Tamaki Shrine

Tamaki Shrine is a shrine located near the summit of Mount Tamaki (1,077 m) on Tamaki-yama. It is said to have been founded in the era of the 10th Emperor Sujin to protect the royal castle from fire and to ward off evil spirits, and it has a history of nearly 2,000 years. In the Edo period, it was regarded as the inner sanctuary of the Kumano Sanzan and flourished as a major sacred site of Shugendō. The precincts are home to a number of ancient giant cedar trees—such as Jindai-sugi, Tokotate-sugi, Iware-sugi, and Ōsugi—all designated as Natural Monuments. Among them, Jindai-sugi is said to be 3,000 years old, underscoring the shrine’s deep history. In 2004, it was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range." The sliding doors (fusuma) at the shrine office feature dragon, tiger, and landscape paintings by artists including Tachibana Yasuharu of the Kanō school; the vivid set totals 70 panels, each made from a single plank of cedar, and is truly spectacular. To access the shrine, take the Nara Kotsu Yagi–Shingū bus and get off at Totsukawa Onsen, then transfer by taxi, or use the reservation-based World Heritage bus (operating only on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays).