Seigantoji Temple

Seiganto-ji Temple was developed as an integral part of Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine and is the first temple of the pilgrimage to the 33 sacred places of the Kannon Sacred Shrine in the western part of Japan.

The name of the mountain is Mount Nachi. The principal deity is Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu.
It is the first of the 33 temples in the western part of Japan.

The main hall was rebuilt by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1590 after it was burned by the war of Nobunaga Oda. The main hall and the Hokyointo (a Japanese box-shaped pagoda) are important cultural properties of Japan.
It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.

It is said to have been built around the 4th century, and was a place of nature worship centering on Nachi Falls. 
In the medieval and early modern periods, it was combined with the neighboring Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine and called Nachisan Kumano Gongen or Nachigongen, and was an ascetic practice center of Shintoism and Buddhism with 7 temples and 36 monasteries in total.

There are 473 stone steps from the entrance to the main hall (330 meters above sea level), which takes about 20 minutes or less. At the junction with the Ichino-torii (first shrine gate) of Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine, turn right to reach the temple. 

Information

Name
Seigantoji Temple
青岸渡寺
Link
Official Site
Address
8, Nachiyama, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture
Telephone number
0735-55-0001
Hours of operation

7:00-16:30

Admission fee

Three-story Pagoda
Adults 200 yen

Parking lot
300 spaces
Access

From Kisei Katsuura Station on the JR West Japan Kisei Main Line, take the Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus bound for “Nachisan” (Mt. Nachi). 30 minutes and get off at the “Nachisan” stop.

From the Kinokuni-Line Nachi Station intersection on Route 42, enter the mountain and walk along the Nachigawa River for about 8 km.

Area
Wakayama Shirahama, Nachikatsuura, Kushimoto
Category
Temples Shrines, Temples, Churches

Gallery

Shirahama, Nachikatsuura, Kushimoto

Wakayama

Category

Area