Kumano

Kumano is a historic and geographic region in the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, located on the Kii Peninsula. The name is associated with a sacred landscape formed by the Kumano River and the surrounding mountains, and it is the heartland of Kumano faith, a blend of Shinto and Buddhist practice.

The area includes the Kumano Sanzan, the three Grand Shrines: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Kumano Hayatama Taisha. These shrines, dedicated to local deities, have long been central to pilgrimage and ritual in the region and are connected by a network of sacred trails.

The Kumano Kodo, a historic system of pilgrimage routes, links the Kumano Sanzan with other sacred sites on the Kii Peninsula. Routes such as the Nakahechi and Kohechi trails were used by travelers since the Heian period and were inscribed as part of UNESCO's Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range in 2004. The trails pass through cedar forests, rural villages, and sacred waterfalls.

Notable features include Nachi Falls, one of Japan's tallest single-drop waterfalls, near Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Yunomine Onsen, one of the oldest hot spring towns in the country. The region's economy centers on cultural tourism, traditional crafts, and local agriculture.