Wakayama Prefecture

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Lore & Background

Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii. On July 17–18, 1953, a torrential heavy rain occurred, followed by collapse of levees, river flooding and landslides in a wide area. Many bridges and houses were destroyed. According to an officially confirmed report by the Government of Japan, 1,015 people died, with 5,709 injured and 7,115 houses lost. As of 31 March 2020, 13 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Setonaikai and Yoshino-Kumano National Parks; Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen and Kōya-Ryūjin Quasi-National Parks; and several Prefectural Natural Parks including Enju Kaigan, Hatenashi Sanmyaku, Hikigawa, Jōgamori Hokodai, Kōyasanchō Ishimichi-Tamagawakyō, Kozagawa, Nishiarida, Oishi Kōgen, Ōtōsan, Ryūmonzan, Shiramisan-Wadagawakyō, and Shirasaki Kaigan.

Reader's Guide

Mount Kōya in the Ito District is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is home to one of the first Japanese style Buddhist temples in Japan and remains a pilgrimage site and an increasingly popular tourist destination as people flock to see its ancient temples set amidst the towering cedar trees at the top of the mountain. The Sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountain Range extend for miles throughout the prefecture and together have been recognized as Japan's 11th UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kumano Shrines are on the southern tip of the prefecture. Wakayama Prefecture ranks first in the production of oranges in Japan. Wakayama has its own brand of oranges, which is produced in Arida District and called 'Arida-Orange'. Arida District, where oranges have been produced for more than 400 years, yields about half of the orange crops in Wakayama today. Furthermore, the yield of Arida-Oranges accounts for about 10 percent of Japanese domestic production of oranges. According to the survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Wakayama stands first in the production of Chinese flowering plum, or ume in Japanese, in Japan. As of 2016, Wakayama made up about 70 percent of Japanese domestic production of ume. Since 1996, population of Wakayama Prefecture has kept declining, and since 2010, it has been the only prefecture in Kansai region with population below 1,000,000. In the 2020 census, close to 32% of the population was over 65 years of age - the highest percentage in Japan. Wakayama Prefecture has friendship and sister relationships with six places outside Japan: Florida (United States), Galicia (Spain), Pyrénées-Orientales (France), Shandong (People's Republic of China), Sichuan (People's Republic of China), and Sinaloa (Mexico).

Did You Know?

• Wakayama Prefecture ranks first in Japan for orange production, with the Arida-Orange brand accounting for about 10 percent of domestic orange output.
• As of 2016, Wakayama made up about 70 percent of Japanese domestic production of Chinese flowering plum (ume).
• In the 2020 census, close to 32% of Wakayama's population was over 65 years of age — the highest percentage in Japan.
• The 1953 flood disaster in Wakayama resulted in 1,015 deaths, 5,709 injured, and 7,115 houses lost.
• Mount Kōya in Wakayama is the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.