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Gyuba-doji Statue
The Kumano Pilgrimage
For three thousand years, Shintoism has been a prominent spiritual force in Japanese culture, emphasising respect for ancestors and the natural world. In the mid-6th century, Buddhism was introduced to this cultural landscape, with teachings imported from China. The theological and social tensions between Shinto followers and the new Buddhist adherents culminated in the imposition of Buddhism during the reign of Empress Suiko (593-628) and the reverence of Buddha as a deity in Kumano. From then on, images of Buddha were erected along this route, and temples and shrines were built in his honour. Gradually, Buddhism was adopted as part of a religious syncretism, with Shintoism continuing to play a significant role.
The pilgrimage to Kumano—meaning "the edge”—has drawn pilgrims to mountains believed to be inhabited by the gods of nature. This spiritual journey existed in the hearts of medieval pilgrims who travelled the ancient Kumano route. The pilgrimage led to a mystical frontier, home to divinities residing in rivers, waterfalls, trees, rocks and mountains. Along this sacred path, both Buddha and Shinto gods are revered. The pilgrimage encompasses seven routes through the mountains of the Kii Peninsula, including the Ohechi, Nakahechi, and Kohechi paths, as well as the Koya route.
During the Nara period (710-782), during a time of cultural flourishing led by Buddhist monasteries, Japan began to merge Shintoism with Buddhism. When the capital moved from Nara to Kyoto at the end of the 8th century, marking the beginning of the Heian period (794-1192), emperors began making pious visits to the Kumano mountains and routes. This tradition started in 907 with Emperor Uda's pilgrimage along the Nakahechi route. Pilgrims purified themselves in the rivers of Kumano through a ceremony called Misogi. During the Heian period, the cleansing of sins and impurities was performed in these rivers inhabited by gods. Water held symbolic significance related to the syncretic spirituality of the Kumano Kodo. Pilgrims valued the ascetic merit of this meritorious journey. The cleansing of the body through Misogi purification ceremonies symbolised the cleansing of the soul, a way to expiate sins after completing the pilgrimage in the sacred space of Kumano. After enduring the hardships of life on Earth and completing the arduous pilgrimage, the faithful who passed this test were believed to enjoy better fortune in the next life.
After a period of crisis during the Kamakura period (1192-1333), which saw the end of imperial visits to these routes, the route was revived in 1619 when Tokugawa Yorinobu, lord of Kishu province (now Wakayama Prefecture), rebuilt roads, shrines and lodgings, allowing the pilgrimage to Kumano to be reborn in the 17th century with the original spirit of the route: to uphold the teachings of the gods of the Kumano Kodo and maintain faith in the happiness of future life. Among the revived traditions was the practice of hospitality—O-settai—a necessary practice to care for sick pilgrims, fostering the belief in Kumano Kodo that those who offered selfless and pious help received spiritual blessings.
Located amidst the most sacred mountains of the Kumano Kodo, within the renowned Kumano Sanzan, stand three principal shrines: Kumano Hongu, Kumano Hayatama, and Kumano Nachi, a monumental and sacred complex situated on the Kii Peninsula. In 940, the shrines of Hongu and Hayatama achieved the highest rank and were honored with the title Shoichii.
In this sacred space, pilgrims offer flowers to the spirits Gaki-ami or Hidaru-shin, as a sign of respect to the spirits that inhabit, along with Buddha and the gods of nature, a space fervently trodden by the living. This coexistence of earthly and celestial beings is rooted in Kumano's myths and traditions: the mountain trails are inhabited by gods and pilgrims, but also by the spirits of deified emperors and nobles after their death. Therefore, in Kumano, homage is paid to ancestors, divinities and the sanctified natural world, creating a physical-symbolic space rich with sacredness and mystery. The mountain paths bolster the efforts of pilgrims, echo their desires for transcendence and honour the memory of ancestors whom they hope to join in the afterlife, while awaiting the legacy of their descendants.
In recent years, the serene tradition of pilgrimage along the venerable paths of the Kumano Kodo, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004 and paired with the Camino de Santiago, has seen a resurgence. This spiritual journey draws thousands of pilgrims from across the globe to experience the sacred landscapes of Japan, known as the Land of the Rising Sun.
