Ohyunohara Plain

Hongu Grand Shrine was originally located in Ohyunohara Plain. It was carried away by the huge floods in 1889 (Meiji period), and moved to the present hill nearby.

Following is the episode at the tiny shrine "Fushiogami Oji" just before Hongu Grand Shrine in Heian period (794-1192).

At Fushiogami Oji shrine there is a stone monument erected for the repose of the female poet Izumi Shikibu's spirit. The poem on the monument is based on the legend that her period suddenly began here, when she visited Kumano. The poem is her grief.　

At night Kumano Avatar appeared and answered her by the following poem.

Lady Shikibu thanked the avatar for the merciful consideration and visited the shrine.

Government Official Oguri and Princess Terute

This is a story in the Medieval period.
　"Government Official Oguri is in love with the big snake which has taken the form of a beautiful girl." Such rumour with no evidence happened, and his father got so angry that Oguri was banished faraway to Hitachi District.
Then there, Oguri heard about Princess Terute of matchless beauty and wrote a letter to her. As soon as he received her reply, he visited the mansion of Taizen Yokoyama, her father, as an unwelcome guest, and successfully accomplished his purpose. However, during the dinner party they let him take a poisoned drink to be disabled.

Princess Terute drew a cart, Oguri on it, to the hot spring of Yunomine, under the guidance of Kumano Avatar. By 49 day hot spring cure and Terute's good care, Oguri recovered the freedom of his body.
Yumonine Spa is near Hongu Grand Shrine. You can enjoy the same hot spring that Oguri soaked.

A Nose-Lacked Travelers' Guardian Deity
(Hanakake Jizo)

There stands an odd deity called "Nose-Lacked Travelers' Guardian Deity" along the slope "Ohigoe" from Yunomine Hot Spring to Hongu Grand Shrine. The origin is as follows.

It was when Hidari Jingoro, a master carpenter, stayed at Hongu in order to repair the main hall of Hongu Grand Shrine in Edo period.
Jingoro noticed that his box lunch is a little short everyday. He blamed his apprentice and he cut the Deity's nose a bit by a plane.
The next day, his apprentice disappeared, and it was found that the Deity's nose was chipped blooding. Since that time, other apprentices offered a box lunch everyday to the deity, praying the safe construction.

Pope Kazan

In 986, Pope Kazan was forced to renounce the world and was expelled from the Imperial Throne by the plot and surprise attack of the Fujiwara clan.
He came down to Nachi, and practiced religious austerities for 1,000 days in the small temple called "Enjoji", upstream of Nachi Falls.
The following is his poem at that time.

If you live under the trees
you will enjoy flower blossoms by yourself.

Historic Spot of Enjoji Temple

　It is a different world, far from the front of Nachi Falls with many visitors.
The sorrowful pope lived such a lonely life at the place with night dew under the trees.
　After the ascenticism, the pope thanked Nachi Mountain and Nachi Falls for their spirits, and started the pilgrimage journey to the Thirty-three Holy Places of Saigoku or the west district of Japan.
During the journey, he made poems at each holy place. They are the beginning of Goeika or the Old Songs Connecting Temples, and the first song of Goeika is about "Seigantoji Temple" in Mt. Nachi next to Nachi Grand Shrine.

Taira-no Koremori

Taira-no Koremori escaped from the battle camp at Yashima Island of Shikoku, as though he took the responsibility of the bad luck of Heike clan on himself. And then he visited a priest Takiguchi Nyudo at Koya-san.
Nyudo preached to him that it is the way of Bushido (Japanese chivalry) for him to do the best for the revival of Heike clan. Koremori started to visit for the support from Kumano-Sanzan (Kumano Three Grand Shrines) which had been tied since his grand father Kiyomori.
However, he found the shrines were already under Genji clan and lost his fate at last.

Just like Saint Tokai, Koremori went away offshore Kumanonada Open Sea in a small boat. It was in the year 1185, his age 27.

Shingu Castle

The site of Shingu Castle (Tankaku Castle) is on a hill with Kumano river in the background, northside of the center of Shingu city. Although the ruins look as it was in the old days, its history goes back to Edo period.
Kinokuni or Kii country had been under Asano clan before the reign of Tokugawa clan. Its territory was a whole Wakayama pref. and the southwest of Mie pref. At that time Asano Ukondayu, chief retainer, managed Shingu district, and built Shingu Castle by piling up stone walls at the mouth of Kumano River.
The castle under construction was destroyed in 1615 by the law "one castle in one country" proclaimed by the Tokugawa government. However, the reconstruction was admitted in 1618 and completed after 15 years by Mizuno Sigenaka, junior retainer of Kii district of Tokugawa clan. Mizuno clan reigned Shingu district for about 250 years.

The Meiji Restoration happened during the latter half of 1800. As a result, Shingu district was absorbed into Wakayama Pref. and Shingu Castle was again destroyed as it was judged to be not worthwhile.
Now the ruins of the castle are a park, which is a nice scenic spot of cherry blossoms in spring. In addition, the landscape on the ruins of stone walls are superb now and then, looking over the Pacific Ocean.

The Tomb of Jofuku

Jofuku (Xu Fu) Park is 100 meters east of Shingu Station, the gate of which is specially picturesque.
This park is surrounded by big camphor trees and some Chinese trees (Tendai-uyaku). In it lies the tomb of Jofuku, a legend, who is said to have come from China in the remote past.

Jofuku served the emperor Qin Shi Huang who unified China about 2200 years ago. Under the order of Shi Huang, Jofuku was handed down to have come over faraway east to Shingu, searching spiritual ageless medicine.
Headed by Jofuku, a couple of thousand males and females on several hundred ships with gold, silver and treasures sailed eastward to a country (Japan).
Finally they reached a local seaside area of the country, and there Jofuku discovered some medicine trees called "Tendai Uyaku". Moreover, he liked its mild climate, beautiful scenery and above all friendship of the locals. After all he decided to live in Shingu forever.
In his life he inducted the local people into the technology of agriculture, fishery, whaling, paper making, etc.

The Principal Image of Asuka Shrine

Asuka Shrine is said to have the oldest history in Shingu city, which lies around Horai Mountain, conic for a background around the mouth of Kumano River.
When Typhoon Isewan hit Kii Peninsula in 1959, around 200 precious statues of Buddha, etc. were unearthed from the roots of old trees knocked down at Horai Mountain. They are said to go back to Muromachi period, 14th-16th centuries. According to the professionals, it shows that this shrine had been worshipped just like Kumano Three Grand Shrines since old ages.