Katsura Onsen Wakayama

Katsura Onsen, located in the forested mountains of Kihoku in Mie Prefecture on the southern Kii Peninsula, taps sodium and bicarbonate thermal waters from the geothermally rich Kumano region, an area where the sacred Kumano pilgrimage tradition has sustained mountain hot spring culture for over a millennium. The remote and forested setting of this onsen reflects the deep connection between the Kumano mountains and the restorative power of water that underpins the entire Kii sacred landscape heritage corridor shared between Mie, Nara, and Wakayama. Visitors may combine a soak at Katsura Onsen with exploration of the ancient Ise-Kumano road, towering cedar forests, and the dramatic coastal scenery of the Mie-Wakayama border region.