Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Festival is one of the most important annual ceremonies held at Kumano Hongu Taisha, a sacred shrine located in Hongu, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. Kumano Hongu Taisha is one of the three major shrines of the Kumano region, collectively known as the Kumano Sanzan, and is regarded as the head shrine of the many Kumano shrines found throughout Japan.
The shrine is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.” Every year from April 13 to April 15, the Grand Festival brings together a series of solemn Shinto ceremonies that have been passed down through generations.
The festival is held to pray for an abundant harvest, peace in the community, good health, and the well-being of the people. Among its many ceremonies, the most famous are the Yunobori Shinto Ritual on April 13 and the Ondasai Rice-Planting Festival on April 15. These ceremonies have been designated as Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Wakayama Prefecture and offer visitors a rare opportunity to experience the spiritual traditions of Kumano.
Kumano Hongu Taisha forms one of the Kumano Sanzan together with Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano Nachi Taisha. The shrine’s principal deity is Ketsumimiko-no-Okami, who is traditionally identified with the Shinto deity Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
Kumano has long been associated with a spiritual tradition known as the “belief in rebirth and renewal.” During the Heian period (794–1185), emperors, retired emperors, aristocrats, and ordinary pilgrims traveled long distances along the difficult Kumano pilgrimage routes to visit the sacred sites.
The pilgrimage became so popular that the endless stream of travelers was famously described as resembling “ants on a pilgrimage to Kumano.” People came to Kumano seeking spiritual salvation, purification, healing, and a new beginning.
The present shrine buildings were relocated after the devastating 1889 Totsukawa Flood. Their magnificent cypress-bark roofs and traditional architecture have been designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan.
Kumano Hongu Taisha was originally located at Oyunohara, a sacred sandbank surrounded by the Kumano River, Otonashi River, and Iwata River. The original shrine precinct was considerably larger than the present site and is believed to have contained five major buildings housing twelve sacred sanctuaries.
However, the great flood of 1889 destroyed most of the shrine buildings. The surviving upper four sanctuaries were subsequently moved to the shrine’s present location.
Today, Oyunohara is marked by a gigantic torii gate, said to be the tallest of its kind in Japan. Standing beneath this enormous gateway surrounded by nature, visitors can experience the solemn atmosphere of the ancient sacred site.
Oyunohara also plays an important role in the Grand Festival. During the festival procession, the sacred site becomes the setting for ceremonies that symbolically bring the ancient spiritual traditions of Kumano back to life.
The Grand Festival begins on April 13 with the Yunobori Shinto Ritual. This ceremony reflects the unique relationship between Kumano’s religious traditions and its sacred hot springs.
At around 9:00 a.m., priests, shrine officials, local parishioners, mountain ascetics, musicians, and young children known as chigo gather at Kumano Hongu Taisha. They form a solemn procession and begin walking toward Yunomine Onsen.
As they walk, traditional sacred songs are performed to the rhythm of drums. The procession evokes the atmosphere of the ancient Kumano pilgrimage and attracts visitors who gather along the route to watch.
After arriving at Yunomine Onsen, the participants purify themselves at a sacred lodging and ritual facility known as the toya. The ritual purification performed with hot spring water is called yugori.
In the spiritual traditions of Kumano, purification through hot spring water is far more than physical cleansing. It symbolizes the removal of spiritual impurities and preparation for entering a sacred state.
In the afternoon, the Yasasaki Shinto Ritual is performed at Yunomine Oji Shrine.
Very young children, usually around two or three years old, take part in the ceremony. Wearing a small drum across the chest, each child performs a ritual dance accompanied by traditional music.
These children are regarded as yorishiro, or vessels through which divine spirits may manifest themselves. During the ritual, their fathers carry them on their shoulders and repeatedly turn them from side to side while they perform.
The children may sometimes cry during the ceremony. Traditionally, this is not necessarily viewed negatively; their cries may be interpreted as a sign that the divine spirit has descended upon them.
After the ritual, a large character meaning “great” is written on the child’s forehead as a sacred mark symbolizing the presence of the divine spirit.
Once the child has become a sacred vessel, tradition dictates that the child should not be allowed to touch the ground during the ritual. The father therefore continues to carry the child on his shoulders, serving as the child’s symbolic “horse.”
After the ceremonies at Yunomine, the procession travels toward Oyunohara by crossing the historic mountain path known as Dainichi-goe.
Dainichi-goe connects Yunomine Onsen with Oyunohara and forms part of the historic Kumano Kodo pilgrimage network, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The route has existed for centuries, and pilgrims traveling to Kumano have crossed these mountains as part of their spiritual journey.
At Tsukimigaoka Shrine along the route, another Yasasaki ritual is performed. The sounds of flutes and drums echo through the forest, creating an especially atmospheric experience.
Surrounded by dense woodland, ancient stone paths, and mountain scenery, Dainichi-goe offers a glimpse of the spiritual landscape that has defined Kumano for centuries.
On April 14, the Funatama Grand Festival is held to pray for safe voyages and plentiful catches of fish.
