Jul 31, 2013 - 1 min read

Hongu Town

Sacred spots at the Kumano Kodo's ultimate destination

By Virginia Gonzalez

Community writer

View of Hongu, Oyunohara and the Kii mountains

The Kii Mountain Range, from the observatory

The river that once flooded the shrine now has extremely lower water levels due to drainage

One of the buildings of the Kumano Hongu Taisha

The Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine is located on top of a hill

The Oyunohara sacred gate. This is the place where the shrine was located originally

Purification fountain under the Oyunohara gate

From ancient times, Kumano has been considered to be an abode of the Gods. For this reason, so many shrines were built in the area

Behind the gate there is a large park-like area full of trees where visitors can rest

The gate is surrounded by rivers and rice fields

Hongu Town is fairly small, which makes it easy to move around on foot

In the observatory area there is a picnic area with tables and a toilet

Since the Heian period, the destination of all Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails is one place: Hongu. Located deep in the mountains, Hongu hosts UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine and the Kumano River. Originally, the shrine was located on a sandbank in the Kumano River but after a massive flooding in 1898 its main structures were relocated to their current position on a hill in the heart of Hongu Town. A 34 meter tall torii gate, one of Japan's largest sacred gates, cherishes the initial location of the shrine, a place that is called Oyunohara. Not far from these two areas, up in the mountains, there is a nice observatory where visitors can enjoy a memorable panoramic view of Hongu, the Kumano River and the surrounding mountains.

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By Virginia Gonzalez

Community writer

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Alena Eckelmann 3 years ago

This has been my home town for 10 years now. Hongu is a small town and I live in a village 5 km from Hongu on the Kumano Kodo trail. Visitors who walk the Kumano Kodo pass through Hongu.