Mt. Fuji Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine

At the foot of Mt. Fuji stands Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha, the spiritual heart of Fuji worship and the head shrine of more than 1,300 Sengen shrines throughout Japan (sengen or asama shrines are Shinto shrines dedicated to volcano deities, and Mt. Fuji in particular). The shrine’s origins date back over 1,200 years, when it was established here to calm the eruptions of Mt. Fuji. The main deity, Konohana-no-sakuya-hime, is celebrated as model for Japanese women, and a guardian of safe childbirth, agriculture, and protection against fire.
Many of the present shrine buildings date to 1604, when Tokugawa Ieyasu rebuilt the complex in gratitude for his victory at the Battle of Sekigahara. The main hall, worship hall, and two-storied tower gate still remain, and the main hall is designated a National Important Cultural Property. It became extremely popular with pilgrims during the Edo period.
Each spring, the precincts come alive with the bloom of 300 cherry trees, making it one of the region’s most celebrated hanami (cherry blossom-viewing) spots. Today, the shrine’s centuries of history are still celebrated with traditional rituals like mounted archery during the Yabusame Festival in May, a practice that references Minamoto no Yoritomo’s (first shogun of the Kamakura Period, 1147 – 1199) horseback hunt at the foot of Mt. Fuji.