Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 35°13′39″N 138°36′37″E / 35.22750°N 138.61028°E / 35.22750; 138.61028
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{{Infobox religious building
{{Short description|Shinto shrine in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan}}{{Expand Japanese}}{{Infobox religious building
| name = Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha <br>富士山本宮浅間大社
| name = Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha <br>富士山本宮浅間大社
| image = Fujinomiya Hongu Sengen Taisha Honden.jpg
| image = Fujinomiya Hongu Sengen Taisha Honden.jpg
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[[File:Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha daitorii.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Torii]]]]
[[File:Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha daitorii.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Torii]]]]
[[File:Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Yabusame.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Yabusame]]]]
[[File:Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Yabusame.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Yabusame]]]]
The {{nihongo|'''Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha'''|富士山本宮浅間大社}} is a [[Shintō shrine]] in the city of [[Fujinomiya, Shizuoka|Fujinomiya]] in [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. It is the ''[[ichinomiya]]'' of former [[Suruga Province]], and is the head shrine of the approximately 1300 [[Asama Shrine|Asama or Sengen shrines]] in the country. The shrine has an extensive location within downtown Fujinomiya; in addition, the entire top of [[Mount Fuji]] from the 8th stage upwards is considered to be part of the shrine grounds.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shibuya |first1=Nobuhiro |title=Shokoku jinja Ichinomiya Ninomiya San'nomiya |date=2015 |publisher= Yamakawa shuppansha |isbn=4634150867 |language=Japanese}}</ref>
The {{nihongo|'''Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha'''|富士山本宮浅間大社}} is a [[Shintō shrine]] in the city of [[Fujinomiya, Shizuoka|Fujinomiya]] in [[Shizuoka Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. It is the ''[[ichinomiya]]'' of former [[Suruga Province]], and is the head shrine of the approximately 1300 [[Asama Shrine|Asama or Sengen shrines]] in the country. The shrine has an extensive location within downtown Fujinomiya; in addition, the entire top of [[Mount Fuji]] from the 8th stage upwards is considered to be part of the shrine grounds.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shibuya |first1=Nobuhiro |title=Shokoku jinja Ichinomiya Ninomiya San'nomiya |date=2015 |publisher= Yamakawa shuppansha |isbn=978-4634150867 |language=Japanese}}</ref>


The main festival of the shrine is held annually on May 5, and features ''[[yabusame]]'' performances.<ref>Plutschow. ''Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan''. Page 173</ref>
The main festival of the shrine is held annually on May 5, and features ''[[yabusame]]'' performances.<ref>Plutschow. ''Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan''. Page 173</ref>


In 2013, the shrine was added to the [[World Heritage List]] as part of the Fujisan Cultural Site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418/multiple=1&unique_number=1883|title=Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration: Maps|work=World Heritage|publisher=UNESCO|accessdate=2013-07-04}}</ref>
In 2013, the shrine was added to the [[World Heritage List]] as part of the Fujisan Cultural Site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418/multiple=1&unique_number=1883|title=Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration: Maps|work=World Heritage|publisher=UNESCO|accessdate=2013-07-04}}</ref>

It is similar to [[Chōkaisan Ōmonoimi Shrine]] at [[Mount Chōkai]]


==Enshrined ''kami''==
==Enshrined ''kami''==
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==History==
==History==
The foundation of the Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha predates the historical period. Per shrine tradition, it was established in the reign of [[Emperor Suinin]], with the shrine first built on its current location during the reign of [[Emperor Keikō]]. This was a period of intense volcanic activity on Mount Fuji, and the shrine was built in order to appease the ''kami'' of the mountain. The shrine is mentioned in accounts of the legendary hero [[Yamato Takeru]], who prayed to the ''kami'' of Mount Fuji to help him escape from danger while in Suruga. During the reign of [[Emperor Heizei]], [[Sakanoue no Tamuramaro]] was ordered to rebuild the shrine in its current location. <ref name="Yoshiki">{{cite book |last1=Yoshiki |first1=Emi |title=Zenkoku `Ichinomiya' tettei gaido |date=2007 |publisher=PHP Institute |isbn=4569669301 |language=Japanese}}</ref>
The foundation of the Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha predates the historical period. Per shrine tradition, it was established in the reign of [[Emperor Suinin]], with the shrine first built on its current location during the reign of [[Emperor Keikō]]. This was a period of intense volcanic activity on Mount Fuji, and the shrine was built in order to appease the ''kami'' of the mountain. The shrine is mentioned in accounts of the legendary hero [[Yamato Takeru]], who prayed to the ''kami'' of Mount Fuji to help him escape from danger while in Suruga. During the reign of [[Emperor Heizei]], [[Sakanoue no Tamuramaro]] was ordered to rebuild the shrine in its current location. <ref name="Yoshiki">{{cite book |last1=Yoshiki |first1=Emi |title=Zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' tettei gaido |date=2007 |publisher=PHP Institute |isbn=978-4569669304 |language=Japanese}}</ref>


