", which was brought back to Japan by Zen monks who had trained in China during the medieval period. Later, miso was actively brewed in Yuasa Town, where the water quality is excellent, and soy sauce was created by improving the liquid that accumulated in the vats during the production process.

The town is lined with townhouses and storehouses, and visitors can purchase soy sauce, enjoy soy sauce ice cream at the storehouse cafe, and tour the soy sauce storehouse. At the museum, visitors can learn about soy sauce production through dioramas and panels.

If you want to buy souvenirs, you should not miss the markets in each area. The lively atmosphere of the markets is fun to be in, with the lively staff calling out to each other! Fresh seafood, fruits, confections, and other attractive products are lined up in a narrow space, and are sold at relatively reasonable prices. If you visit the Kuroshio Market or the Tore-Tore Market, be sure to attend the tuna cutting show, where the tuna is cut right in front of your eyes.

If you are taking a road trip, a stop at a roadside station is also recommended. There are also local production/local consumption restaurants where you can eat local gourmet foods.