Hana no Iwaya Shrine

Hana no Iwaya Shrine is a place of legend noted in Nihon Shoki, Japan's oldest historical record, that’s said to be the oldest shrine in Japan. It enshrines Izanami-no-Mikoto, the mother of gods, and Kagu-tsuchi-no-Mikoto, the god of fire. The name Hana no Iwaya (meaning "cave where flowers are offered") is derived from the ancient practice of offering flowers to honor the deities. The shrine is also considered the original shrine of the Kumano Sanzan and is registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site as part of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.

Unique to this spot, this shrine has no main hall. Instead, it worships a massive 45-meter-high rock facing the Kumano Sea as its sacred object, preserving the ancient tradition of nature worship. Visitors can even touch the sacred rock directly, making it one of the rare shrines in Japan with this feature.

The shrine’s annual festivals, held on February 2 and October 2, are notable for the Otsuna-kake Shinji, a ceremony in which a 170-meter-long rope is hung from the sacred rock to a sacred tree. This ritual is designated as an intangible folk cultural asset of Mie Prefecture.

Otsuna Chaya is a teahouse set on the grounds serving local bites like Mitarashi dango made with ancient Izanami rice, udon, onigiri, and the famous Mehari Sushi of Kumano. The shop also sells a number of regional exclusive items that double as great souvenirs.