Kumano Hongû Taisha

Kumano Hongû Taisha is a major shrine located in the mountains on the south side of Wakayama Prefecture. As one of the Kumano Sanzan, the three great shrines of the Kumano area, it is highly regarded by many pilgrims and shares the icon of the yatagarasu, the three-legged raven, an ancient symbol for the imperial family, with its sibling shrines: Kumano-Nachi Taisha and Kumano Hayatama Taisha. The shrine has several satellite shrines nearby which are recommended for visitation to complete the holy cycle of worship.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 8.

I will say, this shrine is not particularly easy to get to without a car. Well, the entire coast is not easy to get to without a car. So ya, having a car is your best option in the long run. But aside from that, it’s a beautiful place to visit. The shrine is surrounded by breathtaking cedar and cypress trees which reach towards the heavens above. Unlike its sibling shrines, Kumano Hongû Taisha is not finished with a sheen of vermilion paint, but rather the natural dark brown of the wood is left as is to blend into the surrounding forests.

Visitors will likely notice the massive torii gate on the other side of the street, and will with good reason be confused why it’s not in front of the actual shrine. Well, funny this is that it IS in front of the actual shrine! Kumano Hongû Taisha was originally built on the banks of the river, but when a flood all but destroyed it in the 19th century, it was moved to its present location atop a small hill. The torii marks the original holy grounds of the shrine all while being the largest torii in the world, standing at 40 meters tall (131 ft.). Practically nothing remains of the original shrine apart from the stonework establishing the shrine layout and two stone shrines that survived the flood. Other satellite shrines include a shrine for the protection of women, and a shrine for the local ancient water well bubbling from the mountain.

Even the komainu are doing their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19!

 

Kumano Hayatama Taisha

Built in the city of Shingu on the eastern coast of Wakayama Prefecture, this grand shrine is one of three sibling shrines in the Kumano area. The shrine likely dates back to the 12th century, but records and artifacts show that worship has been taking place in this region of Japan since at least the 3rd century C.E. This shrine is situated near the mouth of the Kumano-gawa, one of the largest rivers which empties fresh water out of the Kii Mountains. Like its associated shrines, Kumano Hayatama Taisha is home to the yatagarasu, the mythical three-legged raven, an icon closely associated with the imperial family. The shrine is one of many stopping points for pilgrims traveling the Kumano Kodo.

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 3.

The big backlash against this shrine is simply its difficult accessability. This shrine, and the associated shrines, are on the far side of Wakayama Prefecture with limited access via public transportation and a long drive almost regardless of where you start. Outside of that, there’s a great deal to enjoy here. Vermillian structures, gold leaf accents, and colorful wood carvings are sure to delight all visitors to the complex. Be sure to pray for good luck at the Nagi-no-Ki, an ancient tree on the grounds estimated to be over 800 years old!

 

Hiro Jinja

Established at the base of the Nachi Falls in Wakayama, Hiro Jinja is a shrine to the god of the Nachi Waterfall. It’s founding timeline is largely unknown, but it is known that so long as people have been living in the area the falls have been worshipped, even predateing the famed Kumano-Nachi Taisha only a few meters away. The waterfall is the largest uninterrupted in Japan with a height of 133 meters (436 ft.) and an average width of 13 meters (43 ft.), it is one of the most popular falls in the country.

For the casual: 9. For the educated: 8.

If you love stone paths and gorgeous looming cedars, then this is the shrine for you. Though I gave it a little knock for the “educated” visitor, I still highly recommend going especially if you are already going to Kumano-Nachi Taisha. The waterfall is the draw to the valley to begin with, so why wouldn’t you visit? Though the shrine itself is extremely subdued in nature, devoid of flashy buildings or even a hall for worship, it channels all its focus on the falls themselves. The wafting mist generated from the intense pounding cools visitors, keeps the stone walkways slick, and promotes a healthy growth of moss in the surrounding areas. For a small entrance fee, guests can enter past the shrine to special observation decks that also provide dragon fountains of crisp water from the falls to drink (you also get a little ceramic cup with the shrine’s name on it). It is said that the water from the falls promotes health and longevity to those who drink it, so it’s a great gift to have access to, not to mention that the water tasted damn good. Just by seeing the entrance you can tell that this shrine is very old because some of the trees are growing up through the stone path and there is a general wear on everything which evokes a sense of time and peace. In comparison to its famous neighbor, Hiro Jinja is a reprieve from stress and a more honest worship of natural beauty.

