The 99 Oji Shrines, known in Japanese as Kujuku Oji, are a group of small shrines and sacred sites that once stood along the Kumano Kodo, the ancient pilgrimage network across the Kii Peninsula of Japan.
During the centuries when pilgrimage to the sacred Kumano Sanzan—the three major Kumano shrines—was particularly popular, these Oji sites played an important role in supporting travelers. Pilgrims stopped at them to pray for protection, rest during their long journey, and prepare themselves spiritually for the road ahead.
Several Oji sites associated with the Kii Route of the Kumano Kodo remain in Inami Town, Wakayama Prefecture. Surrounded by peaceful villages, forests, mountains, and the Pacific coast, these historic sites preserve traces of the pilgrimage culture that once flourished here.
For travelers walking the Kumano Kodo today, visiting the Oji sites in Inami provides an opportunity to connect the beautiful scenery with the history, beliefs, and stories of the people who traveled these paths many centuries ago.
The term Kujuku Oji refers collectively to Oji shrines and sacred sites established along sections of the Kumano Kodo, particularly the Kii Route and Nakahechi Route.
These sites became especially important between the 12th and 13th centuries. They served as places where pilgrims could pray for a safe journey and pay their respects to sacred deities associated with the Kumano faith.
Traveling to Kumano in medieval Japan was very different from taking a modern sightseeing trip. The journey from Kyoto was long and physically demanding, involving mountain paths, coastal roads, steep passes, and unpredictable weather.
For pilgrims, an Oji shrine was therefore much more than a sightseeing stop. It was a place to pray, rest, regain strength, and continue the pilgrimage.
After the Jokyu War of 1221, the political influence of the imperial and aristocratic society in Kyoto gradually declined, and large-scale pilgrimage to Kumano also became less common.
As a result, many Oji shrines fell into decline. Later, during the Meiji period and afterward, government policies promoting the consolidation of shrines led to additional changes, while urban development and other modern changes caused some former shrine sites to disappear entirely.
Against this historical background, the Oji sites that remain in Inami are particularly valuable. Even when only a monument or trace of an old shrine survives, these places help preserve the memory of the ancient pilgrimage route.
Four Oji sites associated with the Kumano Kodo can be found in Inami Town:
Each site has its own history, traditions, and legends. Together, they reveal the deep connection between Inami and the ancient pilgrimage culture of Kumano.
Tsui Oji was an Oji shrine located in a quiet settlement inland from present-day National Route 42.
The shrine is mentioned as “Tsui no Oji” in the medieval travel diary Kumano Michi no Ma no Ki, providing evidence of its importance along the Kumano pilgrimage route.
During the early modern period, it was also known as 吐王子, another reading of the name Tsui Oji.
The precise location of the original shrine grounds is the subject of different interpretations. Archaeological discoveries of roof tiles and pottery in the surrounding area, however, suggest that the location was associated with a historic religious site.
In 1908, during the Meiji period, the shrine was merged with Yamaguchi Hachimangu Shrine. Today, the former site is marked by a stone monument identifying the Historic Site of Tsui Oji Shrine, together with traces of the old sacred grove.
The modest remains may appear simple compared with a large historic shrine, but standing quietly beside the monument offers an opportunity to reflect on how the landscape has changed while the memory of the Kumano pilgrimage has survived.
Ikaruga Oji is associated with the Mitsukawa area in southern Inami. It has also been known by names including Ikaruga Oji and Tomi no Oji.
The site is mentioned in the Chuyuki, a diary written in 1109, as well as in the Kumano Michi no Ma no Ki from 1201. These historical references demonstrate that the Oji had already become an established part of the Kumano pilgrimage route by the medieval period.
Before the early modern period, the Oji is believed to have stood at a different location from the present site. It was associated with a place called Daishogun Shrine, where a round stone was traditionally worshipped as the sacred object.
Like Tsui Oji, Ikaruga Oji was merged with Yamaguchi Hachimangu Shrine in 1908. It was later separated again in 1950 and continues to be cared for by the local community.
Today, the peaceful surroundings and rural scenery provide an atmosphere well suited to imagining the historic pilgrimage route. The quiet fields and settlements are a reminder that the Kumano Kodo is not simply a mountain trail but a route that has long passed through people’s everyday lives.
Kirime Oji is one of the most important Oji sites in Inami and is traditionally counted among the Five Major Oji, a group of especially prestigious Oji shrines along the Kumano pilgrimage route.
