Gobo: An Unexpectedly Deep Little City

Overview

Most travellers know Wakayama for its coast and its mountains, and drive straight past Gobo, a small city on the prefecture's mid-coast where the Hidaka River meets the Pacific. That is a mistake. Gobo packs several unrelated pleasures into a place you can cover in an afternoon, and locals like to point out that a web search for the town turns up 'village of beauties', 'Kitaro' and 'ramen battleground' in the same breath.

At its heart is Jinaimachi, a merchant and temple quarter that grew up around the Hongan-ji Hidaka Betsuin and prospered on river shipping; its machiya townhouses, old wholesalers and sake breweries include nationally registered heritage buildings, and the prettiest way in is the Kishu Railway, Japan's shortest private line, alighting at Nishi-Gobo. The Kii-ji route of the Kumano Kodo threads through town past the Shioya Ouji shrine, said to grant beautiful children, hence Gobo's 'village of beauties' nickname, tied to Miyako-hime, a fisherman's daughter who became an emperor's consort.

For the offbeat, the waterside Sio-thope park scatters statues of the manga yokai Kitaro for reasons no one quite explains, and the local soul food is sechi-yaki, fried noodles bound with egg and griddled flat. Gobo is also a quietly serious ramen town, home to Michelin-listed shops. Opening hours and days off vary by shop, so check the official channels before a special trip.