Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-04 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Kumano Hongū Taisha is one of the three Kumano Sanzan shrines within the World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”, and all of the old Kumano Kodō pilgrimage routes lead to it. It enshrines the three Kumano deities.
The shrine you visit today is not where it first stood. It was originally at Ōyunohara, on a sandbank where the Kumano and Otonashi rivers meet; a flood in 1889 partly destroyed it, and in 1891 the surviving buildings were moved to the present site. Only three of the original five main pavilions were rebuilt, and deities not moved are still enshrined at the old site in two stone monuments.
Yunomine Onsen is about 2 km away in a straight line. We have not checked a public-transport route, so plan the journey on the map.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Inside the Kumano Hongu Taisha — Tim Notari from Tanabe-Shi Wakayama-Ken, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社18 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社07 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Dainichigoe World heritage01 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社05 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社16 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社17 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社21 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社70 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kumano Kodo Kumano Hongu Taisha World heritage 熊野本宮大社72 — Nekosuki · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Kumano Hongū Taisha (熊野本宮大社) is a Shinto shrine in Tanabe in Wakayama, 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".The main deities enshrined are Kumano Sansho Gongen (熊野三所権現): Ketsumimiko (家津美御子), Hayatama (速玉) and Fusubi (牟須美). All of the ancient Kumano Kodō routes lead to the Grand Shrine. It was originally located at present Ōyunohara (大斎原), 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.
Visitor information checked: 2026-10-04 · Official visiting information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Shrine
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
Traveler reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to share how it went.