[Kumano Pilgrimage IV] Seiganto-ji Temple

• Table of Contents
• Seigantoji Temple
• Kumano at Seiganto-ji Temple
• Deepening prayers around the three mountains

Seigantoji Temple

Seiganto-ji Temple is an ancient Tendai sect temple located on Mount Nachi in Wakayama Prefecture . It is known as the first temple on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

Seiganto-ji Temple is said to have begun during the reign of Emperor Nintoku (4th century), when a Buddhist monk named Nakedyo, who came from India, discovered a statue of Kannon in the basin of Nachi Falls and built a hermitage there. Until the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji period (19th century), Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, was a training center for syncretistic Shinto and Buddhism, with Nachi Falls as the center of worship. Pilgrims continue to visit the temple today.

One of the highlights of Seiganto-ji Temple is the majestic vermilion-painted Mie pagoda that stands tall within the temple grounds. Its vivid vermilion color stands out against the deep green mountains that overlap one another. The scenery of the pure white waters of Nachi Falls gushing down next to it, interwoven with the greenery of the mountains, is magnificent and full of vitality, making it a great photo spot for visitors.

Mie pagoda © Wakayama Prefecture Tourism Federation

The current main hall (Nyoirin-do) was rebuilt in 1590 by Toyotomi Hidenaga under the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and inside the hall is Japan's Owani, donated by Hideyoshi. In 2004, it was registered as a component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountains Range."

Main Hall © Wakayama Prefecture Tourism Federation

Fudarakusanji Temple (branch temple)

At the foot of the mountain is Fudarakusanji Temple, a branch temple. It is an ancient temple that is said to have been founded when the Rakugo monk Naked Shonin was shipwrecked on the coast of Kumano from India. For a thousand years, from the Heian period onwards, it is said that a monk set out on a voyage with only a few provisions in hopes of attaining rebirth in the Pure Land of Kannon (Mount Fudaraku), believed to be at the end of the Nankai. This scene is depicted in the Nachi Pilgrimage Mandala.

Here, a unique religious ritual called the "Pudding Sea Crossing" was performed, in which monks attempted the crossing, boarding small boats and drifting out to sea with only a little food, hoping to reach the Pure Land while still alive. Dozens of crossings are recorded throughout history, and their scenes are depicted in the "Nachi Pilgrimage Mandala."

Fudarakusanji Temple ©Fudarakusanji Temple

Ferry © Fudarakusanji Temple

In the early modern period, the custom of crossing the sea disappeared, but gravestones of monks who once crossed the sea remain on the mountain behind the temple grounds, and wooden plaques and ship materials from that time still remain, allowing you to feel the breath of history.

Kumano at Seiganto-ji Temple

Kumano Shugen

Kumano Shugendo is a form of Shugendo that was born from the fusion of nature worship with Shinto and Buddhism, and practitioners known as yamabushi have conducted rigorous training in the mountains while guiding pilgrims. There are Shugendo training sites in the "Mount Ryozen mountains" all over Japan, but faith in the Kumano Sanzan in inside flourished greatly due to the pilgrimages made by emperors and aristocrats in the past.

Known as the training path of Kumano Shugendo, the Omine Oku Trail is the steepest and most difficult of the Kumano Kodo trails, which connect the Kumano Sanzan shrines with Mount Yoshino in Nara . After the Meiji period (1868-1912), due to the influence of religious policies and other factors, this route from Kumano Motomiya Shrine to Yoshino temporarily fell into decline.

Kumano Shugen ©Seiganto-ji Temple

However, this tradition, which had been lost for many years, was revived in 1988 through the enthusiasm and efforts of the current head priest of Seiganto-ji Temple, and training is once again being carried out. *Nachi 48 Waterfalls is located within the Yoshino - Kumano National Park, a World Heritage Site, and is a sacred and dangerous area, so it is usually not possible to enter.

Kumano Shugen ©Seiganto-ji Temple

By undergoing training in the great outdoors of Kumano, worshippers can purify their mind and body and regain gratitude and compassion for others, making this a place where the spirit of Kumano faith lives on.

The Kumano Shugen Nachisan Gyojado Hall was rebuilt within the grounds of Seiganto-ji Temple in 2023. Here, a special goma offering prayer is held once a month (on the fourth Saturday of every month).

Anyone can participate, and the tour includes a visit to the sacred inner sanctuary, allowing you to experience the deep religious culture of Kumano.

Gyojado ©Seigantoji Temple

Deepening prayers around the three mountains

If you visit Seiganto-ji Temple, be sure to also visit the " Kumano Sanzan" (Three Grand Shrines of Kumano), including Kumano Nachi Taisha, Kumano Motomiya Taisha, and Kumano Hayatama Taisha. You'll be able to experience the unique form of prayer that is unique to Kumano, a sacred place of nature worship, and your trip will be even more profound.

↓ Kumano Sanzan series