Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha
Head shrine of all Sengen shrines, where Mount Fuji itself is worshipped.
History and Divine Virtue
Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha is the head shrine of the more than 1,300 Sengen shrines across Japan and the center of Fuji worship, venerating Mount Fuji itself as its sacred body. Its deity is Konohana-no-Sakuyahime-no-Mikoto. The shrine is said to have originated when the spirit of Fuji was enshrined to quell the mountain's eruptions, moving to its present site in the early Heian period. Everything above the eighth station of Mount Fuji belongs to the shrine's precincts, and an inner sanctuary stands at the summit. The main sanctuary, donated by Tokugawa Ieyasu, is built in the rare two-storied style known as sengen-zukuri and is an Important Cultural Property. On the eastern side of the grounds lies the Wakutama Pond, a Special Natural Monument fed by the snowmelt of Fuji, where pilgrims of old purified themselves before beginning the ascent of the sacred mountain. With the cherry as its sacred tree — the goddess herself likened to blossoms in full flower — the shrine is worshipped as a deity of beauty, good matches, and safe childbirth. It is the great shrine of Suruga, its history inseparable from Mount Fuji.
Visiting Notes
- Wakutama Pond, a Special Natural Monument, wells up with Fuji's underground waters; sacred water can be drawn at the Mizuya Shrine.
- The main sanctuary's two-storied sengen-zukuri style is rare anywhere in Japan — worth seeing alongside the history of Ieyasu's patronage.
- Some 500 cherry trees grow in the precincts, and the spring scenery honoring the sacred cherry is renowned.
Deities and Location
- Enshrined Deities
- Konohana-no-Sakuyahime-no-Mikoto
- Location
- 静岡県富士宮市宮町 (Shizuoka)
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from Fujinomiya Station on the JR Minobu Line
Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.
