KUMANO HONGU TAISHA
First documented in the 9th century, Hongu Taisha was described as five main pavilions enshrining 12 deities, as well as a stage for music, dance and Noh dramas as religious offerings. Over the centuries, the pavilions were periodically damaged or destroyed by fires and flooding, but always carefully rebuilt. After floods in 1889, the shrine was moved from its original location at Oyunohara to its present site a kilometre away. The entrance to Oyunohara is marked by a huge torii gate, which signifies the division of the secular and spiritual worlds.
An exceptional example of Japanese shrine architecture, Hongu Taisha is made with natural unfinished materials, allowing it to blend beautifully into the surrounding environment, and employs few nails in its construction,, and features characteristic bronze ornaments. The roof’s crosspieces are called , while the beams that are laid along and perpendicular to the ridgeline are called .
