Kumano Nachi Taisha
Encyclopedia
is a Shinto shrine part of the UNESCO
-designated World Heritage Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
. The Kumano Kodō
route connects it to other sites under the same classification, all of which are in Nachikatuura
, Wakayama Prefecture
, Japan
. The four sites on the route classified as pilgrimage destinations and Wold Heritage Sites are: 1) Nachi Taisha; 2) Hongū Taisha; 3) Hayatama Taisha; 4) Koya-san.
Kumano Nachi Taisha is also one of the three sacred Kumano Sanzan
shrines: 1) Nachi Taisha; 2) Hongū Taisha; 3) Hayatama Taisha. This classification is based mostly in Japanese history, as pilgrims would travel to all three sites to complete their pilgrimage.
Kumano Nachi Taisha is an example of Buddhist and Shinto syncretism
(Shinbutsu shūgō
) nestled in the Kii Mountains, near Kii Katsuura, Japan. Cedar forests surround the site. The Nachi Waterfall, worshiped at Hiryū Shrine near Kumano Nachi Taisha is believed to be inhabited by a kami
called Hiryū Gongen
. Also, there is a sacred tree at this site.
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
-designated World Heritage Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the Kii Peninsula in Japan.- Selection criteria :...
. The Kumano Kodō
Kumano Kodo
The ' is a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that crisscross the Kii Hantō, the largest Peninsula of Japan. These sacred trails were and are still used for the pilgrimage to the sacred site "Kumano Sanzan" The ' is a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that crisscross the Kii Hantō, the largest...
route connects it to other sites under the same classification, all of which are in Nachikatuura
Nachikatsuura, Wakayama
is a town located in Higashimuro District, Wakayama, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 18,795 and a density of 102.45 persons per km². The total area is 183.45 km²....
, Wakayama Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The four sites on the route classified as pilgrimage destinations and Wold Heritage Sites are: 1) Nachi Taisha; 2) Hongū Taisha; 3) Hayatama Taisha; 4) Koya-san.
Kumano Nachi Taisha is also one of the three sacred Kumano Sanzan
Kumano Shrine
A ' is a type of Shinto shrine which enshrines the three Kumano mountains: Hongū, Shingū, and Nachi . There are more than 3000 Kumano shrines in Japan, and each has received its kami from another Kumano shrine through a process of propagation called or...
shrines: 1) Nachi Taisha; 2) Hongū Taisha; 3) Hayatama Taisha. This classification is based mostly in Japanese history, as pilgrims would travel to all three sites to complete their pilgrimage.
Kumano Nachi Taisha is an example of Buddhist and Shinto syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
(Shinbutsu shūgō
Shinbutsu Shugo
, literally "syncretism of kami and buddhas" is the syncretism of Buddhism and kami worship which was Japan's religion until the Meiji period...
) nestled in the Kii Mountains, near Kii Katsuura, Japan. Cedar forests surround the site. The Nachi Waterfall, worshiped at Hiryū Shrine near Kumano Nachi Taisha is believed to be inhabited by a kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
called Hiryū Gongen
Gongen
During the era of shinbutsu shūgō , in Japan a During the era of shinbutsu shūgō (religious syncretism of kami and buddhas), in Japan a During the era of shinbutsu shūgō (religious syncretism of kami and buddhas), in Japan a ( was believed to be a Japanese kami which was really just the local...
. Also, there is a sacred tree at this site.
See also
- List of Shinto shrines
- Twenty-Two Shrines
- Modern system of ranked Shinto ShrinesModern system of ranked Shinto ShrinesThe The The (sometimes called simply , was an organizational aspect of the establishment of Japanese State Shinto. This system classified Shinto shrines as either official government shrines or "other" shrines...