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Explore Nachi Mandala
Hamanomiya Oji Shrine
Hamanomiya Oji Shrine, located facing the sea, is believed to mark the place where pilgrims depart to the Pure Land paradise of Kannon.
Fudarakusanji
Fudarakusanji is a temple dedicated to Mount Fudaraku, where Kannon is believed to dwell.
Fudaraku Tokai
This detail illustrates a former practice at Nachi, Fudaraku Tokai, which involves sending a willing devotee in a sealed boat on a one-way journey to the imagined paradise of Kannon, Mount Fudaraku. The destination is the Japanese version of Potalaka, where the Indian Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is believed to dwell.
Ninosebashi Bridge over Nachi River
The white-robed couple appears in successive moments throughout the painting to guide us through this dazzling site. In this detail, they are traversing the Ninosebashi Bridge over Nachi River, where two people below are involved in a purification ritual.
Kumano Kudo
Kumano Kudo (Kumano Ancient Path) is a well-known pilgrimage road that still exists today. “Kumano” refers to the area in Western Japan where Nachi is located.
Furigasebashi
This is a bridge known as Furigasebashi. It is part of the Kumano Kudo.
Tafuke Oji Shrine
Tafuke Oji Shrine is the last oji shrine that pilgrims encounter on the Kumano Kudo (Path). An oji shrine marks a place where pilgrims rest on their long journey.
Path to Nachi Shrine
Nowadays, the pathway leading to the Nachi Shrine is more complicated than is depicted in the mandala.
Nachi Shrine
Nachi Shrine is one of the most popular sites in Japan and is sacred to Shinto, the indigenous Japanese religion. Some of its main buildings depicted in the mandala remain today, including the Haiden (Worship Hall) and the Honden (Sanctuary).
Hashaden
Hashaden (Eight-shrine Hall) is sacred to indigenous Shinto deities, each of which is regarded as the local manifestation of a Buddhist deity.
Haiden
Haiden (Hall of Worship) is a place for worshipping the local deities and also for holding ceremonies. It is usually built in front of the sanctuary, which houses the main deity of Nachi.
Honden
Honden (Sanctuary) is used solely to enshrine the kami (local deities). It is not open to public.
The Crows
The crow, an auspicious animal, is closely tied to Kumano beliefs embodied in the local Shinto religion that is based on the southern part of Kii Peninsula.
Nio Gate
Nio Gate, which has been moved to the entrance of Seigantoji Temple.
Path to Seigantoji Temple
Passing through the Nio Gate, the pilgrim can ascend to the Seigantoji Temple.
Nyoirindo
A subsidiary hall called Nyoirindo(now known as Seigantoji) houses Nyoirin Kannon, an important icon of veneration at the site. Seigantoji is the first stop on the famous Kannon Saigoku Pilgrimage, a circuit composed of 33 sites in Japan’s Western Provinces.
Sanjyunoto
Sanjyunoto (Three-level Pagoda) enshrines Buddhist relics.
Dengaku
The Nachi Pilgrimage Mandala illustrates not only the religious realm but also the mundane world. Dengaku, represented by the men who seem to be fighting, is a ritual dance performed in the Fire Festival at Nachi each year on July 14th.
Okunoin
Okunoin (Mausoleum) was used to host funerals or rites for deceased local residents at Mount Nachi.
Nachi Falls
The Nachi Falls is one of the tallest and most famous waterfalls in Japan. It has had spiritual significance since ancient times.
Mount Myoho, Amidaji
At the end of the journey, pilgrims climb up Mount Myoho from Mount Nachi to visit the Amidaji Temple. This spot represents the paradise of Amitabha Buddha, who is the spiritual father of Kannon in Pure Land Buddhism.
Golden clouds
Golden clouds have been a favorite motif of Japanese artists since the Heian period (794-1185). This compositional device reveals and conceals certain vignettes in narrative paintings like the Nachi Pilgrimage Mandala.
Sun
The sun and moon coexist at the top of the mandala. The sun—painted in gold—and the moon—painted with silver, which has blackened as the work has aged—indicate that Nachi, the Pure Land of Kannon, is truly a cosmic paradise that transcends time and space.
Moon
The sun and moon coexist at the top of the mandala. The sun—painted in gold—and the moon—painted with silver, which has blackened as the work has aged—indicate that Nachi, the Pure Land of Kannon, is truly a cosmic paradise that transcends time and space.
