Tanabe City is best known for being the gateway to the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails, yet this former castle town has much more to offer.

There are a great number of machiya (traditional townhouses) and yashiki (former samurai residences) and a dozen shrines and temples in the vicinity of the city center.

Tanabe also has a number of illustrious VIPs – Benkei, Ueshiba Morihei and Minakata Kumagusu.

• Benkei is a legendary 12th century Buddhist warrior monk.
• Ueshiba Morihei, aka O-Sensei, is the founder of Aikido.
• Minakata Kumagusu is a pioneer naturalist and scientist with all the trappings of prodigy and an eccentric researcher.

This article was first published in Kansai Scene magazine in March 2013.

Read the full article here: http://www.kansaiscene.com/2013/03/secret-discoveries/