## [[Hanakake Jizo (鼻欠地葳)]] | Dainichi-goe 5 #trail/kumano-kodo/dainichi-goe > [!NOTE] Yunomine-oji > [[Cities/Yunomine Onsen (湯の峰温泉)|Yunomine Onsen]] is deeply connected with the Kumano pilgrimage and is linked with the [[Attractions/Kumano Hongu Taisha (熊野本宮大社)|Kumano Hongu Taisha]] via the [[Dainichi-goe (大日越)|Dainichi-goe route (1.8 km)]]. This hot spring is famous for its healing and regenerative powers. Yunomine-oji appears in a variety of historical pictures and records and is an important setting for the "Yunobori-shinji" rite of the [[Attractions/Kumano Hongu Taisha (熊野本宮大社)|Kumano Hongu Taisha's]] spring festival held on April 13th. Wearing traditional costumes, fathers and sons perform ancient rituals and then walk the pilgrimage route to Hongu; the boys are carried on their father's shoulders and not allowed to touch the ground. Yunomine-oji used to be located within Toko-ji Temple, but after a fire in 1903 it was relocated to its present location. Toko-ji's object of worship is a large "statue" of Yakushi Nyorai (Buddha of Healing and Medicine) made of solidified mineral deposits from the hot springs. Due to its close association with Toko-ji, Yunomine-oji differs from other Oji shrines in its connection to nature worship by means of hot spring veneration. > > Wakayama Prefecture ![[yunomine-oji IMG_8038.png]] ![[yunomine-oji IMG_8042.png]] We saw our first [mukade (ムカデ)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_red-headed_centipede) on this segment of the trail.