Wakayama Prefecture

Do
Feel the spray of three famous waterfalls
Kegon, Nachi and Fukuroda are often called Japan's three great waterfalls, and each drops around 100 meters. At all three you can stand on a viewing deck near the base, close enough to hear the roar and feel the mist on your face. Kegon and Fukuroda are day trips from Tokyo, while Nachi, far south of Osaka, fits better into an overnight trip.
Do
Walk to an island on a path the tide reveals
In a few places in Japan, a strip of sand or rock rises out of the sea at low tide and joins the shore to a small island, so you can walk across and back. The path appears for only a few hours, and on some days not at all, so look up the day's low tide before you go. Start back in good time, because once the tide comes in you cannot walk back.
Do
Climb spiral stairs to the top of a lighthouse
Sixteen of Japan's lighthouses, many built in the late 1800s to guide ships, are open for visitors to walk inside and climb. Wind up the narrow spiral staircase and step out onto the balcony at the top for a view of the horizon and passing ships. Entry is a small donation paid on the spot, and no booking is needed.
Do
Dig your own hot spring in a riverbed
In a few places in Japan, hot spring water seeps up through the gravel of a riverbed. Dig a hole with a shovel, let the hot water fill it, and mix in cold river water until the temperature is right: an outdoor bath of your own making. Swimsuits are worn, and the baths close when the river is high.
Do
Soak in a hot spring inside a rock cave
A few onsen sit inside caves, some worn into the rock by the sea or a river and some dug out by hand, so you soak in a dim stone pool that feels like a small expedition. All of them are far from Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, so build one into a longer trip rather than a day trip.

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