Guardian of Koyasan
Niutsuhime Shrine in Katsuragi, Wakayama, is a historic Shinto site linked to Mount Kōya and the founding of Kōyasan by Kūkai. Enshrining Niutsuhime-no-Ōkami, said to be Amaterasu’s sister, the shrine symbolizes early Shinto-Buddhist fusion. It features Japan’s largest kasuga-zukuri hall and a grand Rōmon gate, both Important Cultural Properties. As part of the UNESCO Kii Mountain Range heritage site, it remains a key spiritual destination.