1-day tour to Wakayama & Shirahama hot spring: Visit the cat station master + seafood market + Senjojiki + Sandanbeki cliffs

This day tour takes you from Osaka into the Wakayama countryside, where a small railway station has become known across Japan for an unusual reason: a cat serving as stationmaster. You'll start at Kishi Station, home to this feline tradition, before boarding a special train for the short ride to Itakiso Station. From there, the day moves on to Toretore Market, where stalls piled with fresh seafood, sashimi and local specialties give a taste of the region's coastal produce.

The second half of the day shifts pace toward Shirahama, one of Wakayama's best-known hot spring towns. At Toretore Hot Spring you can soak in open-air baths and stone saunas before heading out to see the coastline itself. Senjojiki's layered sandstone terraces stretch out toward the Pacific, while the nearby Sandanbeki Cliffs drop sharply to the sea and hide an underground sea cave accessible by elevator (fee not included).

From quirky railway culture to seafood markets, hot springs and rugged cliff scenery, this Osaka day tour covers a wide slice of what makes Wakayama worth the trip out of the city. Private charter options are available alongside standard pick-up service, making it straightforward to fit the day around your own schedule.

The day begins at Kishi Station, where you can photograph the station's famous cat stationmaster before boarding a special train bound for Itakiso Station at 10:38, arriving at 10:50. Since Kishi Station is unmanned, your driver-guide will meet you at Itakiso rather than joining from the start. From there, you'll head to Toretore Market to sample or buy fresh seafood, sashimi and seafood bowls, with tuna-cutting shows adding some local flavor to the stop.

After the market, the tour continues to Toretore Hot Spring for a soak in the open-air baths and stone saunas. The final stretch of the day takes you along the Shirahama coastline, starting with the sandstone terraces of Senjojiki overlooking the Pacific, then on to Sandanbeki Cliffs, where you can walk along the clifftop, use the free foot bath, or pay separately to descend by elevator into the underground sea cave.