KumanoKodo - World Heritage

There were four areas designated as World Heritage sites - officially known as Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. The areas include Mie, Nara, and Wakayama Prefectures. The designated sites are the sacred areas of 1. Yoshino and Omine 2. Kumano Sanzan and 3. Koyasan, and 4. the pilgrimage routes linking the sacred areas.
The area embodies the fusion of Shintoism (the ancient indigenous belief system of Japan) and Buddhism (introduced into Japan
in the 6th century) coexisting along the pilgrimage paths through dense forests, along high mountain ridges and along coastal areas. The area abounds in waterfalls, rivers and hot springs. Japanese jinja (shrines), Buddhist temples and historical artifacts dot the landscape. Each has a story to tell.