Kumano Taisha

Kumano Taisha (熊野大社) is a Shinto shrine that can be found in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. The shrine is considered to be the most important shrine in Izumo Province, along with Izumo Grand Shrine. It is known as ichinomiya, which means "the first shrine" or "the most important shrine" in the province. This shrine should not be confused with the Kumano sanzan complex located in Wakayama Prefecture. The deity worshipped in this shrine is named 'Izanagi-no-Himanago Kaburogi Kumano-no-Ōkami Kushimikenu-no-Mikoto', which means "Beloved Child of Izanagi, Divine Ancestor, and Great Deity of Kumano, Kushimikenu-no-Mikoto." This deity is associated with Susanoo.. In Japanese mythology, the shrine is believed to be the place where fire was first made. The shrine keeps two ancient tools for making fire, a hand drill (燧杵 hikiri-kine) and a hearthboard (燧臼 hikiri-usu), which are used during the Fire Lighting Ceremony held every October. The ceremony is also known as Kiribi-matsuri or Sanka-sai.. References