A Pilgrimage in Black and White

A Pilgrimage in Black and WhiteA Pilgrimage in Black and White

Hana no Iwaya: The Cave of Izanami, Mother Creator of Japan

Hana no Iwaya: The Cave of Izanami, Japan’s Mother Creator Guideto Japan Images Culture- English - 日本語 - 简体字 - 繁體字 - Français - Español - العربية - Русский The Site of Japan’s Creation Myth

Hana no Iwaya, the “flower cave,” counted among Japan’s oldest shrines, stands on the Shichirimihama coast of the Kii Peninsula, facing the Pacific. Unlike most Shinto shrines, it has no worship hall. Pass beneath the torii and follow the path inward, and a sheer wall of stone rises before you to a height of forty-five meters. The cliff itself is the goshintai, the body in which the deity dwells, and worshippers offer their prayers from an enclosure set before it.

Counted among Japan’s oldest shrines, Hana no Iwaya (“flower cave”) stands along the Shichirimihama coast of the Kii Peninsula, facing the Pacific. Unlike most Shintō shrines, it has no hall of worship. Passing through the torii and following the path inward, one encounters a sheer stone wall rising 45 meters high. This cliff itself is the goshintai—the body of the deity—and worshippers offer prayers from an enclosure set before it.

The enshrined goddess is Izanami, the primordial mother of Shinto myth, who with her consort Izanagi created the islands of Japan and gave birth to innumerable deities. According to the Nihon Shoki, she died of the burns she suffered while bearing the fire god Kagutsuchi and was buried here. For that reason, Hana no Iwaya has long been regarded as a threshold to Yomi, the land of the dead.

The enshrined goddess, Izanami, is the primordial mother in Shinto mythology who, together with her consort Izanagi, created the islands of Japan and gave birth to countless deities. According to the Nihon Shoki, she died from burns sustained while birthing the fire god Kagutsuchi and was buried here. For that reason, Hana no Iwaya has long been regarded as a threshold to Yomi—the land of the dead.

Standing before the vast rock wall, one feels at once its overwhelming physical presence and the quiet breath of an ancient spirit. Directly opposite the place of worship lies Oji no Iwaya, the “prince’s cave,” dedicated to Kagutsuchi; in this arrangement, mother and child remain side by side in eternal repose.

Standing before the immense rock wall, one feels both its overwhelming physical presence and the quiet breath of an ancient spirit. Directly across from the worship area lies Ōji no Iwaya (“prince’s cave”), dedicated to Kagutsuchi—a layout that allows mother and child to remain side by side in eternal repose.

Look upward, and a thick ceremonial rope stretches from the summit of the cliff to a sacred pine within the shrine precincts. Every February and October, the otsuna-kake rite is performed: a rope 170 meters long is extended from the peak to the sacred tree. From it hang three woven banners, minagare no hata, adorned with flowers and fans. In earlier centuries, the imperial court sent brocade banners for the rite; when that custom came to an end, local residents themselves took up the work of making them. After the festival, the banners remain in place, gently swaying in the sea breeze.

Looking up, a thick ceremonial rope stretches from the summit of the cliff to a sacred pine within the shrine grounds. Each February and October, the otsuna kake ritual is performed: a 170‑meter rope is extended from the peak to the sacred tree. Three woven banners—minagare no hata—are suspended from it, each adorned with flowers and fans. In earlier centuries, the imperial court sent brocade banners for this rite; when that practice ceased, local residents took on the responsibility of crafting them on their own. After the festival, the banners remain in place, swaying gently in the sea breeze.

Bare rock, the sound of Pacific waves, and the absence of ornament give Hana no Iwaya a severe, primordial beauty. This unadorned landscape of prayer, unchanged since antiquity, calls to mind the very roots of Japanese worship.

Bare rock, the sound of Pacific waves, and the absence of ornamentation give Hana no Iwaya a stark, primordial beauty. Its unadorned landscape of prayer, unchanged since antiquity, evokes the very roots of Japanese forms of worship.

Hana no Iwaya ShrineHana no Iwaya Shrine

Address: 130 Arima-cho, Kumano, Mie Prefecture- Address: 130 Arima‑chō, Kumano, Mie Prefecture

Enshrined deities: Izanami no Mikoto, Kagutsuchi no Mikoto- Deities enshrined: Izanami no Mikoto, Kagutsuchi no Mikoto

Situated on the ancient coastal route of southern Mie Prefecture, this venerable shrine forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.” Along with Kamikura Shrine in Kumano, it preserves an archaic tradition: the worship of a colossal rock as the divine presence itself.

Situated along the ancient coastal route of southern Mie Prefecture, this venerable shrine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.” Together with Kamikura Shrine in Kumano, it preserves the archaic tradition of worshipping a massive rock as the divine presence itself.

Izanami, who gave birth to the islands and deities of Japan and later ruled the realm of Yomi, is believed to be entombed here. People have long honored her with offerings of flowers and ritual banners.

Izanami, who birthed the islands and deities of Japan and later ruled the realm of Yomi, is believed to be entombed here. People have long honored her with offerings of flowers and ritual banners.

Since ancient times, Kumano has been revered as a place where the souls of pilgrims undergo spiritual rebirth. Hana no Iwaya, veiled in myth and anchored by its awe-inspiring natural forms, stands as one of the quintessential sanctuaries in this sacred landscape of resurrection.

Since ancient times, Kumano has been revered as a place where the souls of pilgrims undergo spiritual rebirth. Hana no Iwaya—shrouded in myth and anchored by its awe-inspiring natural formations—stands as a quintessential sanctuary of this sacred landscape of resurrection.