Kumano Hongū-Taisha

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Main building ( shaden ) of the shrine
Torii at the shrine; Yatagarasu is shown on the banner (see below)
Prayer hall ( haiden ) of the shrine

The Kumano Hongū Taisha ( Jap. 熊野本宮大社 ; even just HONGU ( 本宮 , "main shrine"); formerly known as Kumano-ni-masu-jinja ( 熊野座神社 )) is a Shinto shrine in the district HONGU the Tanabe City , Wakayama Prefecture . Together with Kumano Hayatama-Taisha , Kumano Nachi-Taisha and two Buddhist temples, it belongs to Kumano-sanzan , the southernmost of the holy places and pilgrimage routes in the Kii Mountains , which were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004 . It is considered the main shrine of over 3,000 Kumano shrines across Japan.

It is said to have been erected by Sujin - tennō to worship Susanoo (here under the name Ketsumiko-no-kami). The shrine was not mentioned in writing until 859.

Until it was relocated to its current location, it was deeper, on a sandbar ( O-yu-no-hara ) where the Kumano, Otonashi and Iwata rivers converge. In 1889, however, it was so badly damaged by a flood that it had to be rebuilt with the exception of a few buildings and at the same time it was relocated in 1891.

There is no shintai in the honden , as is usually the case . However, the priests assume that Kuni-toko-tachi (a very obscure and ancient kami) would be there.

In the shrine there are a number of side shrines in which many other kami (also by Buddhists under their Buddhist names) are worshiped. These include the water-Kami Mizu-tsu-hime (in Taki-hime-jinja ), Waku-musubi-no-kami and Mizu-ha-no-me (born from the urine of Izanami ), the clay Kami Hani-yasu-hime together with fire ( Kagu-tsuchi-no-kami ), water, and growth kami, Ame-no-koyane im Hara-edo-ten-jinja , Ame-no-tajikara-wo im Mito-haraki-jinja and the three purification kami Soko-tsu-wata-tsu-mi-no-kami, Naka-tsu-wata-tsu-mi-no-kami and Wa-tsu-wata-tsu-mi-no -kami.

The siblings Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi are venerated in Tsuki-yomi-jina . Kami of Ubuta-jinja is the ara- mitama of Izanami.

Takakuraji-no-mikoto, a vassal of Jimmu -tennō, who helped Jimmu -tennō to conquer Japan, is also venerated in a side shrine.

Another companion of Jimmu and alleged ancestor of Kamos (first high priest at Kamo-wake-ikazuchi-jinja ) is the three-legged Yatagarasu , the heavenly crow and is worshiped here under the name Kamo-no-taketsu-numi-no-mikoto in Yatagarasu-jinja . On January 7th according to the lunar calendar , the Hōin shinji (also Yatagarasu shinji) is celebrated in the haiden . For this purpose, a picture of Yatagarasu ( go-ō-no-shimpu ), which has been cleaned at the edges with a pine torch, is given to the shrine by a priest. Prints of this picture will then be distributed to believers across the country.

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Coordinates: 33 ° 50 ′ 24.2 "  N , 135 ° 46 ′ 26.2"  E