Hongu
is really Kumano Hongū Taisha and Ōyunohara, Tanabe, Wakayama
Real place, reimagined
Real-world photo: Wikimedia Commons
How close does the game get to the real place?
In the game
A shrine village on a river plain in the mountains of Kii, with a red torii and cherry trees.
The real place
Kumano Hongū Taisha stood on the Ōyunohara sandbank in the river until a flood in 1889 swept most of it away; the surviving halls were moved to higher ground. A giant torii, 34 m tall and added in 2000, now marks the old site.
Visiting
Hongū is a stop on the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage trail. Walk the last section from Hosshinmon-ōji, then soak at Yunomine or Kawayu onsen nearby.
Pilgrim photos
Screenshots from the game and photos of Kumano Hongū Taisha and Ōyunohara, sent in by players. Most liked first.
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Share your photo of HonguA screenshot from the game or a photo of the real place. Both are welcome.
Tips from pilgrims
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