Historical records, however, only exist as far as the early ninth century. The ''[[Shoku Nihongi]]'' records that Mount Fuji erupted in 781, and the ''[[Nihon Montoku Tennō Jitsuroku]]'' indicates that the Asama Jinja had been become a third-rank shine by 853. As the ''kami'' of the shrine is the goddess of fire, it is logical that a shrine was erected to pray for the end of the eruption between 781 and around 806. The [[Heian period]] ''[[Engishiki]]'' records list the shrine as a {{nihongo|''myōjin taisha''|名神大社|}} and the ''[[ichinomiya]]'' of [[Suruga Province]]; however, the [[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine]] in the city of [[Shizuoka, Shizuoka|Shizuoka]] is located much closer to the [[kokufu|provincial capital]]. For this reason, the shrine in Fujinomiya is styled as the "Hongū" and the shrine in Shizuoka is styled as the ''Shingū''. The entire mountain was off-limits for religious reasons, except for [[Shugendō]] [[yamabushi|monks]] noted for their [[asceticism]]. Pilgrimages to Mount Fuji became common in the ninth century onwards, although women were forbidden from climbing. <ref name="Yoshiki"/>
Historical records, however, only exist as far as the early ninth century. The ''[[Shoku Nihongi]]'' records that Mount Fuji erupted in 781, and the ''[[Nihon Montoku Tennō Jitsuroku]]'' indicates that the Asama Jinja had become a third-rank shine by 853. As the ''kami'' of the shrine is the goddess of fire, it is logical that a shrine was erected to pray for the end of the eruption between 781 and around 806. The [[Heian period]] ''[[Engishiki]]'' records list the shrine as a {{nihongo|''myōjin taisha''|名神大社|}} and the ''[[ichinomiya]]'' of [[Suruga Province]]; however, the [[Shizuoka Sengen Shrine]] in the city of [[Shizuoka, Shizuoka|Shizuoka]] is located much closer to the [[kokufu|provincial capital]]. For this reason, the shrine in Fujinomiya is styled as the "Hongū" and the shrine in Shizuoka is styled as the ''Shingū''. The entire mountain was off-limits for religious reasons, except for [[Shugendō]] [[yamabushi|monks]] noted for their [[asceticism]]. Pilgrimages to Mount Fuji became common in the ninth century onwards, although women were forbidden from climbing. <ref name="Yoshiki"/>


During the [[Kamakura period]], the ''[[Shōgun]]'' [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]] was a frequent visitor to the shrine during his hunting expeditions/war games at the base of Mount Fuji, beginning the tradition of ''[[yabusame]]'' during the shrine's festivals and association with the [[samurai]] class. Through the [[Muromachi period]], the [[Ashikaga clan]], [[Late Hōjō clan|Odawara Hōjō]], the [[Imagawa clan]], the [[Takeda clan]] and the [[Tokugawa clan]] were patrons of the shrine. [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] made a large donation after his victory at the [[Battle of Sekigahara]], and subsequent generations of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] kept the shrine in good repair. During the [[Edo period]], the shrine was the center of a cult worshipping Mount Fuji, and drew pilgrims from all over Japan. The Hongū Sengen Taisha was the place at which pilgrims would purify themselves in water before beginning the ascent.<ref name="Yoshiki"/>
During the [[Kamakura period]], the ''[[Shōgun]]'' [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]] was a frequent visitor to the shrine during his hunting expeditions/war games at the base of Mount Fuji, beginning the tradition of ''[[yabusame]]'' during the shrine's festivals and association with the [[samurai]] class. Through the [[Muromachi period]], the [[Ashikaga clan]], [[Late Hōjō clan|Odawara Hōjō]], the [[Imagawa clan]], the [[Takeda clan]] and the [[Tokugawa clan]] were patrons of the shrine. [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] made a large donation after his victory at the [[Battle of Sekigahara]], and subsequent generations of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] kept the shrine in good repair. During the [[Edo period]], the shrine was the center of a cult worshipping Mount Fuji, and drew pilgrims from all over Japan. The Hongū Sengen Taisha was the place at which pilgrims would purify themselves in water before beginning the ascent.<ref name="Yoshiki"/>


