[Wakayama ]Rounding by car "Kumano Kodo "Must-visit spots
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2024-09-24
In 2004 ", Kumano Sanzan was registered as a World Heritage Site as one of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range "and is visited by worshippers from Japan and abroad "Kumano Sanzan ". "Kumano Sanzan, consisting of Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, and Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine ", and the pilgrimage routes leading to Kumano Sanzan are collectively called "Kumano Kodo ". There are many attractive spots near Kumano Sanzan and Kumano Kodo. In this issue, we will introduce some of the must-visit spots along the Kumano Kodo that are accessible by car!
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Table of Contents
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Around Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine
Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine
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It is the center of the Kumano Sanzan and the head shrine of the approximately 4,700 "Kumano Shrines "throughout Japan. It is said that the shrine was built in 33 B.C. on a sandbank of the Kumano River (present-day Osaibara). The shrine enshrines Musumi, Hayatama, Ketsumiko-kami, and Amaterasu-Omikami.
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The 158 stone steps leading up from the torii gate at the entrance of the approach to the shrine create a majestic atmosphere. After climbing the stone steps, the main shrine building of Kumano Hongu Taisha comes into view.
Among the Kumano Sanzan, the beautiful thatched-roof shrine pavilions of Kumano Taisha are so sacred that they make one's spine tingle involuntarily.
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A 10-minute walk from Kumano Hongu Taisha is Oyunohara, the former site of the shrine, where a major flood in 1889 washed away most of the shrine buildings of Kumano Hongu Taisha. The current shrine pavilions are three buildings that survived the flood and were moved and reconstructed in 1891.
Today, the tallest Otorii (33.9 m high and 42 m wide) in Japan, built in 2000 (Heisei 14), towers over Osaibara and is a popular photo spot.
"Facility Information "
Facility name: Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine
Address: Hongu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe-shi, Wakayama 647-1731
Hours: 8:00 - 17:00
Closed: No holidays
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (free of charge)
URL：http://www.hongutaisha.jp/
Kumano Nachi Shrine and the surrounding areas
Omonaka
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"Although you can drive around the Kumano Kodo by car, we would like to give you a taste of the Kumano Kodo on foot as well! "We recommend the following walking tour: Daimonzaka Parking Lot - Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine - Nachisan Seigantoji Temple - Tobitaki Shrine (Nachi-no-taki Waterfall) - Daimonzaka Parking Lot. It takes about 2.5 hours to walk the entire route, or about 3.5 hours if you take your time to take pictures and stop at souvenir stores along the way. Personally, I highly recommend that you take the time to walk around.
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Daimonzaka is a gently sloping path with approximately 640 meters and 267 stone steps. The path is surrounded by cedar trees, some of which are over 800 years old. In the mysterious atmosphere of the trees, visitors can walk comfortably while feeling the history of Kumano Kodo.
"Facility Information "
Facility name: Daimonzaka Parking Lot
Address: 3034-2, Ichinonomo, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama, 649-5302, Japan
Hours of operation: 24 hours
Closed: No holidays
Kumano Nachi Taisha
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Located about 500 meters above sea level in the middle of Mt. Nachi, the shrine originates from the primitive nature worship of Nachi Falls. The shrine is dedicated to the deity Fusumi no Kami as its chief deity.
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After passing the stone-paved path of Daimonzaka and walking for a while between houses and stores, you will come to a rather steep stone staircase with 463 steps. At the top of those stone steps, you will see the beautiful vermilion gate of "Kumano Nachi Taisha "with the mountains in the background.
To the right of the shrine pavilion is the "Camphor Shrine ", which enshrines an 850-year-old camphor tree as its sacred tree. This camphor tree, said to have been planted by Taira Shigemori, is 27 meters tall with a trunk circumference of 8.5 meters, and has a large hollow in its trunk through which a person can pass. "It is a popular power spot, and if you go through it, your wish will come true. "
"Facility Information "
Facility name: Kumano Nachi Taisha
Address: 1, Nachiyama, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-5301
Hours: 7:00 - 16:30
Closed: No holidays
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (800 yen required for shrine disaster prevention road toll)
URL：https://kumanonachitaisha.or.jp/
Nachisan Aokigando Temple
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It is the first temple of the 33 sacred places of the Kannon Sacred Shrine in the western part of Japan. From the Middle Ages to the early modern period, this temple, together with the neighboring Kumano Nachi Taisha, was the center of the Kumano faith of the Shinto and Buddhist syncretism. When the Shinto/Buddhist syncretism was abolished in the Meiji era (1868-1912), the pagodas of the other two shrines in the Kumano Sanzan (Kumano Hongu Taisha and Kumano Hayatama Taisha) were dismantled, but only this "Nachisan Seigantoji "was retained.
The present main hall, which was burned down by Oda Nobunaga, was rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590, and retains many of the features of the Momoyama Period.
From the rear of the main hall, there is the famous and spectacular view of "Nachisan Seigantoji "'s three-story pagoda and "Nachi-no-Taki Falls ".
"Facility Information "
Name of facility: Nachisan Seigantoji Temple
Address: 8, Nachiyama, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-5301
Hours: 7:00 - 16:30
Closed: No holidays
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (800 yen required for shrine disaster prevention road toll)
URL：https://seigantoji.or.jp/
Tobitaki Shrine, Nachi Waterfall
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"Nachi-no-Taki Falls "is a shrine whose deity is "Tobitaki Shrine ". "It is a separate shrine of Kumano Nachi Taisha, located about 15 minutes from Nachisan Seigantoji ", down a gentle slope and stone steps.
