Kumano Taisha Shrine in Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture, is affectionately known as the “Ise of Tohoku”. Along with the Kumano Sanzan shrines in Wakayama Prefecture and Kumano Kotai Jingu in Nagano Prefecture, it is traditionally counted among Japan’s Three Great Kumano Shrines.
The shrine is especially famous for love and matchmaking, attracting visitors who come to pray for meaningful relationships and good connections. Its long history, impressive shrine buildings, ancient trees, and mysterious legends make it one of Yamagata’s notable spiritual destinations.
One of Kumano Taisha’s most famous features is the legend of the three rabbits. Hidden on the rear side of the main sanctuary are carvings of three rabbits.
According to local tradition, those who find all three rabbits will have their wishes fulfilled. The locations of the first and second rabbits can be explained at the shrine’s授与所, where amulets and other religious items are available. However, the location of the third rabbit is not revealed.
Visitors are encouraged to search for the final rabbit themselves. According to the tradition, revealing its location would cause the blessing associated with finding it to disappear.
A large torii gate marks the entrance to the approach to the shrine. Along the approach stands a magnificent ginkgo tree believed to be approximately 850 years old.
The great ginkgo is designated as a prefectural cultural property and natural monument. According to tradition, the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshiie prayed at Kumano Taisha for victory during the Former Nine Years’ War, a conflict that shook the Tohoku region in the 11th century. After achieving victory, he is said to have planted this ginkgo tree himself.
Whether viewed as a historic tree or as a symbol of the shrine’s long spiritual tradition, the enormous ginkgo makes a memorable impression as visitors approach the main sanctuary.
The approach to the main sanctuary includes 46 stone steps. The steps are unusually large because worshippers once climbed them on horseback.
At the top of the steps, visitors encounter the imposing worship hall and main sanctuary, whose dignified appearance reflects the shrine’s long history.
During roof restoration work carried out in 2006, an inscription written in ink dating to 1787 was discovered inside the worship hall. This established that the building predates that year. Older timber found in its principal structural sections also suggests that the building itself may date back even further.
The worship hall features a distinctive Yamagata architectural style combining karahafu, or curved gables, and chidori hafu, or triangular gables, with thatched roofing. It is regarded as the oldest surviving example of this particular architectural style in Yamagata.
After exploring the shrine and searching for the three rabbits, visitors can take a break at Ichō Café within the shrine grounds.
The café offers a selection of items made with locally sourced ingredients. Its calm and welcoming atmosphere makes it a pleasant place to enjoy tea, coffee, or a light refreshment while taking a break from sightseeing.
Once a month on the night of the full moon, Kumano Taisha holds a special matchmaking prayer ceremony known as Tsuki Musubi, or “Moon Connection.” Participants take part in a special prayer for meaningful relationships, symbolically guided by the light of the full moon and the legend of the three rabbits.
Participants receive an exclusive amulet called Tamayura-mamori. Its color changes each month, and its charming design makes it a popular keepsake. A special goshuin, or shrine stamp, is also available for the event, so visitors who collect goshuin may wish to bring their stamp books.
From June through September, another matchmaking prayer event called Kanade is held once a month.
During the ceremony, participants express their wishes through the sound of Japanese wind chimes. Wind chimes carrying the wishes of participants are displayed throughout the shrine grounds, filling the area with a cool and gentle sound during the summer months.
Kumano Taisha is located in Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture. Its formal name is Kumano Shrine, although it is widely known as Kumano Taisha. Its principal deities are associated with Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto, the divine couple traditionally regarded in Japanese mythology as creators of many forms of life.
According to the shrine’s tradition, it was restored in 806 following an imperial order from Emperor Heizei and the transfer of the sacred presence of Kumano Gongen from Kumano Province in present-day Wakayama Prefecture. Another tradition attributes its establishment to Taira no Koremori in the late Heian period.
The shrine later became an imperial prayer site after Emperor Go-Shirakawa ordered prayers for peace throughout the realm. It subsequently received the devotion and patronage of powerful regional lords, including the Date and Uesugi clans.