From 1871, under the [[State Shinto]]'s [[Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines]], the Fuji Hongū Sengen Taisha was officially designated a {{nihongo|Imperial shrine, 2nd rank|官幣中社|Kanpei-chusha}}. It was promoted to a {{nihongo|Imperial shrine, 1st rank|官幣大社|Kanpei-taisha}} in 1896, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.<ref>Bernstein, Andrew. [http://museweb02-pub.mse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/monumenta_nipponica/v063/63.1.bernstein.html "Whose Fuji?: Religion, Region, and State in the Fight for a National Symbol,"]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''Monumenta Nipponica,'' Vol. 63, No. 1, Spring 2008, pp. 51–99; Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 125.</ref>
From 1871, under the [[State Shinto]]'s [[Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines]], the Fuji Hongū Sengen Taisha was officially designated a {{nihongo|Imperial shrine, 2nd rank|官幣中社|Kanpei-chusha}}. It was promoted to a {{nihongo|Imperial shrine, 1st rank|官幣大社|Kanpei-taisha}} in 1896, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government-supported shrines.<ref>Bernstein, Andrew. [http://museweb02-pub.mse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/monumenta_nipponica/v063/63.1.bernstein.html "Whose Fuji?: Religion, Region, and State in the Fight for a National Symbol,"]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''Monumenta Nipponica,'' Vol. 63, No. 1, Spring 2008, pp. 51–99; Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 125.</ref>


Today, some 400,000 pilgrims climb Mount Fuji every year, and many of them stop at the shrine in order to wish for a safe climb. The shrine celebrated the 1200th anniversary of its foundation in 2006. In 2013, it was included in the [[World Heritage Site]] designation for Mount Fuji <ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418 1418] (2013) [[World Heritage Site#Cultural criteria|iii, vi]] </ref>
Today, some 400,000 pilgrims climb Mount Fuji every year, and many of them stop at the shrine in order to wish for a safe climb. The shrine celebrated the 1200th anniversary of its foundation in 2006. In 2013, it was included in the [[World Heritage Site]] designation for Mount Fuji <ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418 1418] (2013) [[World Heritage Site#Cultural criteria|iii, vi]] </ref>


The shrine is located about ten-minutes on foot from [[Fujinomiya Station]] on the [[JR Central]] [[Minobu Line]].<ref name="Okada">{{cite book |last1=Okada |first1=Shoji |title=Taiyō no chizuchō 24 zenkoku `Ichinomiya' meguri |date=2014 |publisher=Heibonsha |isbn=4582945619 |language=Japanese}}</ref>
The shrine is located about ten-minutes on foot from [[Fujinomiya Station]] on the [[JR Central]] [[Minobu Line]].<ref name="Okada">{{cite book |last1=Okada |first1=Shoji |title=Taiyō no chizuchō 24 zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' meguri |date=2014 |publisher=Heibonsha |isbn=978-4582945614 |language=Japanese}}</ref>


[[File:Rename me, please!Mt.jpg|thumb|{{nihongo|Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Oku-no-miya at summit of Mount Fuji|富士山頂上奥宮}}]]
[[File:Rename me, please!Mt.jpg|thumb|{{nihongo|Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Oku-no-miya at summit of Mount Fuji|富士山頂上奥宮}}]]


