Ryujin onsen 龍神温泉
April 5th. 2024
Shirasaki Kaigan (coast) to Ryujin Skyline
Shirasaki Kaigan Kaiyo Koen is a strange michi no eki. Large carpark, dubious campsite and a stark toilet that is adequate at best. There is a michi no eki building that has a restaurant, a few vegetables for sale and an information desk.
The most notable feature was the strong gale that rocked us all night long. I slept like a baby.
The morning is still very windy as we walk round the headland to the viewing point. It all looked much more interesting in the glow of sunset. The large, abandoned building was almost certainly a swimming pool. A notice informs us it was severely damaged in a typhoon a few years ago.
Shirasaki coast
Kii Hinomisaki Lighthouse 紀伊日の御埼灯台
From Shirasaki we go to Hinomisaki to see a lighthouse on a headland. On the way we encounter the “American Village.” This we discover is the result of villagers going to Canada to work, probably in the fishing industry, and, on return, building American style houses. There is a Canadian museum which we did not investigate. The lighthouse was not worth the trouble. It is of little interest and, even if it were, there is no place to stop.
Kii Hinomisaki lighthouse
Ryujin onsen
From that point on, a driving day heading towards Koya-san. This involves a hectic drive of ups and downs and lefts and rights along the Ryujin Skyline. Fun, but exhausting. We stop at Ryujin Onsen and take a bath at Motoyu.
View from Koya Ryujin Skyline
Our first choice would not except visitors after 3pm but Motoyu was a great substitute. The onsen is not flashy but there are 3 large baths, one outside. This offers a view of the hillside arrayed in new and budding foliage with a hint of Yamazakura (wild cherry blossoms) here and there. This has been a feature of the drive all day, the fresh leaves on the hillsides in various shades of green and the smattering of cherry and plum blossom.
＊Ryujin onsen ‘Motoyu’ ; 800 yen / adult
After the bath, we follow the skyline to Koya-san passing the magnificent dark red gate ‘Daimon’ and then drop down to michi no eki Kudoyama. Kudoyama town is famous for persimmon but there are many orchards filled with peach blossom.
This is our third time here. It is not very good but conveniently located. The facilities are reasonable but overwhelmed as the parking is vast and it is a popular spot. There is cherry blossom along the river here too which explains why the rubbish bins are full to overflowing.</p
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The author is a long term resident of Japan who has and continues to travel the country extensively. Avoiding highways where possible, the author has driven from Kagoshima in Kyushu to Wakanai in Hokkaido covering 20,000 plus kilometres and counting.