For centuries, rivers and waterways played an important role in the lives of communities around the Kumano River. People depended on these waterways for transportation and livelihoods and offered prayers for protection on the water.
The ceremony expresses both gratitude toward the forces of nature and reverence for the water that has supported life in the Kumano region.
The final day of the festival, April 15, features some of its most impressive ceremonies, including the Ondasai and the Togyo Procession.
Ondasai combines ceremonies held at the main shrine with a sacred procession in which the divine spirit is carried by mikoshi, portable Shinto shrines, from the main shrine to Oyunohara.
In the morning, a ceremony is performed to transfer the divine spirit into the mikoshi. The portable shrine is beautifully decorated with artificial chrysanthemums known as chobana.
These sacred flowers symbolize the life-giving power, fertility, and abundance associated with Kumano’s deities and are an essential part of the festival.
The procession then begins, led by Shinto priests and accompanied by yamabushi mountain ascetics, shrine maidens, children, young performers of the rice-planting dance, and the sacred mikoshi.
The colorful procession gradually makes its way toward Oyunohara, the original site of Kumano Hongu Taisha.
When the procession reaches Oyunohara, the mikoshi is placed at a temporary sacred sanctuary known as the otabisho.
A series of traditional dances and ritual performances are then presented.
The Yamato Dance is performed by boys dressed in traditional eboshi headgear and kariginu robes. Young girls dressed in white perform a shrine maiden dance, while children take part in the traditional rice-planting dance.
The rice-planting dance symbolically transforms the festival grounds into a rice field. Children take on the roles of farmers and young women planting rice, performing a ritual intended to pray for a successful harvest.
This ceremony represents the traditional Japanese concept of “yoshuku,” or celebrating an anticipated blessing in advance. By symbolically performing the rice-planting process, participants pray for the abundant harvest that will come later in the year.
One of the most lively moments of the festival comes toward the end, when worshippers compete to receive the artificial flowers decorating the chobana.
The flowers are believed to bring blessings such as good health, protection from illness, and a plentiful harvest. In the past, people also believed that placing the flowers in rice fields could help protect crops from harmful insects.
The atmosphere changes dramatically at this point. The normally quiet sacred grounds become filled with excitement as people gather to receive the auspicious flowers.
During the festival, yamabushi mountain ascetics of the Kumano Shugendo tradition also perform a spectacular grand goma fire ritual.
A ritual fire is lit on a special altar while prayers and Buddhist chants fill the air. The sight of towering flames rising at Oyunohara creates a powerful and memorable scene.
The ceremony also reflects the historic tradition of Shinbutsu-shugo, the syncretic relationship between Shinto and Buddhism that played an important role in the religious history of Kumano.
The hot springs of Kumano play an important role in the spiritual traditions surrounding the Grand Festival, particularly Yunomine Onsen.
Since ancient times, hot spring water has been regarded as sacred in Kumano. Pilgrims traveling along the Kumano Kodo would visit the hot springs to purify themselves before continuing to Kumano Hongu Taisha.
Yunomine Onsen is often described as one of Japan’s oldest hot spring destinations. For pilgrims, it was not simply a place to rest and recover. It was a sacred place of purification and spiritual transformation.
In Kumano belief, bathing in the hot springs represented rebirth, renewal, and spiritual cleansing. This concept of renewal remains an important theme in the religious culture of the region today.
Kumano Hongu Taisha offers many attractions beyond the Grand Festival itself.
Visitors can climb the 158 stone steps leading to the main shrine buildings and admire the dignified traditional architecture surrounded by tall cedar trees. The quiet forest atmosphere provides a striking contrast to the lively ceremonies of the festival.
The shrine also offers a variety of sacred charms and souvenirs featuring the Yatagarasu, the three-legged sacred crow associated with Kumano. Yatagarasu is an important symbol of guidance and divine protection in Kumano tradition.
The surrounding area is equally attractive. Famous hot spring destinations including Yunomine Onsen, Kawayu Onsen, and Wataze Onsen are located nearby, making it possible to combine a visit to Kumano Hongu Taisha with hot spring bathing and walks along the Kumano Kodo.
The Kumano Hongu Taisha Grand Festival is much more than a local spring festival. It is a living expression of the spiritual traditions that have shaped Kumano for more than a thousand years.
Within its ceremonies are prayers for a successful harvest, respect for nature, wishes for good health, and the ancient belief in rebirth and renewal.
The sacred mountains of Kumano, purification in the hot springs, the dances of the young children who serve as sacred vessels, the procession of the mikoshi, and the dramatic ceremonies at Oyunohara all form part of one remarkable spiritual tradition.
For travelers from outside Japan, the festival offers a unique opportunity to experience Japanese religious culture not simply as something displayed in a museum, but as a living tradition practiced by local communities.
If you are planning to visit Kumano in spring, consider timing your trip for the Grand Festival from April 13 to April 15. Combined with a visit to Kumano Hongu Taisha, Oyunohara, the Kumano Kodo, and the area’s famous hot springs, the festival can become a memorable journey into the history, nature, and spirituality of the Kii Peninsula.