The traditional end point of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage, Hayatama Taisha dates from prehistory and honours Hayatama-no-Okami, the god said to rule the workings of nature and all life. Meticulously maintained orange pavilions stand in vivid contrast to the surrounding greenery, some tied with impressively thick shimenawa twisted straw ropes. The shrine grounds include what's said to be Japan's oldest conifer. Nearby, a stone staircase leads to Kamikura Shrine, where a 15-minute climb brings you to a great stone where the gods are said to have first descended to earth.