Kumano sits in the very heart of Wakayama Prefecture, in the Kansai region, on Honshu island's Kii Peninsula. Its star attraction is arguably the UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed Kumano Kodo pilgrimage. The whole area boasts natural splendor and breath-taking landscapes with hidden forest waterfalls and numerous natural onsen (hot springs).
“We are very honored to have been selected as the No. 1 travel destination,” says Hideyuki Inamoto, president of the Wakayama Prefecture Tourism Federation. “Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture has long been regarded as a sacred place for worshiping nature where gods live. It is said that the pilgrimage trip to Kumano is ‘the beginning of the Japanese trip.’ We look forward to welcoming you to Kumano.”
The full list of best Japan travel destination in 2020:
1. Kumano Region, Wakayama
2. Tokyo
3. Nakasendo Way, Gifu and Nagano Prefectures
4. Sapporo, Hokkaido
5. Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture
6. Nikko, Tochigi
7. Yokohama, Kanagawa
8. Seven Stars in Kuyshu
9. Minakami, Gumna
10. Niseko, Hokkaido
Kumano Region Tops List of Best Japan Travel Destinations 2020
News in Asia
A popular Japanese-themed English language website GaijinPot released their fourth edition of the annual Top-10 Japan Travel Destinations index based on votes of its almost one million users. In 2020, the ancient Kumano region — known as the “land of the gods” tops the list.