Juniso Kumano Jinja Shrine

The Kumano Jinja is a noble Shinto shrine that originate back in 1403 A.D.(Muromachi Era) when it branched out from a large, famous and respected “Kumano Gongen” shrine located in Kii Province(now Wakayama Pref.) by a rich Shinto believer, Kuroh Suzuki, also called the “Reverend in Nakano”.

Kuro Suzuki enshrined all 12 shrines(worshipping a god of its own) of Kumano Gongen at the present location, thus the shrine was called Kumano Juniso(12 shrines) Gongen in Edo Era. With 12 gods enshrined at a place, people believed that the gods will turn any impossible things possible.

Tokugawa shogunate has extensively supported the shrine by periodical mending and refurbishing of shrine buildings and attachments. Successive Shoguns used to pay homage at the shrine then, after their falconry hunting in the surrounding area fields.

In the Edo Era, the shrine owned a large estate around the present location where it had two ponds, large and small, and a waterfall inviting people not only for praying occasions but also for enjoyable pastime. Soon after the Meiji Revolution, the shrine changed its name as it has now. The shrine is a guardian of people living in Shinjuku Area protecting those from evils.

Traditionally people used to say that they want to visit Ise Shrine, another great shrine, seven times and Kumano Shrine in Kii Province three times in their lifetime. Both shrines are a quite far away from Edo(now Tokyo), then they were fond of praying at Juniso Kumano Jinja instead.