Getting Oriented in Nagoya, Ise-Shima, and the Kii Peninsula
Nagoya is a jumping-off point for traveling south to Ise-Shima and southwest to the Kii Peninsula and Koya-san. It's on a wide plain in the main urban and industrial corridor that runs along the south side of Honshu from Tokyo, and west to Kobe. The Japan Alps rise north and east of the city.
- Nagoya. An ancient transport, business, and cultural hub, Nagoya combines old and new Japan. To the north, along the edge of the Gifu and Nagano mountains, are cormorant fishing and craft centers.
- Ise-Shima National Park. Visit the shrines. To the south are bays ringed by fishing villages and oyster farms.
- Kii Peninsula. With few roads and only one coastal railway line, the peninsula rewards explorers with beautiful wilderness and the shrines of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage road.
- Koya-san. Headquarters of the 1,200-year-old Shingon Buddhist sect, this small, isolated mountain town, dotted by 117 temples, is a spiritual retreat. Stay overnight in a temple.