==Cultural properties==
==Cultural properties==
===Important Cultural Properties===
===Important cultural properties===
* The ''Honden'' of the shrine is in the distinctive ''sengen-zukuri'' style with a two-story gate tower. It was built in 1604 per a donation by Tokugawa Ieyasu, but has been repaired several times, most notably after the [[Ansei great earthquakes|Ansei Tōkai earthquake]] of 1854. It has been registered as a National [[Important Cultural Properties of Japan|Important Cultural Property]] since 1907.<ref name= "Fujinomiya">{{cite web |url= http://www.city.fujinomiya.lg.jp/citizen/llti2b00000014xn-att/llti2b0000005n0d.pdfll |title= 富士宮市内指定文化財等一覧 〈平成29年1月1日現在〉|language=Japanese |publisher=Fujinomiya City |accessdate=}}</ref>
* The ''Honden'' of the shrine is in the distinctive ''sengen-zukuri'' style with a two-story gate tower. It was built in 1604 per a donation by Tokugawa Ieyasu, but has been repaired several times, most notably after the [[Ansei great earthquakes|Ansei Tōkai earthquake]] of 1854. It has been registered as a National [[Important Cultural Properties of Japan|Important Cultural Property]] since 1907.<ref name= "Fujinomiya">{{cite web |url= http://www.city.fujinomiya.lg.jp/citizen/llti2b00000014xn-att/llti2b0000005n0d.pdfll |title= 富士宮市内指定文化財等一覧 〈平成29年1月1日現在〉|language=Japanese |publisher=Fujinomiya City |accessdate=}}</ref>
* The shrine possesses a [[Muromachi period]] [[hanging scroll]] depicting the ''Fuji Mandala'' (絹本著色富士曼荼羅図 ). The scroll measures 180.2 x 117.8&nbsp;cm and depicts an idealized view of Mount Fuji in gold, with three summits, each of which contains the image of divinity. A long line of white robed pilgrims is snaking up the slopes of the mountain, and the sun and moon are depicted to either side of the peak. This scroll was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1977 <ref name="Bunka1">{{cite web |url=http://bunka.nii.ac.jp/db/heritages/detail/127867 |title=Database of Registered National Cultural Properties |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |accessdate=12 July 2019}}</ref>
* The shrine possesses a [[Muromachi period]] [[hanging scroll]] depicting the ''Fuji Mandala'' (絹本著色富士曼荼羅図 ). The scroll measures 180.2 x 117.8&nbsp;cm and depicts an idealized view of Mount Fuji in gold, with three summits, each of which contains the image of divinity. A long line of white robed pilgrims is snaking up the slopes of the mountain, and the sun and moon are depicted to either side of the peak. This scroll was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1977 <ref name="Bunka1">{{cite web |url=http://bunka.nii.ac.jp/db/heritages/detail/127867 |title=Database of Registered National Cultural Properties |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |accessdate=12 July 2019}}</ref>
Line 65: Line 67:
*The shrine also possesses a ''[[wakizashi]]'' dagger (脇指 銘奉富士本宮源式部丞信国) from the Muromachi period. This dagger is inscribed with the date of 1427 on its hilt and the name of "Nobukuni". It was a donation to the shrine by [[Anayama Nobutomo]], the son-in-law of [[Takeda Nobutora]] in 1547. It has been registered as a National Important Cultural Property since 1912.<ref name= "Fujinomiya"/>
*The shrine also possesses a ''[[wakizashi]]'' dagger (脇指 銘奉富士本宮源式部丞信国) from the Muromachi period. This dagger is inscribed with the date of 1427 on its hilt and the name of "Nobukuni". It was a donation to the shrine by [[Anayama Nobutomo]], the son-in-law of [[Takeda Nobutora]] in 1547. It has been registered as a National Important Cultural Property since 1912.<ref name= "Fujinomiya"/>


