Niutsuhime Shrine

Niutsuhime Jinja is a Shinto shrine in the highland basin of Amano, Katsuragi-chō, Wakayama Prefecture, approximately 450 meters above sea level. Its primary deity is Niutsuhime-no-Okami, described in tradition as a sister of Amaterasu who spread agriculture and cinnabar (vermilion) production across the provinces of Kii and Yamato. Three further deities are co-enshrined: Takanomiko-no-Okami, Ogetsuhime-no-Okami, and Ichikishimahime-no-Okami. A UNESCO World Heritage Site (2004) as a constituent element of "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range," the shrine was cited for its over 1,000 years of Shinto-Buddhist syncretic heritage with its cultural landscape still intact. The shrine's connection to Kōyasan is central to its significance: according to the Konjaku Monogatari, it was Takanomiko-no-Okami who led Kūkai (founder of Shingon Buddhism) to the mountains to establish Mount Kōya approximately 1,200 years ago. The shrine is the head shrine (sōhonsha) of approximately 180 Niutsuhime shrines across Japan. The four main hall structures (rebuilt in 1469) are designated National Important Cultural Properties, and the striking vermilion lacquered kōrōbashi (floating bridge) spanning the reflecting pond before the shrine gate is an iconic image of Wakayama's sacred landscape.

Niutsuhime Shrine is located in Ito-gun, Katsuragi-cho, Wakayama. The full address is: 230 Kamiamanono, Katsuragi-cho, Ito-gun, Wakayama.

The enshrined deities are: Niutsuhime no Okami, Takano Miko no Okami.