Two Shrines Sharing One Sacred Space
On the Nagano side, the shrine is officially designated as a special shrine by the Association of Shinto Shrines and is known as Kumano Kotai Shrine. It serves as the principal guardian shrine of Karuizawa and has long been an important center of local worship.
The Gunma side is known as Kumano Shrine. While both sides share the same main shrine building, their chief priests, shrine offices, amulets, and prayer services are managed separately. Separate offering boxes and bells are also placed on each side of the prefectural boundary.
Deities Connected to the Kumano Tradition
The main sanctuary enshrines Izanami-no-Mikoto and Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto. On the Nagano side, Nachi Shrine enshrines Kotosakao-no-Mikoto, while the Gunma side’s Shingu Shrine enshrines Hayatamao-no-Mikoto.
This arrangement is based on the tradition of the Kumano Sanzan, the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano in Wakayama Prefecture. Together with Kumano Shrine in Nanyo, Yamagata Prefecture, the shrine is traditionally described as one of the Three Great Kumano Shrines of Japan.
A Name with Centuries of History
The shrine has been known by several names throughout its history, including Nagakura Shrine Kumano-gu and Nagakurayama Kumano Daigongen. During the Edo period, names such as Kumano-gu and Usui Shrine were also used.
In 1868, the shrine was given its present name, Kumano Kotai Shrine. During the Showa period, Kumano Shrine was established on the Gunma side.
After the introduction of Japan’s postwar Religious Corporation Law, religious corporations were required to register on a prefectural basis. As a result, the shrine came to exist as separate religious corporations even though both sides continue to share a single shrine building.
Locally, the shrine and surrounding mountain area are affectionately known as Togesan.
The Border Amulet
In 2018, the shrine began offering a special Border Amulet inspired by its unique location on the prefectural boundary. The amulet carries the wish to overcome one’s own limits, making it a particularly memorable souvenir of a visit to this unusual shrine.
The Legend of Yamato Takeru and the Yatagarasu
A Divine Guide Through the Mist
According to shrine tradition, Yamato Takeru became lost in thick fog on Usui Pass while returning from his eastern expedition.
At that moment, a Yatagarasu, the three-legged sacred crow associated with divine guidance in Japanese mythology, is said to have appeared carrying a leaf of a Chinese torreya tree. The bird guided Yamato Takeru through the mist until he safely reached the summit of the pass.
Grateful for the divine assistance, Yamato Takeru is said to have enshrined deities from Kumano here. This legend is regarded as the beginning of the shrine’s history.
From Ancient Times to the Edo Period
The ancient Tosan-do route is believed to have passed through Irikeyama Pass to the south of the shrine. Another tradition holds that the shrine was moved to its present location when the Nakasendo highway was established.
Records and offerings dating from the Kamakura period indicate that the shrine was already attracting worshippers by that time. During the medieval period, the Japanese tradition of combining Shinto and Buddhism developed here, and the site once included a Buddhist temple and a Niomon gate.
During the Edo period, the shrine stood beside an important section of the Nakasendo. Lords traveling along the highway and martial artists visited to pray.
One surviving record states that in 1695, Matsudaira Sadayuki, lord of the Takada Domain in Echigo, received prayers at the shrine while passing through and donated 100 hiki of gold. In the martial-arts culture of neighboring Joshu, prominent practitioners of different schools also had a tradition of donating framed inscriptions and other objects to the shrine.
A Shrine Divided by a Prefectural Boundary
The hereditary shrine families, known as shake, were divided between the two domains. Historical documents record official rulings concerning the division of responsibilities for protection and festivals between the two sides.
In the past, the major annual festivals in spring and autumn were jointly held by the Nagano and Gunma sides. Today, each side conducts its own festivals independently.
Highlights of Kumano Kotai Shrine
The Sacred Shinanoki Tree
One of the most impressive sights on the Nagano side is a magnificent Japanese linden tree, known as a shinanoki. The tree is believed to be more than 850 years old and is designated as a Natural Monument of Nagano Prefecture.
A mirror is enshrined within a natural split in the trunk, giving the ancient tree a particularly sacred character. The tree has also been depicted in an illustration donated by manga artist Hirohiko Araki in gratitude for the fulfillment of a prayer.
Historic Guardian Dogs and a Sacred Water Source
The komainu, or traditional guardian dog statues, standing beside the approach to the shrine are believed to date from the middle of the Muromachi period. They are traditionally regarded as the oldest surviving komainu in Nagano Prefecture.
The grounds also contain the source of the Usui River. For generations, this spring water has been used by local communities as both drinking water and water for daily life.
Experience Two Prefectures in a Single Visit
The greatest attraction of Kumano Kotai Shrine is its extraordinary location. A single visit allows you to pray on both the Nagano and Gunma sides of the shrine.
Standing directly on the prefectural boundary is an unusual travel experience in itself. The shrine also brings together layers of history, from the ancient legend of Yamato Takeru and the Yatagarasu to the journeys of feudal lords along the Nakasendo and the distinctive Border Amulet created in modern times.
Set amid the natural landscape of Usui Pass, Kumano Kotai Shrine offers a fascinating combination of mythology, history, local faith, and geographical uniqueness. A visit here is an opportunity to experience one of the most unusual sacred sites in the Karuizawa area while enjoying the quiet mountain scenery of the pass.