I previously wrote about another magnificent trip to Japan that I enjoyed to the fullest—one that made me fall in love with this beautiful country that feels like it’s from another world. So when the opportunity arose for another extended trip, I didn’t have to think twice before packing my suitcase and taking off for three months. As usual, Captain Click was a great companion, and together we captured some fantastic moments and places that I’ll be sharing here.
I’m also lucky that the three months I spent in Japan included three national holidays, which allowed me to slow down and spend time in a few wonderful places—the first being the Kii Peninsula, which a colleague had recommended visiting. My buddy Shun-san also shared a few tips that helped make my time there unforgettable.
Stop in tuna town: Nachikatsuura
The highlight of the long weekend was definitely my time in Nachikatsuura, a small coastal town famous for its natural surroundings, spiritual heritage, hot springs, and status as one of Japan’s most important tuna ports. Probably one of its most famous features is its fresh tuna—without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had.
I’ve seen towns centered around wine and other goods before, but tuna is a first. At every step in this place, you’re reminded that this delicious, red-colored, and heavy-metal-infused fish is the lifeline of the community. You can see it in the street decorations, restaurant menus, souvenir shops, markets, and even in their celebrations.
I was fortunate that my visit to Nachikatsuura coincided with the Annual Festival of Katsuura Hachiman Shrine (勝浦八幡神社例大祭), a unique and spectacular event deeply connected to the town’s identity as a fishing community. The highlight of the festival is the “Underwater Purification” ritual—a dramatic and visually stunning ceremony that involves parading the mikoshi through the town before performing a purification ritual in the sea. The ritual is meant to pray for safety on the waters and for an abundant fishing season. Another element of the festival features young men from the town rowing small boats as part of the purification process and mikoshi escort. All in all, it was an incredible experience to witness this celebration, and one I’m very grateful for.
Nachi Waterfall
On my other day in Nachikatsuura, I visited several local onsens, including one located in a cave overlooking the ocean—what an experience! But before that, I woke up early again and took the first bus to the Nachi Waterfall and Seiganto-ji Temple complex, arriving before the crowds and while the soft morning light still lingered. My effort was undoubtedly rewarded: I managed to capture a great shot of the famous three-story pagoda with the waterfall in the background, and I also got to enjoy the serenity of the temple, with only a few monks and myself around.
Stop a Toretore Ichiba
One of the less exciting stops on my long weekend journey through the Kii Peninsula was Shirahama, a coastal resort town famous for its quartz-sand beach and dramatic coastal scenery. I’m not much of a beach person—especially not when it’s so hot outside that ten minutes in the sun would turn me into a roasted otter—and the dramatic coastline, covered with interesting rock formations, was also hard to enjoy in that scorching heat. So, I was left with few options other than relaxing in the onsen at the ryokan where I was staying and visiting Toretore Market, which is popular among both locals and tourists for its fresh seafood. There, I got to witness a tuna-cutting “show,” eat sea creatures that looked more like monsters than food, and, of course, snap a few shots here and there.
