Jofuku Park (Shingu, Wakayama)

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Xu Fu, was an ancient Chinese shaman and sorcerer in the service of the Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the late 3rd century BCE.
Ordered by the emperor to find the key to immortality - the elixir of life - believed to be at a holy mountain called Mount Penglai somewhere in the seas east of China, in 219 Xu Fu set out but returned unsuccessful from his quest.
In 210 Xu Fu tried again, this time with a fleet of 60 ships, a crew of thousands and 3,000 children. He was never heard from again. In Japan it is widely believed that Mount Penglai was somewhere in Japan, with Mount Fuji being a favorite choice, and many places around the country claim to be where Xu Fu and his thousands settled, one of which is here in Shingu.
Jofuku Park, with its ornate and colorful Chinese gate is a memorial to Xu Fu, Jofuku in Japanese. Within the small park is a tombstone to Xu Fu erected by Tokugawa Yorinobu in the 17th century, a modern statue of him, and a small pond. You can dress up in Chinese costume and or buy a medicinal tea, Tendaiuyaku, brewed from the leaves of a local tree believed to be the elixir of life sought by Xu Fu.