The Kii Peninsula (紀伊半島 Kii Hantō) is one of the largest peninsulas on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is the location of a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.
Location
Wakayama Prefecture occupies much of the area, including the entire southern part. To the northwest of Wakayama Prefecture is Osaka Prefecture, whose southern part is on the peninsula. East of Osaka Prefecture is landlocked Nara Prefecture; farther east is Mie Prefecture.
The Seto Inland Sea lies to the west of the Kii Peninsula. To the south is the Pacific Ocean.
Especially, the south from Central Tectonic Line is called Nanki (南紀).
Notable places
Notable places in the Kii Peninsula include :
- Nara, former capital of Japan.
- Mount Koya (or Kōyasan), the headquarters of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.
- Wakayama, former home of the Kii (or Kishu) Tokugawa clan.
- Matsusaka, now the center of major beef-producing area, former the center of Ise merchants.
- Ise, the location of the Grand Shrine of Ise and center of pearl production.
- Yoshino District, a wild area of heavily forested deep mountains, home of the Southern Imperial Court during the Nanboku-chō period of Japanese history.
- Kumano Province, home of the Kumano Shrines and the Nachi Waterfall. Another name is Muro District.
- Shiono Point, the southernmost point in Honshū.
- Taiji, Wakayama, the birth place of the Japanese traditional whaling.
In 2004, UNESCO designated three locations on the Kii Peninsula as World Heritage Sites. They are
- Yoshino and Mount Omine, mountainous areas in the north of the peninsula.
- Kumano Shrines, three shrines at the southern tip of the peninsula.
- Mount Koya, the mountain at the west of the peninsula
Transportation
- Nanki-Shirahama Airport in Shirahama serves the southern part of the Kii Peninsula.
- Kisei Main Line connects Wakayama to Mie Prefecture and runs along the peninsula's coastline.
Coordinates: 34°18′10″N 135°57′18″E / 34.30278°N 135.955°E
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