Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, Religious pilgrimage network in Kii Mountains, Japan.
Three sacred regions across Nara, Wakayama, and Mie prefectures feature mountain temples, grand shrines, and forested trails spanning 1,200 kilometers of routes.
The routes formed in the 10th century when monks began linking Shinto nature worship with Buddhist teachings. Emperors and nobles from the capital traveled here to seek spiritual awakening in the mountains.
The name Kumano connects to ideas of rebirth and spiritual cleansing, so pilgrims today still wear white robes and leave prayers tied to sacred trees. Small shrines and stone markers along the trails invite walkers to pause for meditation.
Visitors can explore the three Grand Shrines of Kumano Sanzan by car in one day, with numerous temple lodgings offering meditation and vegetarian meals.
The 133-meter Nachi Falls, considered a deity and one of Japan's tallest waterfalls, stands alongside a three-story pagoda at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
