志賀野丹生神社

This shrine is dedicated to Niu Myōjin (丹生明神), a local kami associated with mercury and cinnabar mining that was historically important to the Kii Peninsula region. The deity is particularly revered for protection during travel and purification, as mercury compounds were traditionally used in Shinto purification rituals. Visitors come to pray for safe journeys, spiritual cleansing, and to honor the ancient connection between the sacred landscape of Wakayama and its mineral resources that supported both religious and secular communities for centuries.