Kumano-jinja, shrine in Asahi, Chiba

Kumano-jinja is a Shinto shrine in the Seiwa-Otsu district of Asahi, Chiba Prefecture, known locally as Matsuzawa Kumano Jinja or Matsuzawa no Gongen-sama. It enshrines Hayatama no Mikoto, Izanami no Mikoto and Kotosaka no Mikoto. The shrine's origin is tied to a divine oracle of the Kumano deity in Kishu, and it was moved to the Matsuzawa estate in 955.

According to the shrine's own record, the Kumano deity of Kishu was first invoked at Mihikahama in Mikawa-ura in 806, and a second oracle in 955 moved the shrine to Matsuzawa-no-sho. Minamoto no Yoritomo granted it land in six villages of that estate in 1190, and Tokugawa Ieyasu added a 5-koku stipend in 1591. It was ranked a gōsha in 1873.

The shrine is dedicated to the Kumano deities, a regional faith that has connected local families across generations. Visitors can observe how the community keeps traditions alive today, particularly through the kagura performances and seasonal festivals that retell ancient stories.

The shrine stands in the Seiwa-Otsu district of Asahi, Chiba Prefecture. The grounds are flat and can be walked in a few minutes; the main hall and kagura stage are the two focal points. The shrine is busiest around the New Year and on the spring equinox, when the kagura is performed.

The shrine's kagura was designated a Chiba Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980, recognized for preserving the daitai kagura form with strong local character. It was long performed over two days, March 21 and 22, alongside the Omike festival and the Daitai kōsha rite; today it is held on the spring equinox.