Cultural Assets－Other

Nakayama-oji Shrine was one of the Kumano Kujuku-oji (99 Kumano Oji) shrines. The shrine is mentioned in the Kumano Gokoki, a record of a visit to the area by then-retired Emperor Gotoba in 1201. Located at the entrance to the hamlet of Takihata on the highway leading to Kumano Sanzan (the three great shrines of Kumano), it’s likely that long ago, people visited the shrine on their way back from pilgrimages to Kumano. Today’s Nakayama-oji Shrine is located at Enoki-toge Pass, but there’s a place named Ojidani to the east of the current location where the remains of a small shrine can be found. One theory holds that the shrine was originally dedicated to the wrathful deity Kongo Doji, a protector of Buddhist teachings and followers.