Kumano Taisha Shrine — Giant Thatch Roof and Rabbit Deity

Kumano Taisha is a Shinto shrine founded over 1,200 years ago, famous for its massive thatched roof (茅葺屋根, kayabuki-yane) — one of the largest in Japan at 28 meters long. The roof requires re-thatching every 30-40 years using 10,000 bundles of kaya grass (miscanthus) harvested from local mountains, a traditional construction technique now rare in modern Japan. The shrine's deity is associated with rabbits (moon rabbits from Shinto mythology), and rabbit motifs appear throughout the grounds: stone rabbit statues flanking the entrance, rabbit ema (wooden prayer plaques), and rabbit-shaped omikuji (fortune slips). The main worship hall (拝殿, haiden) features heavy wooden pillars and vermillion accents typical of Yamagata Shinto architecture. The shrine is particularly beautiful during winter when snow accumulates on the curved thatch roof, and during autumn when surrounding ginkgo trees turn golden yellow.