Nara
Culture

Aug 13, 2013 - 1 min read

Tamaki Shrine

The ultimate training trail for Shugendo practitioners

By Virginia Gonzalez

Community writer

Tamaki Shrine's five kami-sama: Kuni-no-tokotachi-no-mikoto, Izanagi-no-mikoto, Izanami-no-mikoto, Ama-terasu-o-mikami, and Kamuyamato-iware-hiko-no-mikoto

View from the parking lot, at an elevation of 1,076 meters on Tamaki Mountain

There's only one bus per day to this destination. It departs from Totsukawa Village in the morning.

No cars are allowed beyond this point, which means that visitors have to walk to the shrine.

Despite the beauty of the place, it is not a very touristic area.

The structure of the building is made of zelkova wood (a flowering plant native to Japan).

Fire brigade out here? There is also a rest area near the shrine with free hot and cold tea.

There is an Inari Shrine next to the main shrine. Tamaki Shrine is a major spot on the Okugakemichi trail which lead all the way from Yoshino Town to Hongu Town.

Cedar trees have been standing in this area for centuries. This one is said to be 3.000 years old, and you see only the upper part of it.

Tamaki Shrine, located in Totsukawa Village and near the top of Tamaki Mountain, is one of the main stops for pilgrims and hikers who walk the Okugakemichi trail from Yoshino (in Nara Prefecture) to Hongu (in Wakayama Prefecture). The shrine's location at an elevation of 1,076 meters and the old cedar trees that surround the area have made Tamaki the inner sanctuary of the three Kumano Shrines. The easiest way to get there is by taking a car to the entrance, and then walking to the shrine, which takes 20 minutes from the parking lot. When you get to the shrine, you will be greeted with free tea, which will make up for the effort of the walk.

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Virginia Gonzalez

By Virginia Gonzalez

Community writer

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