Wakayama: Sacred Journey to Kumano Hayatama and Kamikura

Kumano Hayatama Taisha, one of the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano, symbolizes rebirth and renewal. Located in the sacred town of Shingū (“new shrine”), it enshrines Hayatama-no-Ōkami, a divine form of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the storm deity of purification and creation. According to legend, the god first descended upon the sacred boulder Gotobiki-iwa at nearby Kamikura Shrine, and this shrine was later built at the foot of the mountain for easier worship. Its vivid vermilion halls and ancient nagi tree, said to be over a thousand years old, create a serene harmony of nature and faith. Since the Heian period, emperors and pilgrims have visited here to seek renewal, making Shingū a lasting gateway to the Kumano faith.

Kamikura Shrine is an ancient sacred site on a steep mountainside overlooking Shingū and the Pacific Ocean. Its centerpiece, the massive rock Gotobiki-iwa, is believed to be where the gods first descended to earth. Visitors climb more than 500 stone steps to reach the shrine, following a path that echoes the journey from the human world to the divine. The mountaintop offers a breathtaking view that has inspired pilgrims for centuries. Each February, the dramatic Oto Matsuri festival reenacts the divine descent in a blaze of torches, celebrating the enduring link between humans, nature, and the gods.