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Kumano Hayatama Taisha, in Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, is a sacred site counted among the three Kumano shrines and a component of the World Heritage 'Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.' Its two principal deities are Kumano Hayatama Okami and Kumano Fusumi Okami, and it draws reverence as one of the head shrines of the roughly 3,000 Kumano shrines across Japan. On the grounds stands a Nagi tree designated a National Natural Monument.
Shrine Info
- Enshrined Deity
- Kumano Hayatama no Okami; Kumano Fusumi no Okami
- Founded
- Said to date from Keiko 58
- Annual Festival
- Kumano Hayatama-sai (October)
History & Origins
The deities are said to have first descended onto the sacred rock (Gotobiki-iwa) of Mt. Kamikura, and then, in the 58th year of Emperor Keiko (according to tradition), shrine buildings were erected at the present site. From the medieval period many imperial family members, nobles and samurai made pilgrimages as one of the three Kumano shrines, and believers gathered from across the country in such numbers that it was called the 'Ant Pilgrimage to Kumano.' It was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2004.
Highlights
The great Nagi tree on the grounds is about 20 m tall with a trunk circumference of about 6 m and is designated a National Natural Monument. The 'Kumano Hayatama Festival (Kumano Mifune Festival)' on October 15 and 16 is known as a vigorous event in which portable shrines cross the Kumano River. The shrine buildings are vividly vermilion, and together with Mt. Kamikura rising behind them you can feel the spiritual air of Kumano.
Visitor Guide
About a 20-minute walk from Shingu Station on the JR Kisei Main Line, or get off the city bus at the 'Kumano Hayatama Taisha' stop and you are right there. Located in the Shingu urban area, it has good lodging options and is ideal as a base for touring the three Kumano shrines together with Kumano Nachi Taisha and Kamikura Jinja.
Best Season
The Kumano Hayatama Festival (Mifune Festival) in October is the busiest. May-June, with fresh greenery, and November, with autumn foliage, are also beautiful on the grounds, and allow worship in a quiet atmosphere.
Annual Events
- February
Kamikura Jinja Otomyo Matsuri (Kamikura Shrine Torch Festival)
An unusual festival held on February 6. Men in white robes carrying torches race down the steep stone steps of Mt. Kamikura (a festival of a subsidiary shrine of Hayatama Taisha).
- October
Kumano Hayatama Matsuri (Kumano Mifune Matsuri)
The annual grand festival held on October 15 and 16. It is widely known as a majestic festival in which portable shrine boats cross the Kumano River.
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