A long staircase shaded by Japanese cedars leads to the Hongu shrine (one of the sacred shrines of Kumano Hansan), which is dedicated to the divinity Ketsumiko, later identified with the buddha Amida. The pavilions are 800 years old and make use of natural raw materials, resulting in an impression of unity with the surrounding forest. At the entrance to the site you will see banners bearing the shrine's emblem: a crow whose three legs symbolise heaven, earth and humanity.