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Sacred Rock Shrine in Wakayama: Kamigura Shrine and the Legend of Takuya Kimura
celebrity Japan, Gotobiki Rock, Japan pilgrimage, Japanese shrines, Kamigura Shrine, Kimura Takuya, Kumano Kodo, Oto Matsuri, power spot Japan, sacred sites Japan, spiritual japan, Wakayama travel
Kamigura Shrine (Auxiliary Shrine of Kumano Hayatama Taisha) Kamigura Shrine is considered the sacred site where the deities of Kumano first descended, even before they came to be worshiped as the three grand shrines of Kumano. Located atop a steep cliff known as Amano-Iwatate, visitors must climb over 500 rugged stone steps—an ancient pilgrimage path—to reach the shrine’s sacred object, the enormous Gotobiki Rock. Kumano Hayatama Taisha, built at the base of Mt. Kamikura, is the first to enshrine the deities in a newly constructed shrine hall, transitioning from a time when nature worship and primitive beliefs prevailed. For this ...