Kada Kasuga-jinja Shrine｜Temples and Shrines｜Cultural Assets｜Japan Heritage: Katsuragi Shugen—The birthplace of Shugendo, a tradition passed down through generations of believers and villagers

The shrine’s ikkensha nagare-zukuri-style main hall has a thatched roof made of hinoki (Japanese cypress) bark

The shrine’s interior is opened to the general public several times each year for Shinto rituals

The ancient shrine sits at the end of a narrow lane in the fishing town of Kada

The shrine is said to have been moved to its current location during the Tensho era (1573 to 1592) by Kuwayama Shigeharu (a retainer of warlord Hashiba Hidenaga), who constructed its main hall. Legend holds that En no Gyoja, who was using Tomogashima Islands as a sacred training site, prayed to the shrine’s god as a guardian deity. For this reason, the head priest of Shogo-in Temple in Kyoto joins large numbers of Shugendo practitioners to make a pilgrimage here every April.

Inquiries	Shrine office 073-459-0368
Address	1343 Kada, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama Prefecture
Access	15 min. walk from Nankai Kada Station
Admission	Free
Hours	Open 24 hours (Amulets and other items are available for purchase from 9:30 to 16:30)
Closed	Open year-round
Parking	5 spaces

Find the route with Google Maps