History of Kumano Shrine
En no Gyōja and the Founding of the Shrine
The origins of Kumano Shrine are closely associated with En no Gyōja, traditionally regarded as the founder of Shugendō, a Japanese mountain ascetic tradition combining Buddhist and indigenous religious practices. In 699, during the reign of Emperor Monmu, En no Gyōja was pursued by the imperial court and took refuge at Kumano Hongu before being exiled to Izu Ōshima.
According to tradition, five of his disciples—Gigaku, Gigen, Gishin, Jūgen, and Hōgen—carried the sacred object of Kumano Hongu Taisha and traveled from place to place. After En no Gyōja was pardoned in 701, they reportedly received a divine message instructing them to establish a new sanctuary at the present site in Kurashiki. The sacred presence of Kumano Hongu was then transferred here.
Development of the Shrine Complex
In 740, Emperor Shōmu is said to have donated the entire Kojima area as estate land to Kumano Shrine. In 761, a complex known as the Twelve Shrines of Gongen was developed, with sanctuary buildings modeled on those at Kumano in Kii Province, present-day Wakayama Prefecture.
Additional sanctuaries were established nearby, including Shingū and Nachi, the latter associated with what is now Yuga Jinja Hongū and Rendai-ji Temple. Together, these sites formed a new local counterpart to the Kumano Sanzan, the three great Kumano shrines. Kumano Shrine flourished as a major religious center where Shinto and Buddhism were practiced together, closely linked with the traditions of Shugendō.
Decline, Revival, and Reconstruction
Medieval Decline and Revival
From the middle of the Heian period onward, Kumano Shrine gradually declined. Following the Jōkyū War of 1221, Prince Yorihito, the fourth son of Retired Emperor Go-Toba, was exiled to Kojima after becoming implicated in the political conflict that led to the emperor’s exile to the Oki Islands. Prince Yorihito is credited with restoring the declining shrine and its associated temples, which subsequently prospered until the Nanboku-chō period.
The area was later caught up in the Ōnin War and the conflicts that followed. In 1469, during the third year of the Ōnin era, troops supporting Hosokawa Katsumoto attacked and burned Shin-Kumano, leaving most of the complex destroyed.
Reconstruction During the Early Modern Period
Reconstruction began in 1492, during the Meiō era. The Second Hall, which survives today as a National Important Cultural Property, was built during this period. The other principal sanctuary buildings visible today were constructed in 1647 under the patronage of Ikeda Mitsumasa, lord of the Okayama Domain.
During the Meiji period, the government’s policy of separating Shinto and Buddhism led to the former Twelve Shrines of Gongen becoming known as Kumano Shrine. The associated temple complex, Goryū Sontaki-in, continued as a Tendai Buddhist temple, marking a major change in the religious organization of the area.
Recent History
Reconstruction of the Worship Hall
In September 2003, the shrine’s worship hall, originally built in 1768 during the Meiwa era, was completely destroyed by an accidental fire. Reconstruction was completed in October 2007, restoring an important part of the shrine complex and allowing Kumano Shrine to continue serving as a center of worship for the local community.
Cultural Properties
National Important Cultural Property
The Second Hall, built in 1492, remains one of the shrine’s most significant historic structures. It features the Kasuga-zukuri architectural style, characterized by a distinctive gabled roof and front-facing entrance. On April 30, 1921, the building was designated a National Important Cultural Property in recognition of its architectural and historical value.
Okayama Prefecture Designated Cultural Properties
The First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Halls were built in 1647 and are designated Important Cultural Properties by Okayama Prefecture. Their designation took effect on April 19, 1968. Together with the older Second Hall, these buildings preserve the shrine’s distinctive architectural arrangement and provide valuable insight into the history of religious architecture in the region.
Historic Site of Shin-Kumano Mountain
The mountain on which Kumano Shrine stands is known as Shin-Kumano Mountain. On May 15, 1973, it was designated a Historic Site by Okayama Prefecture. This designation recognizes the historical significance of the shrine and the surrounding area, where traditions of mountain worship, Shugendō, and the combined practice of Shinto and Buddhism have shaped the local religious landscape for centuries.