Visited in person · Original photography
Origins and founding
It enshrines Konohanasakuyahime. Said to have been built to calm the repeatedly erupting Mount Fuji, it is the head shrine of the Sengen shrines, of which more than 1,300 are said to exist across Japan. The main sanctuary is built in a distinctive two-storey style called Sengen-zukuri, and was constructed under Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The two-storey gate and the “hoko-tate-ishi” stone set in front of it.
What to see
Wakutama Pond: water from the snow and rain that fell on Mount Fuji, which flows underground and wells up here. In the past, those who climbed Fuji purified themselves here before entering the mountain. The two-storey gate. The cherry trees: the “Sengen” of the shrine’s name is said to connect with Konohanasakuyahime, the goddess of cherry blossom.
A weeping cherry in bloom in the grounds. The “Sengen” of the shrine’s name is said to connect with Konohanasakuyahime, the goddess of cherry blossom.
Wakutama Pond. Snowmelt from Mount Fuji flows underground and wells up here. The torii beyond stands in front of the two-storey gate.
The torii of an auxiliary shrine at the edge of Wakutama Pond, guarded by fox statues.
Cultural context
Everything above the eighth station of Mount Fuji is still the precinct of this shrine; the mountain itself is the shrine ground. It is a component of the World Heritage Site “Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration”.