Wakayama
Kumano Kodo UNESCO (2004, one of two global pilgrimage routes), Koyasan Buddhism (816 AD), #1 mikan and plums. 2026: millennium of pilgrimage continues.
Wakayama exists on the pilgrimage path to paradise. The Kumano Kodo trails, UNESCO World Heritage since 2004, have drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years to the three Kumano Grand Shrines. Emperors, aristocrats, and commoners walked these mountain paths seeking spiritual purification. Only two pilgrimage routes worldwide share UNESCO status: Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The pilgrimage infrastructure extends to Koyasan—Mount Koya—where Kobo Daishi founded Shingon Buddhism in 816 AD. Over 100 temples cluster on the mountain; visitors can stay in temple lodgings (shukubo) and experience monastic life. The combination of Kumano and Koyasan makes Wakayama Japan's most concentrated pilgrimage destination.
Beyond spiritual tourism, Wakayama produces more mikan oranges and Japanese plums than any other prefecture. The coastline offers fishing and aquaculture. By 2026, Wakayama's combination of pilgrimage heritage and agricultural specialization may prove more sustainable than industrial prefectures—the shrines have drawn visitors for a millennium; they'll likely draw them for another.