Kumano Nachi Taisha

Meaning

Against deep green mountains a vermilion three-story pagoda stands, and beside it the 133-meter Nachi Falls drops straight down a black cliff. Where the waterfall itself is honored as a god, the shrine's prayers and the pagoda's incense mingle in the sound of the water.

A sanctuary on the Kumano pilgrimage, where the 133-meter Nachi Falls is said to have long been honored as a god in itself. The Nachi Taisha shrine and the Buddhist temple of Seiganto-ji stand side by side beside the falls, where Shinto and Buddhism have long been joined in one place. With the Kumano pilgrimage routes, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Field notes

Location

Kii Peninsula · Japan · N33.7° · E135.9°

Best time

Summer, when the water runs full, or autumn amid deep foliage

Getting there

From Kii-Katsuura in Wakayama by bus to Nachisan, then on foot among the falls, the pagoda, and the shrine.

Etiquette

A sanctuary where waterfall, shrine, and temple stand together; visitors follow the rules of worship and keep quiet.

Sources

• · UNESCO World Heritage
• · Encyclopaedia Britannica

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