Niutsuhime Shrine

With a history said to span about 1,700 years, Niutsuhime Shrine is an ancient Shinto shrine registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, which also includes Mount Koya, Kumano, and Yoshino. It is the ichinomiya (highest-ranked shrine) of the former Kii Province and the head shrine of approximately 180 Niutsuhime shrines across Japan. The enshrined deity, Niutsuhime no Okami, granted land to Kobo Daishi for the construction of Kongobu-ji Temple, and the shrine serves as the overall guardian shrine of Mount Koya.

The main sanctuary, designated as a National Important Cultural Property, consists of four Kasuga-zukuri style buildings standing side-by-side, enshrining Niutsuhime no Okami and three other deities. The year 2014 brought restoration work returned the coloring to its original early Edo-period scheme. The romon (tower gate) standing before the main sanctuary is also a National Important Cultural Property.

The wa-bashi (arched bridge) over the Kagami-ike pond was donated by Yodo-dono, a concubine of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. While such bridges are traditionally for deities to cross, here, visitors are also allowed to walk over it. Due to its steep incline, the half-circle bridge is closed in winter. The shrine is also notable for its rare sacred dogs—white and black—believed to be the messengers of Takano no Miko no Okami, the deity who guided Kobo Daishi to Mount Koya. They are shown to the public during the monthly Tsukinami-sai festival held on the 16th of each month.