Saved on this device

Keep one comparison and one search in this browser. Nothing is saved until you choose Save. Saving again replaces that item. No account, syncing or offline pages; private browsing or clearing site data may remove it.

Nothing saved yet. Select candidates, or set filters in the shrine finder, then save here.

Hongu, Tanabe

Kumano Hongu Taisha

熊野本宮大社

Choose Hongu for cypress-bark-roofed wooden sanctuaries and a wooded stair approach. It is one of the three Kumano Sanzan shrines within the World Heritage pilgrimage landscape; the giant torii at Oyunohara is a separate nearby stop.

UNESCO World Heritage Important Cultural Property

World Heritage & cultural properties

UNESCO World Heritage: Kumano Hongu Taisha, a component of Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range
Designation source · Checked 2026-10-09
Important Cultural Property: The wooden sanctuary buildings
Designation source · Checked 2026-10-09

Designations apply to the places or buildings listed above. They do not guarantee access to interiors; check visit areas, hours and separate admission before travelling.

Wooded stone-step approach at Kumano Hongu Taisha — Nekosuki / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized to WebP; layout crop. Adapted BY-SA photos retain CC BY-SA 4.0. · Photographed 2013-11-09

Visit at a glance

Estimated visit time: 30–60 minutes
The present main shrine and stair approach only. Add time for Oyunohara, exhibitions or any Kumano Kodo walk; transport and queues are excluded. A travel-planning estimate, not an official visit duration. Pace, route and crowds affect the time.
Getting there: Take a bus from JR Shingu or Kii-Tanabe Station to Hongu Taisha-mae, then walk to the shrine approach. The prefectural guide gives about 6 minutes from the stop. Check the current timetable and return service; this is not a short transfer from the railway.
Grounds hours: Worship hours: 08:00–17:00 in the official and prefectural guides. Follow any special arrangements during ceremonies.
Office hours: A separate closing time for amulets and goshuin was not confirmed. The official notice effective 1 December 2025 lists formal prayers every 30 minutes from 08:30 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 16:00. These are prayer start times, not reception deadlines; check how early to arrive.
Admission categories: General-entry charges were not explicitly confirmed in the checked official/public sources. Offerings, amulets, formal prayers and museum admission are separate.

Open in Google Maps Official website

What to see

Cypress-bark-roofed wooden sanctuaries
158-step approach through trees
Yatagarasu, the three-legged crow of Kumano tradition

Traditions & prayers

Traditionally associated with these prayers. Associations describe worship traditions, not guaranteed results.

Prayer source

Enshrined kami

Ketsumimiko no Okami (associated with Susanoo no Mikoto)

A short history

The shrine formerly stood at Oyunohara by the Kumano River. Flooding in 1889 destroyed much of that complex; the surviving upper sanctuaries were relocated to the present site in 1891. Its wooden halls are designated Important Cultural Properties.

Before you go

The main approach has 158 steps. Oyunohara's giant torii stands at the former shrine site, about 500 metres from the Hongu Taisha-mae bus-stop area, not beside the present halls. Kumano Kodo walking requires its own route and weather checks.

First shrine visit: etiquette & offerings →

Location

Hongu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe, Wakayama

33.8406, 135.7735 · Representative point near the main worship area, visually checked against GSI mapping; not a certified entrance or step-free route. · Location source

Sources

Details checked 2026-10-09. Check the official site for changes before visiting.

Saved comparison

Saved search