Kumano Hongū Taisha is located deep in the rugged mountains of the southeast Kii Peninsula of Japan. It is included as part of the Kumano Sanzan in the World Heritage Site Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. It was originally located at present Ōyunohara, on a sandbank at the confluence of the Kumano River and Otonashi River. In 1889, it was partially destroyed in a flood and the remaining shrine buildings were relocated at its present site in 1891. Of the original five main pavilions only three were rebuilt. Four deities were moved there and the other eight are still enshrined there in two stone monuments. The entrance to Oyunohara is marked by the largest Torii shrine gate in the world, measuring 33.9 meters tall and 42 meters wide. It’s a formalized gateway that designates the entrance to a sacred area. This Torii is called Otorii, O means 'big' and is made of steel weighing 172 tons. It is lit up during special occasions and festivals, such as during the Kumano Hongu Taisha Spring Festival, the Yata-no-Hi Matsuri Fire Festival, and during the New Year holiday.
Unesco: Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Many thanks Linda!
Date: Dec 18
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