Seigantoji Temple Three-storied Pagoda and Nachi Waterfall [Wakayama]

【Summary】

Seigantoji Temple is a Tendai sect temple located on Mt. Nachi. This site has a long history as a sacred place of Kumano worship. Originally a major shugendo (ascetic practice) center centering on Nachi Falls, the temple was separated into Seigantoji Temple and Nachi Taisha Shrine in accordance with the policy of separating Shintoism and Buddhism in the early Meiji period (1868-1912). The Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha are known as the Kumano Sanzan (three mountains of Kumano), and Aogishidoji is included among them.

seigantoji and nachiwaterfall jp1 1024x768 - Seigantoji Temple Three-storied Pagoda and Nachi Waterfall [Wakayama]

It is now registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.

DSC 0463 160x160 - Seigantoji Temple Three-storied Pagoda and Nachi Waterfall [Wakayama] Kumano Nachi Taisya [Wakayama] DSC 0544 160x160 - Seigantoji Temple Three-storied Pagoda and Nachi Waterfall [Wakayama] Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine [Wakayama] kumano hongu taisha oosaihara otorii jp1 160x160 - Seigantoji Temple Three-storied Pagoda and Nachi Waterfall [Wakayama] Large Torii of Oosaihara, Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine [Wakayama]

【premises】

Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine is located right next to Seigando-ji Temple on Mt. Nachi, both of which are World Heritage sites. Aogishidoji, with its sense of withered history, and the vermilion-lacquered Nachi-taisha Shrine, which looks like a power spot, create a very mysterious collaboration. What is now considered the main hall of the temple is the Nyoirindo from that time.

seigantoji and nachiwaterfall jp3 1024x768 - Seigantoji Temple Three-storied Pagoda and Nachi Waterfall [Wakayama]

【scenery】

The three-story pagoda was destroyed by a typhoon during the Edo period (1603-1867), and the present pagoda was rebuilt in 1972 (Showa 47).

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The view of Nachi Falls and the sea of Kumano-nada from the fourth floor elevator, from which you pay an admission fee of 300 yen, is magnificent. Nachi-no-Taki is a large waterfall that flows from the Oundori mountain range deep in the Nachi Mountains, and there are said to be as many as 48 waterfalls in the entire mountain range, of which Nachi-no-Taki has the largest drop.

【Access】

Manager’s comment.

Visiting Seigando-ji Temple is a valuable experience that not only deepens one’s faith, but also allows one to feel in harmony with nature. The surrounding area is also worth a visit for its attractive scenery and power spots in the Kii mountain range.

scenery
 (4.5)
ambience
 (3)
access
 (2)
my opinion
 (4)

Seigantoji Temple

68, Nachiyama, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-5301, Japan

Entry to the nearest parking lot is possible by paying a road usage fee of ¥800.

About 20 minutes by bus from Kii-Katsuura Station

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