Kumano Kodō
The Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) is a series of ancient pilgrimage routes that crisscross the Kii Peninsula, the largest peninsula of Japan. These mountainous trails are used by pilgrims to the "Kumano Sanzan" (熊野三山) - the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano: Kumano Hongū Taisha (熊野本宮大社), Kumano Nachi Taisha (熊野那智大社) and Kumano Hayatama Taisha (熊野速玉大社). These three shrines are the holiest sites of the ancient syncretic Kumano religion.
| Kumano Kodō (熊野古道) | |
|---|---|
A map of the main routes of the Kumano Kodō. | |
| Type | Pilgrims' way
Sacred space Sacred mountains |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | 𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘪 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦: Pilgrimage Routes - Kumano Sankeimichi |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii)(iv)(vi) |
| Reference | 1142bis |
| Inscription | 2004 (28th Session) |
| Extensions | 2016 |
| Area | 506.4 ha (1.955 sq mi) |
| Buffer zone | 12,100 ha (47 sq mi) |
| Website | https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1142/ |
| Location | Mie Prefecture, Nara Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture |
It has been visited by pilgrims seeking healing and salvation as a site of religious significance for over a thousand years. People with backgrounds from peasants to emperors would visit the region while guided by Shugendō monks.
In July 2004, some of the roads of the Kumano Kodō and the shrines of the Kumano Sanzan, along with Koyasan and Yoshino and Ōmine, were registered as World Heritage sites together as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range".