===Natural Monument===
===Natural monument===
[[File:Wakutamanoike.JPG|right|thumb|200px|{{nihongo|Wakutama Springs|湧玉池}}]]
[[File:Wakutamanoike.JPG|right|thumb|200px|{{nihongo|Wakutama Springs|湧玉池}}]]
*{{nihongo|Wakutama-ike|湧玉池}} is a large pond in the shrine grounds which contains a spring which is the headwaters of the Kanda river, a minor tributary of the [[Fuji River]]. It is protected as a National [[Cultural Properties of Japan#Monuments|Natural Monument]] since 1944.<ref name="Bunka3">{{cite web |url=http://bunka.nii.ac.jp/db/heritages/detail/162841 |title=Database of Registered National Cultural Properties |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |accessdate=12 July 2019}}</ref>
*{{nihongo|Wakutama-ike|湧玉池}} is a large pond in the shrine grounds which contains a spring which is the headwaters of the Kanda river, a minor tributary of the [[Fuji River]]. It has been protected as a National [[Cultural Properties of Japan#Monuments|Natural Monument]] since 1944.<ref name="Bunka3">{{cite web |url=http://bunka.nii.ac.jp/db/heritages/detail/162841 |title=Database of Registered National Cultural Properties |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |accessdate=12 July 2019}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
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* [[Ichinomiya]]
* [[Ichinomiya]]
* [[Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi]]
* [[Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi]]
* [[Chōkaisan Ōmonoimi Shrine]]


==References==
==References==
Line 78: Line 81:
*{{cite book | last = Clark | first = Timothy | title = 100 Views of Mount Fuji | publisher = Weatherhill Books | isbn = 0-8348-0492-1 | year = 2001}}
*{{cite book | last = Clark | first = Timothy | title = 100 Views of Mount Fuji | publisher = Weatherhill Books | isbn = 0-8348-0492-1 | year = 2001}}
* Plutschow, Herbe. ''Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan''. RoutledgeCurzon (1996) {{ISBN|1-873410-63-8}}
* Plutschow, Herbe. ''Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan''. RoutledgeCurzon (1996) {{ISBN|1-873410-63-8}}
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1962). [https://books.google.com/books?id=tjEvAAAAYAAJ&dq=Studies+in+Shinto+and+Shrines&ei=O6yMSZu3HKD2MsWNhdwC&client=firefox-a ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines.''] Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/3994492 OCLC 3994492]
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1962). [https://books.google.com/books?id=tjEvAAAAYAAJ&q=Studies+in+Shinto+and+Shrines ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines.''] Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/3994492 OCLC 3994492]
* ____________. (1959). [https://books.google.com/books?id=SLAeAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Imperial+House+of+Japan&dq=The+Imperial+House+of+Japan&client=firefox-a&pgis=1 ''The Imperial House of Japan.''] Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/194887 OCLC 194887]
* ____________. (1959). [https://books.google.com/books?id=SLAeAAAAMAAJ&q=The+Imperial+House+of+Japan ''The Imperial House of Japan.''] Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/194887 OCLC 194887]


==External links==
==External links==
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*{{cite web | title = Japan-Guide.com | url = http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html | accessdate = 2006-10-09}}
*{{cite web | title = Japan-Guide.com | url = http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2059.html | accessdate = 2006-10-09}}
*{{cite web | title = Shizuoka | publisher = Japan National Tourist Organization | url = http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/shizuoka/fujisan.html | accessdate = 2006-10-09}}
*{{cite web | title = Shizuoka | publisher = Japan National Tourist Organization | url = http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/shizuoka/fujisan.html | accessdate = 2006-10-09}}
*{{cite web | last = Yasunari | first = Wada | title = Mount Fuji: A Trek to the Top | date = 2005-12-15 | work = Nipponia | publisher = Web Japan | url = http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia35/en/feature/feature06.html | accessdate = 2006-10-10}}
*{{cite web | last = Yasunari | first = Wada | title = Mount Fuji: A Trek to the Top | date = 2005-12-15 | work = Nipponia | publisher = Web Japan | url = http://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia35/en/feature/feature06.html | accessdate = 2006-10-10}}


{{Shinto shrine}}
{{Shinto shrine}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha}}

