Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Shrine

Kumano Hongū Taisha, located in Hongū Town, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, is one of Japan’s most sacred spiritual centers and, together with Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha, forms the Kumano Sanzan — the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano. Since ancient times, it has symbolized the starting point of the journey from the human world to the divine realm — a sacred place of rebirth and purification. The main deity enshrined here is Ketsumiko no Ōkami (also known as Kumano Sumi no Ōkami or Kumano Kamuro no Mikoto), who embodies the combined aspects of the sun god, water deity, and god of renewal.

According to legend, the shrine was founded during the 65th year of Emperor Sujin’s reign (around the 3rd century BCE). It originally stood on a sandbank in the Kumano River, now known as Ōyunohara. The sacred complex once consisted of twelve shrines, divided into upper, middle, and lower groups, creating a majestic panorama of shrine buildings reflecting upon the river’s surface. During the Heian period, the Kumano faith flourished, and many emperors and nobles — including Emperor Toba, Emperor Go-Shirakawa, and Emperor Go-Toba — made multiple pilgrimages here, turning Kumano into Japan’s ultimate pilgrimage destination.

In 1889 (Meiji 22), a catastrophic flood in the Totsukawa region destroyed most of the shrine complex, sparing only the upper four shrines, which were relocated to the present site. The original grounds of Ōyunohara still preserve two stone altars, and at its entrance stands an enormous torii gate measuring 33.9 meters tall and 42 meters wide, symbolizing the portal to the divine and the core idea of rebirth in Kumano faith.

The current main hall, rebuilt during the Edo period, is an irimoya-style wooden structure with copper roofing — simple yet solemn — and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1995. The shrine enshrines four deities: Kumano Musubi no Ōkami, Hayatama no Ōkami, Ketsumiko no Ōkami, and Amaterasu Ōmikami, each representing creation, purification, and renewal. These deities are syncretized with Buddhist figures such as Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon), Yakushi Nyorai, Amida Nyorai, and Jūichimen Kannon, reflecting Japan’s traditional Shinbutsu-shūgō (Shinto-Buddhist syncretism).

One of the most iconic symbols of Kumano faith is the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow revered as the embodiment of the sun and the divine guide of Emperor Jimmu. Its three legs symbolize the harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Today, the Japan Football Association (JFA) uses the Yatagarasu as its emblem, and many players and fans visit the shrine to pray for victory and team unity.

Surrounded by lush cedar forests and flowing rivers, Kumano Hongū Taisha exudes an atmosphere of mystery and serenity. Walking along the stone path toward Ōyunohara, one can almost hear the footsteps of ancient pilgrims — the path of rebirth and enlightenment that lies at the heart of Kumano spirituality.