Brave Spear English School

Wakayama Shrine

By Kazuyo Mihara

The Wakayama Shrine was founded in 701 and has been loved by the local people for over 1,300 years.

Because the shrine is located in the mountains, visitors need to hike up to reach it. It may take a little effort, but once you stand before the shrine, you’ll feel a sense of peace and purity.

Surrounded by nature, the shrine is especially beautiful in autumn, when the mountainside is covered with colorful autumn leaves.

The Wakayama Shrine holds many events throughout the year, starting with the New Year’s Day Festival on January 1. There is also the Annual Grand Festival in May and the Summer Purification Festival (Chinowa ritual) on June 30th.

In the shrine’s storage building, you can see the shiny portable shrine used for the Annual Grand Festival in May.

The main hall is located at the back of the shrine grounds and faces east with a sweeping view.

 It has a rare architectural style in the Osaka prefecture. It has a distinctive roof with a Mukou-Karahafu. A Mukou-Karahafu is a curved roof that projects from the front of the building. It is a very decorative design, also seen at Nijō Castle.

In 2019 (Heisei 31), the Wakayama Shrine was designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan because of its beautiful architecture.

Please visit the Wakayama shrine and experience the sacred atmosphere of the mountains.

Wakayama Shrine: 〒618-0011 1209 Hirose, Shimamoto-cho, Mishima-gun

Nearest station: JR Shimamoto and Hankyu Minase

Note: this is part of the Shimamoto-cho Guide Text, created by the Yokoso Shimamoto (YS) English Guide Study Group; a text I helped revise.