In 1872, the shrine was classified as a local village shrine under the new Meiji-era shrine ranking system, and in 1917, it was elevated to the status of a prefectural shrine.
During the period when Shinto and Buddhism were practiced together, Kumano Taisha used the Buddhist temple name Shōjōji, the same name associated with the Kumano Sanzan tradition. It flourished as an important center of Kumano mountain asceticism.
The grounds of Kumano Taisha contain numerous subsidiary shrines and religious facilities. Together, they enshrine approximately 30 deities and reflect the diverse traditions that developed around the shrine over many centuries.
Enshrined deities: Kumano Fusumi no Okami and Izanami-no-Mikoto.
Associated Buddhist image: Kannon Bodhisattva.
Kumano Fusumi no Okami is associated with the power of creation and bringing life into existence. The name “Fusumi” is connected with the concept of musubi, the generative force through which things are brought into being.
Enshrined deities: Kumano Hayatama no Okami and Izanagi-no-Mikoto.
Associated Buddhist image: Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of healing.
The name Hayatama is associated with vitality and the living spirit. The deity is therefore traditionally connected with the energy and life force of existence.
Enshrined deity: Kumano Ketsumiko no Okami, also associated with Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
Associated Buddhist image: Amida Nyorai.
The name Ketsumiko is associated with food and sustenance. The deity is traditionally regarded as being connected with food, one of the most essential elements of human life.
Enshrined deity: Emperor Ojin.
Hachiman is traditionally revered as a guardian deity associated with warriors and victory. Minamoto no Yoshiie was also a particularly devoted worshipper.
Although historically associated with martial arts and the warrior class, the shrine is now also visited by people praying for success in sports and other competitions. The shrine was transferred here from Shinshu in 1598 by Ozaki Shigeyoshi.
Enshrined deity: Onamochi no Kami, widely associated with Okuninushi-no-Kami.
This deity is traditionally associated with land development and nation-building and is also revered for knowledge, particularly knowledge related to medicine and healing.
The shrine was constructed in 1598 by Irobe Mitsunaga.
Enshrined deity: Homusubi no Kami.
Homusubi is revered as a deity associated with fire prevention and protection from fire. A local tradition holds that visiting the shrine before the age of three will protect a person from fire throughout their life.
Enshrined deity: Inakura no Mitama no Mikoto.
This deity is associated with grain and food and is traditionally revered as a deity connected with the origins of the Five Grains.
Enshrined deity: Sugawara no Michizane.
Associated Buddhist image: Monju Bodhisattva.
Sugawara no Michizane is widely revered in Japan as Tenjin, the deity of learning. The shrine is also associated with people born in the Year of the Rabbit.
The shrine was transferred here from Shinshu in 1598 by Ozaki Shigeyoshi.
Enshrined deity: Tsunogui no Kami.
Associated Buddhist image: Fugen Bodhisattva.
The deity is associated with the emergence of life from the earth and symbolizes the generative power of nature. The shrine expresses gratitude for nature and the earth and is associated with people born in the Years of the Dragon and Snake.
Enshrined deity: Honoikazuchi no Kami.
Honoikazuchi is revered as a thunder deity. The shrine is particularly associated with people working in fields connected with electricity.
Enshrined deity: Kunitokotachi no Kami.
Associated Buddhist image: Senju Kannon, the Thousand-Armed Kannon.
Kunitokotachi is associated with the stability and enduring existence of the land. The shrine is also associated with people born in the Year of the Rat.
Enshrined deity: Ukanomitama no Okami.
Known widely as Inari Okami, this deity is traditionally associated with rice, agriculture, and food. In modern Japan, Inari is also widely worshipped as a deity of industry and business prosperity.
Enshrined deity: Amaterasu Omikami.
Amaterasu is regarded in Japanese mythology as an ancestral deity of the imperial family and one of the central deities of Shinto. The shrine was transferred here from Shinshu in 1598 by Ozaki Shigeyoshi.
Enshrined deity: Ichikishimahime-no-Mikoto.
Also revered in connection with Benzaiten, the deity is traditionally associated with protection from water-related disasters and with good fortune and prosperity.
