5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
[O05-P04] Geological Characteristics of Sacred Sites in Kumano, Southwest Japan
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Kumano Sanzan, pilgrimage routes, cultural landscape, igneous bodies, sedimentary formations
The cultural landscape of Kumano Sanzan and the pilgrimage routes leading to it is inscribed on the World (Cultural) Heritage List. Sacred sites where earth formations are worshipped can also be found around Kumano Sanzan in the Kumano region, forming a broad base supporting the World Heritage site.
Sacred sites in Kumano have a long history and culture as places where deities (kami) dwell, as well as places for mountain asceticism, said to resemble the Pure Land where buddhas and bodhisattvas reside (T. Okouchi, 2009). These sacred sites are located in places shaped by the erosion and weathering of rock formations, forming a "cultural landscape of rocks, water, and people".
Relationship between sacred sites and geology in Kumano
In the Kumano region, the terrain is composed of three types of geological formations: the accretionary complex, forearc basin sediments, and igneous bodies. Sacred sites can be found at all of these geological formations, but many have been established especially in areas scattered with igneous bodies, which tend to collapse and crumble as they weather, forming unusually shaped rock formations, giant rocks, rocky peaks, waterfalls, gorges, and so on. Many of sacred sites in Kumano are found in the southeastern Kii Peninsula because the Kumano Acidic Rocks, an igneous complex, is located here. In addition, there are places where giant rock masses formed by the collapse of thick sandstone layers have become sacred sites, and these sacred sites are developed around the sedimentary formations.
Sacred sites developed around igneous bodies
Nachi-no-Otaki waterfall, a sacred site in Nachi, is located on a geological boundary: the rock wall is part of the Kumano Acidic Rocks, an igneous body, while Hiro-jinja Shrine, a place of worship, is a part of the Kumano Group, a sedimentary formation. Although igneous bodies have a tendency to collapse into large rock masses, they are relatively resistant to erosion. In contrast, the sedimentary rocks of the Kumano Group are relatively fragile and easily eroded.
In the Kumano River, there is a rock island called Mifune-jima. The Hayatama-sai Annual Festival in Shingu is a ritual boat procession in which ceremonial boats, including the saishusen and shinkosen, circle this rock island, culminating in a fast boat race in which rowboats make laps around the rock island. The Gotobiki-iwa Rock of Mt. Kamikura and Kouchi-jima Island in the Koza-gawa River also occupy important positions as objects of worship in festivals.
In addition, there are sacred sites around Kumano Sanzan without shrine buildings, where people worship natural formations directly.
Sacred sites developed around sedimentary formations
Sacred sites in Hongu are considered to be places where people revere the river as sacred and perform rituals to appease it. Here, one can also find the Sonaezaki-iwakura formed by rocks. This sacred site is formed by giant rock masses densely packed on a slope. These giant rock masses were formed by geologic collapse, and the thick sandstone of the accretionary complex is its central feature.
The Waroda-ishi Rock along the Ogumotori-goe section of the Kumano pilgrimage route and the Iwakura Rock in Shiko along the route to Ise are two other examples of giant rock masses formed by collapses of thick sandstone and treated as sacred.
The relationship between river pilgrimage routes and topography/geology
The World (Cultural) Heritage Site also includes river pilgrimage routes. The downstream portion of this pilgrimage route flows through the hard Kumano Acidic Rocks. The Kumano River wash over the rocks along the riverbanks, creating an outstanding landscape of igneous bodies with distinctive features. Since the Middle Ages, people have spun various stories about the origins of these landscapes (S. Yamamoto, 2002).
Tomoyuki Okouchi, Kumano shinko no inori no katachi:Kumano Sanzan no shiho, Wakayama Prefectural Museum, 2009, 129-134.
Shigeo Yamamoto, Kumanogawa no shuko meisho wo tazunete, Kumano-shi, 47, 2002, 137-161.
Sacred sites in Kumano have a long history and culture as places where deities (kami) dwell, as well as places for mountain asceticism, said to resemble the Pure Land where buddhas and bodhisattvas reside (T. Okouchi, 2009). These sacred sites are located in places shaped by the erosion and weathering of rock formations, forming a "cultural landscape of rocks, water, and people".
Relationship between sacred sites and geology in Kumano
In the Kumano region, the terrain is composed of three types of geological formations: the accretionary complex, forearc basin sediments, and igneous bodies. Sacred sites can be found at all of these geological formations, but many have been established especially in areas scattered with igneous bodies, which tend to collapse and crumble as they weather, forming unusually shaped rock formations, giant rocks, rocky peaks, waterfalls, gorges, and so on. Many of sacred sites in Kumano are found in the southeastern Kii Peninsula because the Kumano Acidic Rocks, an igneous complex, is located here. In addition, there are places where giant rock masses formed by the collapse of thick sandstone layers have become sacred sites, and these sacred sites are developed around the sedimentary formations.
Sacred sites developed around igneous bodies
Nachi-no-Otaki waterfall, a sacred site in Nachi, is located on a geological boundary: the rock wall is part of the Kumano Acidic Rocks, an igneous body, while Hiro-jinja Shrine, a place of worship, is a part of the Kumano Group, a sedimentary formation. Although igneous bodies have a tendency to collapse into large rock masses, they are relatively resistant to erosion. In contrast, the sedimentary rocks of the Kumano Group are relatively fragile and easily eroded.
In the Kumano River, there is a rock island called Mifune-jima. The Hayatama-sai Annual Festival in Shingu is a ritual boat procession in which ceremonial boats, including the saishusen and shinkosen, circle this rock island, culminating in a fast boat race in which rowboats make laps around the rock island. The Gotobiki-iwa Rock of Mt. Kamikura and Kouchi-jima Island in the Koza-gawa River also occupy important positions as objects of worship in festivals.
In addition, there are sacred sites around Kumano Sanzan without shrine buildings, where people worship natural formations directly.
Sacred sites developed around sedimentary formations
Sacred sites in Hongu are considered to be places where people revere the river as sacred and perform rituals to appease it. Here, one can also find the Sonaezaki-iwakura formed by rocks. This sacred site is formed by giant rock masses densely packed on a slope. These giant rock masses were formed by geologic collapse, and the thick sandstone of the accretionary complex is its central feature.
The Waroda-ishi Rock along the Ogumotori-goe section of the Kumano pilgrimage route and the Iwakura Rock in Shiko along the route to Ise are two other examples of giant rock masses formed by collapses of thick sandstone and treated as sacred.
The relationship between river pilgrimage routes and topography/geology
The World (Cultural) Heritage Site also includes river pilgrimage routes. The downstream portion of this pilgrimage route flows through the hard Kumano Acidic Rocks. The Kumano River wash over the rocks along the riverbanks, creating an outstanding landscape of igneous bodies with distinctive features. Since the Middle Ages, people have spun various stories about the origins of these landscapes (S. Yamamoto, 2002).
Tomoyuki Okouchi, Kumano shinko no inori no katachi:Kumano Sanzan no shiho, Wakayama Prefectural Museum, 2009, 129-134.
Shigeo Yamamoto, Kumanogawa no shuko meisho wo tazunete, Kumano-shi, 47, 2002, 137-161.