Kumano Hongu Taisha Annual Festival

Overview

The Kumano Hongu Taisha Reisai (Grand Festival) is a large-scale ritual held annually from April 13 to 15 at Kumano Hongu Taisha, a shrine located in Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. It is the most important event in the shrine’s yearly calendar and is dedicated to praying for a bountiful harvest and the peace and safety of the region. The festival spans three days and is composed of three main rituals: the Yunobori Shinji (Hot Spring Ascent Ritual), the Funatama Taisai (Ship Spirit Festival), and the Ondasai (Rice Planting Festival).

A defining feature of this festival is its unique blend of Shinto rituals and Shugendo (mountain asceticism) practices. Notably, the Yunobori Shinji (designated as a Wakayama Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property on April 12, 1966) and the Ondasai (also designated on April 12, 1966, with a name change and additional designation on May 24, 2019) are known for their traditions spanning over a thousand years. Kumano Hongu Taisha is itself a component of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range,” and the festival is a living tradition within this cultural landscape.

History and Origins

According to shrine tradition, the founding of Kumano Hongu Taisha dates back to the 65th year of the reign of Emperor Sujin (33 BCE). It is said to have been originally established on the site of Oyu-no-hara, a sandbank in the Kumano River, where twelve shrines once stood, arranged in an upper group of four, a middle group of four, and a lower group of four. This original location is still revered as Oyu-no-hara and plays a crucial role as the destination for the festival’s portable shrine procession.

The origins of the Reisai are closely tied to the Buddhist honji-suijaku theory regarding the Kumano Gongen (avatar). In Kumano worship, the concept of hot springs (yu) is a central element. For instance, the “Kumano Gongen Suijaku Engi” (The Origins of the Kumano Avatar) records Oyu-no-hara written as “Oyu-no-hara” using characters meaning “great hot spring plain.” This concept of hot springs is prominently featured in the central ritual of the festival, the Yunobori Shinji, forming a unique form of worship that combines the region’s geothermal activity with religious faith.

A major turning point in the history of the shrine and its rituals came with the great flood of the Totsugawa River in August 1889 (Meiji 22). This flood caused the Kumano River to overflow, resulting in catastrophic damage that swept away all buildings of the middle and lower shrine groups. The surviving upper four shrines were relocated and rebuilt on their current hilltop site in 1891 (Meiji 24), and the Reisai has been held there ever since. The disaster is believed to have been exacerbated by the loss of water retention capacity due to rapid deforestation that began in the Meiji period.

Among the rituals of the Reisai, the Yunobori Shinji and the Ondasai were designated as Wakayama Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Properties on April 12, 1966 (Showa 41). On May 24, 2019 (Reiwa 1), the designated name was changed and additional designations were made, strengthening the protection of these cultural assets. Furthermore, the Dainichi-koe pass, a section of the pilgrimage route used during the festival, was added as a part of the national historic site “Kumano Pilgrimage Routes” on December 19, 2002, and in 2004, it became a registered asset of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.”

Highlights

Yunobori Shinji (Hot Spring Ascent Ritual) The Yunobori Shinji is a Wakayama Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Property performed on April 13. In this ritual, a young boy from a parishioner family, aged three or younger, serves as the yorimashi (sacred vessel) for the kami. The boy’s father carries him to the hot spring inn “Azumaya” in Yunomine Onsen. The ritual is understood to embody the unique Kumano belief that the kami descends into the child through the spiritual power of the hot spring water. The journey is made without the child’s feet ever touching the ground, symbolizing their sacred state.

Yasabaki Shinji (Swinging Ritual) The Yasabaki Shinji is a dance where the child sacred vessel beats a small drum hanging from their chest while being rotated to the left and right in response to the chants “sagari yaro” and “agari yaro.” The term “Yasabaki” combines the character for the sacred number eight (ya) with the character for “flip” or “shake” (hane), giving the ritual a character of purification. After the dance concludes, the character for “big” or “great” (dai) is drawn on the child’s forehead. As the child is now considered to be the vessel of a kami, they cannot be placed on the ground except during the Yasabaki itself, and the father carries them on his shoulders in a form called uma (horse).

Ondasai (Rice Planting Festival) The Ondasai, performed on April 15, consists of two parts: a ceremony at the main shrine and a procession of the portable shrine (mikoshi) to the temporary resting place (otabisho) at Oyu-no-hara. After the kami’s spirit is transferred to the portable shrine, a procession of over one hundred people forms, led by the shrine priest, followed by Kumano yamabushi (mountain ascetics), bearers of choka (sacred flower branches), dancers, the child festival participants, the portable shrine, Shinto priests, reijin (court musicians), and representatives of parishioners. This procession is said to reenact the mythological transfer of the Kumano Gongen from the Flower Cave to Oyu-no-hara.

Yamato Mai and Miko Mai (Dances) At the temporary resting place, the first performance is the Yamato Mai, a dance by four boys dressed in eboshi (formal caps) and kariginu (hunting cloaks). Following this, the Miko Mai is offered by four girls attired in white robes adorned with crow patterns, accompanied by the singing of the sacred songs “Arima-yama no Uta” (Song of the Arima Cave) and “Hana-no-iwaya no Uta” (Song of the Flower Cave) that recount the transfer of the Kumano Gongen. These dances are designed to bring the mythological world into the present, allowing participants to envision the age of the gods.

