Kumano Hongu's Oyunohara Torii Gate

Wow! Was I surprised to see this during a visit in late May! Incredible! Standing 33.9 meters tall and 42 meters wide, the Hongu Oyunohara Torii Gate, also known at 'Otorii' (O means “big”) weighs 172 tons and is the biggest in the world. It is also beautiful. The Kumano Hongu Taisha was originally located here at Oyunohara, on a sandbank joining the Kumano and Otonashi Rivers. We visited once in the afternoon, once at dusk, and once in the early morning - each time was beautiful and impressive in its own right. But I think I felt something really special at sunset where the immense torii silhouetted against a soft colorful sky.