 

Kumano-Nachi Taisha

Nestled in the mountains of south-eastern Wakayama Prefecture is one of the most beautiful shrines in Japan. My word on the matter means fairly little in this case as it is constantly voted and identified as one of Japan’s hidden beauties. The shrine is believed to have been built around the 4th century after a mythic man named Jinmu, came to Kumano and united all of Japan to become the first emperor. Though this origin story is likely false, what is true about this tale is that this shrine has been around practically as long as worship has existed in the area. The symbol of the shrine is a “yatagarasu,” or three-legged raven in English, and is synonimous with the Imperial family. In fact, the yatagarasu predates the current and most common symbol of the Imperial family: the 16 pedal golden chrysanthemum. In a very cool turn of events, the chrysanthemum crest likely originated from Emperor Go-Toba, a noted enthusiast of swordcrafting, who became emperor at a very young age in 1183. He used an imprint of a chrysanthemum as a personal seal on the hilts of swords he would forge. Emperor Go-Toba was also noted for his love of Kumano-Nachi Taisha and would often make the pilgrimage from Heian-kyo (modern Kyoto) to the Kii Penninsula (Wakayama Prefecture) to pay his respects at the shrine.

For the casual: 9. For the educated: 9.

So to start, this is not an easy shrine to visit. There are really only two ways for visitors to get to the shine and that is #1 a four hour express train ride from Osaka-Namba/Shin Osaka or #2 drive a car. Though the time difference favors the car slightly, it still takes several hours to get to the Katsuura area. Tours and other options do exist, but for a solo trip those two are your only options. If you’re visiting in a day trip I recommend spending the night in a place like Katsuura, Shingu, or Shirahama to simply help reduce any potential stress from the trip. Once you get to Kii-Katsuura station, you can take a bus up to the shrine.

There are two places you can get off the bus to advance to the shrine and both have their appeal and their limitations. I highly recommend that visitors get off at Daimon-zaka, an anceint trail that has been used by pilgrims for generations. This trail is made of cobbled stone stairways through the lush mos-covered underbrush of massive cedar trees. This stairway is often the site of major festivals and rituals that start in the valley and make their way up to the shrine. Downside of this trail is elevation as it makes its way up the hillsides. The ancient trail isn’t that difficult and the beauty of it all essentially forces visitors to stop and take lots of photos. The modern stairs afterwards up to the shrine are a different story as the path turns vertical for multiple long flights to the shrine. There are a fair number of taxis so if you do find that the ancient trail was just enough work, you can likely get a ride up the rest of the way. Visitors with difficulty walking steep paths should consider taking the bus to the shrine itself and from there, visitors can enjoy the shrine going downhill.

Unfortunately for me the shrine was undergoing structual rennovation while I was there, so much of the shrine’s beauty was obstructed by scaffolding and tarps. However, like many shrines in Japan, Kumano-Nachi Taisha is known for vibrant vermillian paint, dark wood roofs, and tall forked finials. Typically, the shrine is one part of a greater visual brilliance with the Nachi Falls acting as a natural backdrop to the greater shrine. The Nachi Falls are the tallest single uninterrupted waterfall in Japan and offer a jawdropping backdrop to a vermillian pagoda in the complex (See my post on Hiro Jinja for more information). In addition to the shrine, two small temples of the tendai sect (the primary Buddhist sect of Japanese nobility) are included in the complex and offer prayers to the Buddhist incarnation of the god of the Nachi Waterfall, as well as offerings to the spirits of the deceased. The Kumano area is sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Dead” because it is believed that Shinto spirits and spirits of deceased ancestors would reside in the area.

Daimonzaka.

If only I could have seen it completed.