Shin Kumano Jinja

Founded in the late Heian period by Emperor Go-Shirakawa, this shrine enshrines a branch spirit of the Kumano Gongen. The emperor, longing for pilgrimages to Kumano but unable to travel there frequently, invited the Kumano deity to the capital—thus was its beginning. The unique reading of 'Shin Kumano' as 'Ima Kumano' is distinctive. Within the grounds stands a large camphor tree said to have been transplanted from Nachi Mountain in Kumano, and its mystical atmosphere captivates all who visit.