Kamikura Shrine

Kamikura Shrine (神倉神社) is a Shinto shrine in Kamikura, Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, an auxiliary of Kumano Hayatama Taisha and one of the three Kumano grand shrines. The precincts are designated a National Historic Site as part of "Kumano Sanzan" and are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". The shrine stands on the summit of Mount Kamikura (about 80 m), backed by the giant boulder called Gotobiki-iwa, with a steep stone stairway of 538 steps preserving the ancient form of iwakura (rock-altar) worship. The principal kami are Takakuraji-no-Mikoto and Amaterasu-Omikami; Takakuraji is recorded in the Kojiki (712 CE) as the local deity of Kumano who presented the sacred sword Futsu-no-Mitama to Emperor Jimmu during his eastern expedition. The night fire festival of Oto Matsuri on 6 February, an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, sees white-robed men descend the stone steps bearing torches.