It was built in 740 during the reign of Emperor Shomu, burned down during the Onin War (1469) and other times, but has been rebuilt several times and continues to stand to this day.

Kumano Shrine was enshrined in the first year of the Taiho era from Kishu Kumano Hongu, and has flourished as a base for Shugendo ever since. From the left, the third, first, second, fourth, fifth, and sixth halls are lined up, and the second hall, built in the Muromachi period, is a national important cultural property, while the other five are designated cultural properties by Okayama Prefecture. The magnificent interior sanctuary and carvings attract many worshippers.

Within the grounds, there are stone monuments marking the remains of the three-story pagoda and long bed of Goryusonryuin, which was adjacent until the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji era. If you walk down the alley from the shrine office, you will come across traces of where mountain ascetics once practiced and pagodas, giving you a sense of the history of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism up close. You can enjoy the beauty of traditional architecture in the solemn silence.