Hana no Iwaya Jinja

photo by Tawashi2006 · CC BY-SA 3.0

photo by Tawashi2006 · CC BY-SA 3.0

No building: the 45-metre rock is the tomb of Izanami, as recorded as early as the Nihon Shoki of 720.

There is no building: the rock overlooking the sea of Kumano, about 45 metres high, is itself the sacred body. The Nihon Shoki, a chronicle from the year 720, says that Izanami, the mother goddess who died giving birth to the god of fire, was buried here. Twice a year, on 2 February and 2 October, a straw rope about 170 metres long is stretched from the top of the rock down to the beach of Shichirimihama, decorated with seasonal flowers: camellias in February, amaranth in October.

One of the oldest shrines in Japan according to written tradition, with no honden (building of worship) because worship is addressed directly to the rock. Part of the UNESCO site of the Kii Mountains since 2004.

ℹ️ Open access, always open. Mie Kōtsū bus from Kumano, Hananoiwaya bus stop, about 5 minutes; car park and facilities at the nearby 花窟パーク.

🚉 Arii · 12 min walk

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org · blog.gaijinpot.com

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