Furumine Shrine

History and Divine Virtue

The shrine rests in the mountain country of Kobugahara, near the headwaters of the Oashi River. Tradition holds that about 1,300 years ago a man named Hayato moved here from Kyoto and enshrined Yamato Takeru no Mikoto. The site is held to be where the holy man Shodo, who opened Nikko, trained in his youth, giving the shrine deep ties to the mountain devotion of Nikko. The tengu — long-nosed mountain spirits regarded as messengers of Yamato Takeru — are believed to sweep away the misfortunes that befall the faithful, and the halls are filled with votive tengu masks and carvings large and small, earning it the name "shrine of the tengu." Known for blessings of fire prevention, protection from theft, safety at sea, and the opening of fortune, it has a long history of group pilgrimages by furumine-ko confraternities from across the Kanto region. The shrine is also famed for its dozens of tengu goshuin stamps, depicting great tengu and crow tengu in varied styles, and the strolling Japanese garden Kohoen adjoins the grounds. The crystalline air of its deep mountain setting speaks eloquently of the shrine's character: a place to cast off misfortune and set one's fortunes right again.

Visiting Notes

• The enormous tengu masks displayed within the worship hall are overwhelming — take time to view them during your visit.
• The tengu goshuin come in many varieties, each in the style of its calligrapher — availability varies, so check on the day.
• The garden Kohoen along the Oashi River is beautiful in every season (admission fee required).

Deities and Location

Enshrined Deities

Yamato Takeru no Mikoto

Location

栃木県鹿沼市草久 (Tochigi)

Access

From Shin-Kanuma Station (Tobu Nikko Line), about 60 minutes by bus to the Furumine-jinja stop

Lineage

Purification & Renewal

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.