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"Nachi-no-Taki "There is no shrine building because Nachi-no-Taki itself is the deity, and only a torii gate stands in front of Nachi-no-Taki. It was the first time for me to see a shrine without a shrine pavilion, so I was surprised to see "such a shrine! "I was surprised.
"Nachi Falls "has the highest drop in Japan for a single waterfall at 133 meters. In addition, the basin is 10 meters deep and the volume of water falling is 1 ton per second, making it a very powerful waterfall. Together with Kegon Falls (Tochigi Prefecture) and Fukuroda Falls (Ibaraki Prefecture), "it is called one of Japan's three most famous waterfalls ".
On a sunny day, you can enjoy the atmosphere of negative ions from the beautiful greenery of the surrounding forest and the waterfall, and on a cloudy day, you can enjoy a fantastic atmosphere as if a hermit might appear in the haze.
"Facility Information "
Facility Name: Hirou Jinja Shrine, Nachi no Taki Waterfall
Address: 1, Nachiyama, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-5301
Hours: 7:00 - 16:30
Closed: No holidays
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (800 yen required for shrine disaster prevention road toll)
URL：https://seigantoji.or.jp/
Kumano Sotama Shrine and the surrounding areas
Kumano Sotama Taisha
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In the Kami period, the two deities, Kumano Hayatama and Kumano Husumi, descended and were enshrined on a huge rock "Gotobiki Rock "on Mt. Kamikura, about 800 meters from "Kumano Hayatama Taisha ". In 128, the shrine was moved to its present location and called "Shingu ", and Mt. Kamikura where the gods were originally enshrined was called "Kamikura Shrine "or "Motomiya ". The mountain where the gods were originally enshrined is now called
The current shrine pavilion with its bright vermilion paint was reconstructed in 1967 (Showa 42).
The 1,000-year-old sacred tree "on the grounds of the temple, a large Nagi tree ", is said to have been planted by Taira Shigemori and is said to bring good luck in marriage and marital bliss.
"Facility Information "
Facility name: Kumano Hayatama Shrine
Address: 1 Shingu, Shingu City, Wakayama 647-0081, Japan
Hours: 8:00 - 17:00
Closed: No holidays
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (free of charge)
URL：https://kumanohayatama.jp/
Kamakura Shrine
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"This is a regent shrine of Kumano Hayatama-taisha ". It is said that Kumano worship began at this place, the first sacred place where Kumano Daijin descended before being enshrined as Kumano Sanzan (the three mountains of Kumano).
The shrine building is located on Mt. Kamikura, 120 meters above sea level, at the top of a steep 538-step staircase. These stairs are not "steep "! The stairs are so steep that they look almost vertical from above, and you can't help but lose your footing (I even saw a person descending the stairs while falling on his buttocks). (I saw some people descending the stairs while falling on their butts.) It is the steepest staircase without a handrail that I have ever climbed. It is recommended that the elderly and those wearing heeled shoes refrain from going up the stairs, and instead visit the torii at the lower gate.
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After climbing the stairs with great effort, you will find the shrine building and the powerful giant rock "Gotobiki Rock ", which is the sacred body of the shrine, sitting on the cliff in perfect balance. It is a spectacular sight that cannot be seen anywhere else. In addition, the left hand side of the shrine building and "Gotobiki Rock "is open, offering a panoramic view of Shingu City.
It is a unique scenery that can only be seen here, full of impressions and surprises, and I encourage you to visit!
"Facility Information "
Facility name: Kamikura-jinja Shrine
Address: 1-13-8 Kamikura, Shingu, Wakayama 647-0081
Hours of worship: 24 hours
Closed: No holidays
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (free of charge)
URL：https://kumanohayatama.jp/?page_id=18
Other
Tamaki Shrine
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"It is said that you have to be called by God to go to "and is a shrine that attracts attention as a powerful power spot. It is located near the top of Mt. Tamaki, a sacred mountain, at an altitude of about 1,000 meters. It was founded in 37 B.C. and is said to be one of the oldest shrines in Japan.
Since many people feel power when they go to Tamaki Shrine or have some kind of trouble and can't get there, it seems that the rumor "that you have to be called by God to go there "has started. If you are someone like me who does not feel particularly spiritual power, please be assured that you can visit the shrine normally (laugh).
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The shrine is located on the top of the hill. Further into the shrine, there is a tamaishi-sha (shrine with no pavilion) where the sacred tamaishi-ishi (boulder) is worshipped.
"Facility Information "
Facility name: Tamaki Shrine
Address: 1, Tamakigawa, Totsukawa-mura, Yoshino-gun, Nara 647-1582
Hours: 8:00～16:00
Closed: No holidays
Admission: Free
Parking: Available (free of charge)
URL：http://tamakijinja.or.jp/
Note: Traffic restrictions and road closures may be in effect during the winter due to snow accumulation and collapsed soil on mountain roads. Please check http://tamakijinja.or.jp/2023/03/07/dourojoukyou1/ for the latest information before visiting.
summary
How about the must-visit spots: "Kumano Kodo "You can visit all the spots in 2 days and 1 night, so please visit all the spots, be healed by nature, and receive power from the gods!
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