Iseji 伊勢路

Owase City, Kumano City, Taiki Town of Watarai County and Kihoku Town of Kitamuro County, Mihama Town and Kiho Town of Minamimuro County, Mie Prefecture; Tanabe City and Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture;

This pilgrimage route runs down to the south along the east coast of the Kii Peninsula, mostly used by those on a pilgrimage for Kumano Sanzan from the eastern part of the country.

Iseji had been established as a pilgrimage route by the mid-Heian era, however, it was not until Edo era when Pilgrimages to Ise Jingu and the saigoku pilgrimage starting with Seiganto-ji became popular that the number of people using this route increased to a significant level. The Iseji starts form Tamaru, where it connects to the Ise Honkaido, a pilgrimage route to Ise Jingu, and forks at the "Hana no Iwaya" into the "Shichiri mihamamichi" leading to Kumano Hayatama Taisha and "Hongumichi." The inland course leads to Kumano Hongu Taisha.

Law protection: Historic Site

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Hana no Iwaya

Kumano City, Mie Prefecture;

As, according to Nihonshoki, this is the place where Izanami no Mikoto was buried, this shrine has been worshiped.
The main object of worship is huge rock approximately 45m high, which reminds the viewer of the ancient worshiping style at a time when there were no such religious constructions for enshrining deities or giving prayers as can be seen in contemporary shrines.

Law protection: Historic Site

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Kumano no Oniga-jo tsuketari Shishi-iwa

Kumano City, Mie Prefecture;

The Onigajo shows natural landscapes formed by the upheaval of Kumano acid rock and the erosion by sea and wind with the ups and downs of the sea level, and forms unique rocks and landscapes with a series of terraced caves. Having a lion head look view from the south, the Shishi-iwa is also a wind-eroded cave of Kumano acid rock.

Law protection: Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument

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Introduction to the properties