Taue Mai (Rice Planting Dance) This is a dance by children from which the Ondasai takes its name, with the performance area treated as a rice paddy and the movements of planting rice seedlings mimed. The dance is intended as a preliminary celebration of the autumn harvest and strongly retains the character of an agricultural rite. The charming actions of the children are believed to go beyond mere imitation, serving as an act that will actually bring about a good harvest.

Saito Dai Goma (Great Fire Ritual) and the Scramble for Choka (Sacred Flowers) In parallel with the rituals, ascetics from the Kumano Shugen Honcho (Shugendo Headquarters) perform the Saito Dai Goma, building a massive fire on the ritual platform in front of the festival site. Another event is the scramble among participants for the artificial flowers attached to the choka poles. These flowers are believed to invite good fortune. It was once believed that placing a choka in a rice field would protect it from insects, and because flowers are a sign of an upcoming fruit, the ritual is interpreted as a pre-celebration of the autumn harvest.

Event Information and Access

• Held annually from April 13 to 15. For the most up-to-date schedule and information on whether the event will be held, confirm on the official Kumano Hongu Taisha website.
• Location: Kumano Hongu Taisha, 1110 Hongu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. The temporary resting site is at Oyu-no-hara.
• Access (Public Transportation): By train to “Shingu Station” on the JR Kisei Line, then take a bus to “Hongu Taisha-mae” (approximately 1 hour). Alternatively, take a train to “Kii-Tanabe Station” on the JR Kisei Line, then take a bus to “Hongu Taisha-mae” (approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours). Bus services are limited, with only a few arrivals before noon.
• Access (Car): From the Kobe-Osaka-Kyoto area, use the Hanwa Expressway and the Kisei Expressway. From the Nagoya area, use National Route 42.
• Admission: Viewing the festival along the procession route is free. There is generally no paid seating, and visitors can freely observe from any location.
• Parking: Several free parking lots are available, including one for approximately 50 cars and 8 large buses in front of Zuihoden Hall, a lot next to Zuihoden Hall free for up to two hours, and a large free lot on the Kumano River bed with space for over 200 cars. Congestion is expected during the festival period, so arriving early is recommended.

Surrounding Area Information

Oyu-no-hara is the former site of Kumano Hongu Taisha, where two stone shrines dedicated to the deities of the middle and lower shrine groups still stand. Even after the Meiji-era flood destroyed the shrine buildings, this location has continued to be revered as a sacred site of Kumano worship. The massive torii gate standing at Oyu-no-hara, approximately 34 meters high, is an impressive sight rising from the sandbank on the Kumano River. The portable shrine procession of the Reisai heads for this Oyu-no-hara, forming the climax of the festival.

Yunomine Onsen is a historically significant hot spring town located a short distance from Kumano Hongu Taisha. During the Yunobori Shinji, the child sacred vessel and their father form a procession to the inn “Azumaya” in this town. The Yunomine-oji shrine, part of the Kumano pilgrimage routes, is located in the hot spring area, and on April 13, a ceremony including the Yasabaki Shinji is performed there starting at 1:00 PM. Yunomine Onsen is also a component of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range” and has been used since ancient times as a place for ritual purification (yugori) for pilgrims to Kumano.

The Kumano Kodo is a general term for the network of pilgrimage routes radiating from Kumano Hongu Taisha. The Dainichi-koe pass used in the Reisai is entirely registered as both a national historic site and a UNESCO World Heritage asset, allowing participants to experience the atmosphere of a medieval pilgrimage to Kumano by following this ancient path. The main shrine building of Kumano Hongu Taisha is located on high ground, with the main hall sitting atop a flight of 158 stone steps. During the Reisai’s portable shrine procession, the mikoshi is carried down these stairs, and on the return, the bearers are seen charging back up with great energy.

Related Information

• Kumano Hongu Taisha is an esteemed shrine listed as a shikinai-sha (shrine listed in the Engishiki), a former kanpei-taisha (imperial shrine of the first rank), and a bekkaku hyosha (special shrine of the grand rank). Its main enshrined deity is Ketsumimiko no Okami.
• The Yunobori Shinji and the Ondasai of the Reisai are designated as Wakayama Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Properties (designated April 12, 1966; additional designation and name change on May 24, 2019). The preservation group is the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shinji Hozonkai (Kumano Hongu Taisha Ritual Preservation Society).
• Other designated cultural property events at the shrine include the Yatagarasu Shinji (designated September 20, 1965) and the Mikama Shinji (designated April 12, 1966), among others.
• The Reisai of Kumano Hongu Taisha is also positioned as the #4 sacred site (Wakayama #4) on the Pilgrimage Route of Sacred Buddhist and Shinto Sites (Shinbutsu Reijo Junpai no Michi).
• Related cultural properties include the stone Buddha of Dainichi-do, which is designated as a Wakayama Prefecture Tangible Cultural Property (sculpture, designated April 14, 1967).
• The architectural style of the shrine buildings at Kumano Hongu Taisha varies: the First and Second Halls are in the irimoya-zukuri style (hip-and-gable roof), while the Third and Fourth Halls feature a kirizuma-zukuri (gabled front) and irimoya-zukuri (hip-and-gable back), a difference that can be observed by visitors.

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