Minamoto no Yoritomo was a fervent devotee of Kumano and continued to make offerings and prayers to the Three Grand Shrines after establishing the Kamakura shogunate. The Kumano Betto family had sided with the Minamoto during the Genpei War, and Tanzo led the Kumano naval forces at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, making them a key naval asset for the shogunate. Yoritomo donated extensive estates to the Three Grand Shrines during the Bunji era (1185-1190), positioning Kumano devotion as one of the religious pillars of warrior rule.

Hojo Masako was also a devout adherent of Kumano worship and, after Yoritomo's death, continued to extend shogunal patronage to the Three Grand Shrines. She conducted proxy pilgrimages and prayers at Kumano Nachi for the repose of the Minamoto clan and the stability of the shogunate. Throughout the Kamakura period under the Hojo regents, Kumano devotion penetrated deeply into warrior society, providing the foundation for the popular surge of pilgrimage known as the 'ants' pilgrimage to Kumano.'

Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127-1192) made 34 pilgrimages to Kumano in his lifetime — the most by any emperor or retired emperor. His devotion to Kumano formed the core of religious policy during the Insei period, and he extended wide-ranging patronage including land donations, sanctuary construction support, and improvements to the portable-shrine processions. His pilgrimages were the driving force that spread Kumano devotion nationwide, laying the cultural foundation for the 'ants' pilgrimage to Kumano.'