There are 33 stone Buddha images at the Sekibutsu-an that were donated by people from across the country in 1805.

These are the same as the Kannon (Buddhist goddess of mercy) images found on the
pilgrimage to the 33 temples in the Kinki area with statues of Kannon, and there is also a monument on the premises engraved with Kannon, the pilgrimage guide.

In addition, an old poem is written on the Kannon-do praying for safety on the road to Kumano.

This is a shrine located on Mt. Kamikurasan at the top of a steep stone staircase of 538 steps. It is said that the Kumano deities first descended from the heavens at Gotobiki-iwa, the object of worship of the shrine. Subsequently, they transferred to the current Kumano Hayatama Taisha in 128, and their new residence came to be known as Shingu, or new palace, in contrast to their original palace of Mt. Kamikurasan. The Oto Matsuri is held on February 6th each year, with men known as noboriko carrying torches racing down the mountain together.

This is one of the Kumano Sanzan and the main enshrined deity is Ketsumimiko-no-Okami. The majestic shrine buildings were spared being swept away in the flood of 1889 and were relocated from Oyunohara. It is known formally as Kumanonimasu-jinja after a deity who lived in Kumano.

In the past, this temple was unified with the adjacent Kumano Nachi Taisha as a place for BuddhistShinto syncretic mountain asceticism, but it became an independent Tendai sect temple in the Meiji Period under the impact of the government order separating Buddhism and Shintoism. Nachisan Seiganto-ji was also the first temple on the “Saikokujunrei,” or pilgrimage to the 33 Kannon images in Western Japan, which began in 1161. In the Edo Period, many pilgrims visited Ise Jingu and completed the Kumano Sanzan pilgrimage and Saigokujunrei pilgrimage at the same time.

This is said to be the oldest shrine in Japan and the gravesite of Izanami-no-Mikoto, a female deity of Japanese mythology.

It communicates the face of nature worship in Kumano to the present day.

From here, the Iseji splits into the Hamakaido, which follows Shichirimihama to Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and the Hongudo, which heads to Kumano Hongu Taisha inland.

You can enjoy local specialties, mochi rice cakes made using ancient rice varieties, udon noodles and other goods at the adjacent Michi-no-Eki rest area.

One of the Kumano Sanzan, Kumano Nachi Taisha is located halfway up Mt. Nachisan and its object of worship is the Nachi-no-Otaki Falls. The main enshrined deity is Izanamino-Mikoto. There is a sacred camphor tree about 850 years old on the grounds and visitors can pass through the hollowed out trunk in an act symbolic of rebirth.

Kumano Hayatama Taisha is one of the three Grand Shrines of Kumano. The vermillion colored pavilions stand-out against the green backdrop of the shrine grove. The ancient 800-year-old Nagi-no-Ki tree (Podocarpus nagi) is one of sacred trees onsite. According to local legend, during the 1159 reconstruction, it was planted as a donation by Taira-noShigemori, a powerful feudal lord. The leaves were used as an amulet. They are difficult to tear crossways like a strong, enduring, unbreakable relationship with the deities. It is a symbol of the Kumano faith. It is said that messages from the deities can be seen in the leaves by devoted believers. Pilgrims would return with a Nagi leaf as proof that they had completed the pilgrimage.

This is where the Kumano Hongu Taisha used to stand, but it was transferred to its current location on higher ground after the shrine complex was destroyed by flooding in 1889. The Otorii, Japan’s largest torii shrine gateway at a height of 33.9 m and a width of 42 m, stands at the entrance.

It is said that Yoji Yakushi-do was built in 1411, and its official name is Joyaku-ji. It is a temple with ties to Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa and the Sanjusangendo temple in Kyoto. Many worshippers visit as it is supposed to be beneficial for head illnesses. In addition, there was a place for crossing the Kumanogawa River at Yoji in the Edo Period, but people currently cross using the Miwa-ohashi Bridge.

Ubuta-jinja is believed to be where Izanami gave birth to Kagutsuchi, the fire deity, and is worshipped as the shrine for safe childbirth. Also, because sanmazushi has been used at festivals here since ancient times, this is believed to be the birthplace of this local dish.