Residents of Shirahama are blessed to live in one of the most popular holiday destinations in Japan where domestic tourists often travel long distances to sunbake and swim at Shirahama's famous white sandy beach. Shirahama also many local hot springs, resort hotels, delicious restaurants and many seaside walking trails.
A 15 minute drive from the centre of town will take you to Shirahama domestic airport and Shirahama train station.
Wakayama City is the capital of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan's Kansai region. It is famous for the magnificent Wakayama Castle which overlooks the city, with its original moat and stone walls. Nearby, the Museum of Modern Art displays Japanese prints, paintings and sculptures, as well as European works.
Surrounding Wakayama Station is a large shopping district with department stores and a variety of restaurants and specialty shops.
Located on the man-made resort island of Wakayama Marina City, Kuroshio Market is a giant bustling seaside fish market offering freshly caught seafood. Enjoy mouthwatering sashimi, or grill your fresh purchase of seafood on a charcoal barbecue which are available for hire. The market also has a great selection of local sake and souvenirs for purchase. Throughout the day, tuna filleting takes place where an entire, freshly caught tuna is expertly sliced and fileted as a professional explains the different cuts of Japan's most famous sushi fish.
For over 1000 years, people from all levels of society, including retired emperors and aristocrats, have made the arduous pilgrimage to Kumano. These pilgrims used a network of routes, now called the Kumano Kodo, which stretches across the mountainous Kii Peninsula in Wakayama.
The walk itself was an integral part of the pilgrimage process as they undertook rigorous religious rites of worship and purification. Walking the ancient Kumano Kodo is a fantastic way to experience the unique cultural landscape of Kumano's spiritual countryside.
In July 2004, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes were registered as UNESCO World Heritage as part of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range property.
Mount Koya or Koyasan is the center of Shingon Buddhism, a small and secluded temple town built on a wooded mountaintop. It is also the start and end point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
Enjoy the variety of seasons including the rich textures of the leaves in autumn, the fresh backdrop of a cover of winter snow, or the bloom of spring cherry blossoms.
Koyasan is one of the best places to experience an overnight stay at a temple lodging called shukubo, where you can experience a monk's lifestyle and enjoy the contemplative surroundings that make Koyasan spectacular.
Shirahama and the surrounding Wakayama Prefecture has some of the best and most famous onsen (hot springs) in Japan.
Japan is famous for its culture of onsen which has become a way of life, cherished not only as a way to gain relief from fatigue, but also as a place to cleanse the body, treat illness, or just to interact with other people.
Residents of Sunshine Village Shirahama will appreciate the opportunity to soak in a hot spring to help fall into a deep sleep and make any aches and pains a distant memory.
