A Kumano shrine (熊野神社 Kumano Jinja) is a Shinto shrine which enshrines the three Kumano mountains: Hongū, Shingū, and Nachi (Kumano Gongen (熊野権現))[1]. There are more than 3000 Kumano shrines in Japan, and each has received its kami from another Kumano shrine through a process of propagation called bunrei (分霊) or kanjō (勧請). The point of origin of the Kumano cult is the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, which includes Kumano Hayatama Taisha (熊野速玉大社) (Wakayama Prefecture, Shingu), Kumano Hongu Taisha (Wakayama Prefecture, Tanabe), and Kumano Nachi Taisha (Wakayama Prefecture, Nachikatsuura)[2].
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The Kumano Sanzan
The three Kumano Sanzan shrines are the Sōhonsha ("head shrines") of all Kumano shrines and lie at between 20 to 40 km of distance one from the other[2]. They are connected to each other by the pilgrimage route known as "Kumano Sankeimichi" (熊野参詣道)[2]. The great Kumano Sanzan complex also includes two Buddhist temples, Seiganto-ji and Fudarakusan-ji[3].
The religious significance of the Kumano region goes back to prehistoric times, and therefore predates all modern religions[3]. The area was, and still is, considered a place of physical healing[3]. Each shrine initially had its own separate form of nature worship but in the 10th century, under the influence of Buddhism, the three came to be worshiped together as the three deities of Kumano[3]. Because at the time Japanese kami were believed to be emanations of Indian buddhas (honji suijaku theory), the three came to be associated with the Buddhas Amida Nyorai, Yakushi Nyorai and Senju Kannon[2]. The site became therefore a unique example of fusion of Buddhism and Japanese original cults (see the article Shinbutsu shūgō)[3]. Thereafter the Kumano Sanzan site attracted many worshipers and became a popular pilgrimage destination[2]. In the 11th century pilgrims were mostly members of the Imperial family or aristocrats, but four centuries later they were mostly commoners[3].
Other important Kumano shrines
- Kumanotaisha Shrine (Yamagata) (Nanyo, Yamagata)
- Kumanotaisha Shrine (Shimane) (Matsue, Shimane)
- Kumano Kōdai Shrine (Karuizawa, Nagano)
Notes
References
- Kumano Sanzan accessed on December 1, 2008
- Japanese Wikipedia article "ja:熊野神社" accessed on June 12, 2008
- D. Max Moerman, Localizing Paradise: Kumano Pilgrimage and the Religious Landscape of Premodern Japan. Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 0674013956
- Sacred site "Kumano Sanzan" accessed on June 12, 2008
External links
Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau
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