Surrounded by a forested setting, the shrine grounds have a quiet and mysterious atmosphere. One of the most impressive features is a large Hortonia tree designated as a Natural Monument by Wakayama Prefecture.
The tree contributes to the sense of age and spirituality that characterizes the shrine grounds and is also regarded locally as a place of spiritual power.
During the Heian and Kamakura periods, Kirime Oji was an important stop for emperors, retired emperors, aristocrats, and warriors traveling to Kumano.
The site is associated with Emperor Go-Toba, who is said to have held a poetry gathering here during one of his pilgrimages. A collection of poems written on paper associated with this gathering, known as the Kirime Kaishi, is now designated as a National Treasure of Japan.
Kirime Oji is also mentioned in the medieval war tale Heiji Monogatari. According to the story, Taira no Kiyomori received news here of the uprising of Minamoto no Yoshitomo.
These stories illustrate how Kirime Oji was more than a religious waypoint. It was a place connected with the political, cultural, and religious history of medieval Japan.
Kirime Nakayama Oji lies southeast of Kirime Oji, near the approach to Enoki Pass.
Locally, the site is affectionately known as Ashi no Miya or Ashi-san, meaning the “Shrine of the Feet” or “Deity of the Feet.” It has traditionally been revered by people praying for healthy feet and relief from foot-related ailments.
According to local tradition, a yamabushi—a mountain ascetic associated with Japanese mountain religious practices—became ill and died here while returning from a pilgrimage to Kumano.
After his death, a large stone was said to have appeared above his grave. The stone was then worshipped as the sacred object of the Oji.
The tradition continues in a simple but distinctive way. Visitors and worshippers have historically offered traditional straw sandals, known as zori, while praying for healthy feet.
Near the shrine stands a Hokyoin-to, a traditional Buddhist memorial pagoda believed to date from the early Muromachi period.
This stone monument provides additional evidence of the long religious history of the area and illustrates how Shinto and Buddhist traditions were historically intertwined in Japan before the separation of the two religions during the Meiji period.
The route toward Kirime Nakayama Oji passes through Enoki Pass, one of the sections where the traditional atmosphere of the Kumano Kodo can still be strongly felt.
As hikers follow the historic path, traces such as stone-paved sections, former teahouse sites, distance markers, and guideposts help bring the old pilgrimage route to life.
From the pass, the landscape opens toward the beautiful Kumano Sea. The broad ocean view provides a striking contrast to the forests and narrow mountain paths of the pilgrimage route.
For medieval pilgrims who had spent long hours walking through the countryside and mountains, such an expansive view must have offered a welcome moment of relief and inspiration.
Exploring the Oji sites of Inami is more than simply visiting a collection of historic monuments. It is an opportunity to experience the relationship between faith, nature, local communities, and pilgrimage that has shaped this region for centuries.
The landscape changes as the route passes through coastal areas, quiet settlements, forests, fields, and mountain passes. Walking through these environments allows visitors to imagine the experiences of pilgrims who traveled toward Kumano long before modern roads and transportation existed.
At the same time, the route offers beautiful natural scenery throughout the year. Seasonal flowers, green forests, ocean views, and peaceful rural landscapes add another dimension to the historical experience.
One of the special attractions of walking the Kumano Kodo is the opportunity to slow down.
Instead of moving quickly from one tourist attraction to another, travelers can follow an ancient path at a relaxed pace, stopping at historic Oji sites and taking time to appreciate the surrounding landscape.
The journey itself becomes part of the experience. Every forest path, village road, stone monument, and distant ocean view can be considered part of a landscape that has been shaped by centuries of pilgrimage.
The Oji sites of Inami preserve an important part of the history and spiritual heritage of the Kumano Kodo.
Tsui Oji, Ikaruga Oji, Kirime Oji, and Kirime Nakayama Oji each have their own stories, from medieval historical records and imperial pilgrimages to local legends and traditions.
Kirime Oji reveals the prestigious history of the Kumano pilgrimage, while Kirime Nakayama Oji preserves a distinctive tradition associated with the health of the feet. Even at sites where only a monument remains, the landscape provides clues to the pilgrimage culture that once flourished here.
For international travelers, these sites offer an opportunity to discover a quieter side of the Kumano Kodo—one where history is experienced through walking, landscapes, legends, and local traditions rather than through large museums or monuments.
When exploring Wakayama’s Kumano Kodo, take time to visit the Oji sites of Inami and imagine the generations of pilgrims who once walked the same paths toward the sacred mountains of Kumano.