Enshrined deity: Kukurihime-no-Kami.
Kukurihime is traditionally said to have helped reconcile Izanami and Izanagi during a dispute. For this reason, the deity is revered as a deity of harmony and matchmaking.
Enshrined deity: Minamoto no Yoshiie.
Minamoto no Yoshiie is worshipped here as a deity associated with victory and success in contests. The shrine was constructed in 1250 by Nagai Yasuhide.
Enshrined deity: Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa.
Kagemasa is traditionally worshipped as a protective figure who helps drive away evil spirits and harmful influences. The shrine was constructed in 1250 by Nagai Yasuhide.
Enshrined deity: Toyokunu-no-Kami.
Associated Buddhist image: Kokuzo Bodhisattva.
The deity is associated with the formation of the land and is also connected with people born in the Years of the Ox and Tiger. The shrine was transferred here from Shinshu in 1598 by Ozaki Shigeyoshi.
Enshrined spirits: The spirits of those honored for the protection of the nation.
The shrine commemorates people from Nanyo City, Takahata Town, and Kawanishi Town. Its shrine building was constructed in 1498 and is said to preserve its historic form.
Enshrined deity: Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.
Tsukuyomi is traditionally associated with the moon and is revered here as a deity connected with agriculture.
Enshrined deity: Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto.
Sukunahikona is traditionally regarded as a deity associated with the origins of medicine and healing and is also revered as a deity of wisdom.
Enshrined deity: Otonushi no Kami.
Otonushi is regarded as a guardian deity of the land and is associated with fertile harvests and agricultural prosperity.
Enshrined deity: Sarutahiko-no-Kami.
Sarutahiko is traditionally revered as a guide and guardian of travelers and is associated with safe journeys and transportation. The shrine holds the 48,000-Day Festival every year on August 10.
Enshrined deity: Oyama-tsumi-no-Kami.
Oyama-tsumi is revered as a deity of mountains and forests.
Enshrined deity: Amenominakanushi-no-Kami.
This deity is traditionally worshipped here for protection from certain forms of illness and for good health.
Enshrined deity: Konohanasakuya-hime-no-Mikoto.
Konohanasakuya-hime is an important female deity in Japanese mythology and is traditionally associated with Mount Fuji, flowers, birth, and family protection.
The worship hall underwent roof restoration in 2006, during which an ink inscription dating to 1787 was discovered.
The Heiden, or offering hall, was constructed in 1985. Its architectural design follows that of the Kaguraden at the Inner Shrine of Ise Jingu.
The Prayer Hall is used for formal Shinto prayers and ceremonies requested by visitors.
The Kagura Hall provides a stage for traditional performances, including children’s sacred dances presented during the summer festival.
The Offering and Amulet Office distributes protective amulets, shrine talismans, and goshuin, the commemorative stamps collected by many visitors to Japanese shrines and temples.
The shrine’s Bell Tower houses a large Buddhist bell donated in 1626. The bell is a reminder of the period when Shinto and Buddhism were closely intertwined.
The Archaeological Museum displays cultural properties and historical materials held by Kumano Taisha, providing additional insight into the shrine’s long history.
The Omizaka consists of 46 stone steps leading toward the main sanctuary. The steps are unusually large because worshippers once climbed them on horseback.
The Chozuya is the traditional purification area where visitors wash their hands and rinse their mouths before entering the sacred area of the shrine.
The enormous Great Ginkgo is traditionally said to have been planted by Minamoto no Yoshiie after he prayed at Kumano Taisha for victory. The tree is believed to be approximately 850 years old and is one of the most impressive natural features of the shrine grounds.
Kumano Taisha brings together centuries of Japanese religious history, distinctive architecture, ancient trees, legends, and a remarkable collection of subsidiary shrines.
Searching for the three hidden rabbits, walking beneath the great ginkgo tree, climbing the historic stone steps, and visiting the many shrines within the grounds offer different ways to experience the traditions of this historic sanctuary.
For travelers exploring southern Yamagata, Kumano Taisha is an especially interesting destination for discovering the relationship between Shinto beliefs, Buddhist traditions, local history, and the natural landscape of the region.