Three sacred sites - Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, and Koyasan (Japan) - linked by pilgrimage routes to the ancient capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, reflect the fusion of Shinto, rooted in the ancient tradition of nature worship in Japan, and Buddhism. The sites and their surrounding forest landscape reflect a persistent and extraordinarily well-documented tradition of sacred mountains. Each of the three sites contains shrines, some of which were founded as early as the 9th century.
The growing number of pilgrims coming to the three sacred sites led to the construction of three connecting pilgrimage routes: The Omine Okugakemichi, the Kumano Sankeimichi and the Koyasan Choishimichi ("michi" meaning path or route). They play an important role in Japan's cultural heritage and together with the three aforementioned sacred sites, located in the mountain range amid cultural landscapes of nature and religious faith; represent the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range".

Information source: UNESCO World Heritage web site