An Immersive Cultural Foray into Exquisite Gardens Belonging to the Kishu-Tokugawa and Other Captivating Historic Sights of Wakayama

The Nishinomaru Garden at Wakayama Castle was built by the first Kishu-Tokugawa feudal lord. Tokugawa Yorinobu—the tenth son of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu— in the early Edo Period (1603-1867). The castle keep was built on the mountain, featuring stylistic elements iconic to Tokugawa Yorinobu that make the garden luxuriant but cozy. The garden is beautiful across all seasons, but is especially stunning in autumn. In this season, the blazing red and golden hues of the leaves and Engyokaku Pavillion reflect in the pond’s still waters with breathtaking splendor.
You can also treat yourself to a respite at the Koshoan tearoom inside the garden. After taking in the sights of the garden, whet your appetite with the Kishu-Tokugawa Family Feast, a recreation of the meal offered at Chohoji, the Kishu-Tokugawa family temple that Tokugawa Yorinobu would visit when practicing falconry.
This is a perfect way to enjoy the gourmet tastes of Wakayama’s old-world royalty, with a sumptuous feast fit for a feudal lord.

The next stop after Wakayama Castle is Yosuien Garden, a pond-style garden built by the tenth lord of Kishu, Tokugawa Harutomi. The space was created as a garden for the feudal lord over nine painstaking years, beginning in 1818. Just like the famous Hama-rikyu Gardens in Tokyo, this garden features a pond uniquely crafted by mixing in seawater. Stay a while and lose yourself in the ebb and flow of the tide in the pond’s surface.
After getting a sense for the deep artistic aesthetics of Tokugawa Harutomi—known as the “gracious lord”—it’s time to visit Kishu-Toshogu Shrine, where both Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Yorinobu are enshrined. Built atop a hill overlooking Waka-no-Ura Bay, both the main Honden and front Haiden halls feature exquisitely detailed carvings fashioned by the hands of Hidari Jingoro and mural painting by Kano Tanyu, earning this spot the fitting title of the Nikko of Kansai (western Japan).

The arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853 sparked a bolstering of naval defense efforts across the Kishu-Tokugawa domain . One such effort included setting up a distant lookout point near the Kii Channel, a vital point in sea trade. Here, long cliffs protrude from the ocean, revealing a lush top of green grass and trees and stunning blue ocean waters before your eyes. Look up, and you’ll find an unforgettable view, as vistas of Shikoku, Awaji Island, and lands beyond fill your eyes.
At the tip of the cape, you’ll find a designated photo spot, perfect for you to snap away to your heart’s content. This garden is unique for offering a wide lineup of events and programs for visitors, including a barbecue package (advance reservation with the garden required), yoga (advance reservation with the Wakayama City Tourist Association required) and more. Featuring vast open spaces and breathtaking backdrops, this garden is the perfect place for an active escape.

Depart Wakayama City and make for your next destinations: Negoro-ji Temple in Iwade City and Kokawa-dera Temple in Kinokawa City. Negoro-ji is the head temple of the Shingi Shingon Sect of Buddhism, started by the priest Kakuban, also known for stimulating the practice of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism at Koyasan. The temple was founded some nine hundred years ago.
Inside the temple grounds you’ll find a scenic, manicured garden that’s home to tranquil water birds swimming in its pond, a waterfall, and a rock formation in full view from the hall that was gifted by the Kishu-Tokugawa load in the Edo period.
The temple grounds still retain the rich influence of medieval Japan, standing as home to a workshop for Negoro lacquerware, one of the three major lacquerware traditions in Japan, and the former mainstay of dishes used by the monks of Negoro-ji Temple. Negoro lacquer is highly esteemed for its aesthetic appearance, with a black undercoat that naturally appears over time. Here you can try your hand at painting a spoon or pair of chopsticks, attuning yourself to over seven centuries of traditional craftsmanship.

First founded in 770, Kokawa-dera Temple boasts over 1250 years of history. This esteemed temple was kept under the Kishu-Tokugawa Family and stands as home to a framed signboard from the tenth domain lord Tokugawa Harutomi, as well as the Hidari Jingoro carving of a subspecies of tiger said in legend to sneak out night after night to raid the fields gifted by Tokugawa Yoshimune, who served as the fifth feudal lord and eighth shogun. This nationally designated scenic garden featured a bold rock garden of layered Kishu stones that is dotted with cycad plants along its area. This dry rock garden boasts a dynamic design that is rarely seen in Japan.
Before or after visiting Kokawa-dera Temple, you won’t want to miss a chance to taste the region’s delights. Kinokawa City is known across Japan as home to some of the nation’s finest fruit production. In addition to the wide array of iconic food spots serving up varieties of seasonal fruit, there’s a one-of-a-kind fruit sushi that you won’t want to miss. The fusion of plump, juicy fruit with sushi are an experience like none other you’ve tried before.