[[Category:Shinto shrines in Shizuoka Prefecture]]
[[Category:Shinto shrines in Shizuoka Prefecture]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Japan]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Japan]]
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[[Category:Suruga Province]]
[[Category:Suruga Province]]
[[Category:Natural monuments of Japan]]
[[Category:Natural monuments of Japan]]
[[Category:Kanpei Taisha]]
[[Category:Beppyo shrines]]
[[Category:Myōjin Taisha]]
[[Category:Taisha]]
[[Category:Asama shrines]]
[[Category:Sengen-zukuri]]
{{Asama Faith}}

Latest revision as of 20:13, 1 December 2023

Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha
富士山本宮浅間大社
Honden of Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Map
Religion
AffiliationShinto
DeityKonohanasakuya-hime
FestivalMay 5
TypeAsama Shrine
Location
Location1-1 Miya-chō, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, 418-0067
Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha is located in Shizuoka Prefecture
Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha
Shown within Shizuoka Prefecture
Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha is located in Japan
Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha
Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha (Japan)
Geographic coordinates35°13′39″N 138°36′37″E / 35.22750°N 138.61028°E / 35.22750; 138.61028
Architecture
StyleSengen-zukuri
Date established806
TypeCultural
Criteriaiii, vi
Designated2013
Reference no.1418
Website
Official website
Glossary of Shinto
Torii
Yabusame

The Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha (富士山本宮浅間大社) is a Shintō shrine in the city of Fujinomiya in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the ichinomiya of former Suruga Province, and is the head shrine of the approximately 1300 Asama or Sengen shrines in the country. The shrine has an extensive location within downtown Fujinomiya; in addition, the entire top of Mount Fuji from the 8th stage upwards is considered to be part of the shrine grounds.[1]

The main festival of the shrine is held annually on May 5, and features yabusame performances.[2]

In 2013, the shrine was added to the World Heritage List as part of the Fujisan Cultural Site.[3]

It is similar to Chōkaisan Ōmonoimi Shrine at Mount Chōkai

Enshrined kami[edit]

  • Konohanasakuya-hime (木花咲耶姫), the daughter of Ōyamatsu-no-mikoto (大山祇命). Mount Fuji was deified and its kami was named Asama no Okami (浅間大神), also known as Asama Daimyōjin (浅間大明神), Asama Gongen (浅間権現) or Sengen Daibōsatsu (浅間大菩薩), and is associated with Konohanasakuya-hime.

Secondary kami[edit]

History[edit]

The foundation of the Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha predates the historical period. Per shrine tradition, it was established in the reign of Emperor Suinin, with the shrine first built on its current location during the reign of Emperor Keikō. This was a period of intense volcanic activity on Mount Fuji, and the shrine was built in order to appease the kami of the mountain. The shrine is mentioned in accounts of the legendary hero Yamato Takeru, who prayed to the kami of Mount Fuji to help him escape from danger while in Suruga. During the reign of Emperor Heizei, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was ordered to rebuild the shrine in its current location. [4]

Historical records, however, only exist as far as the early ninth century. The Shoku Nihongi records that Mount Fuji erupted in 781, and the Nihon Montoku Tennō Jitsuroku indicates that the Asama Jinja had become a third-rank shine by 853. As the kami of the shrine is the goddess of fire, it is logical that a shrine was erected to pray for the end of the eruption between 781 and around 806. The Heian period Engishiki records list the shrine as a myōjin taisha (名神大社) and the ichinomiya of Suruga Province; however, the Shizuoka Sengen Shrine in the city of Shizuoka is located much closer to the provincial capital. For this reason, the shrine in Fujinomiya is styled as the "Hongū" and the shrine in Shizuoka is styled as the Shingū. The entire mountain was off-limits for religious reasons, except for Shugendō monks noted for their asceticism. Pilgrimages to Mount Fuji became common in the ninth century onwards, although women were forbidden from climbing. [4]

During the Kamakura period, the Shōgun Minamoto no Yoritomo was a frequent visitor to the shrine during his hunting expeditions/war games at the base of Mount Fuji, beginning the tradition of yabusame during the shrine's festivals and association with the samurai class. Through the Muromachi period, the Ashikaga clan, Odawara Hōjō, the Imagawa clan, the Takeda clan and the Tokugawa clan were patrons of the shrine. Tokugawa Ieyasu made a large donation after his victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, and subsequent generations of the Tokugawa shogunate kept the shrine in good repair. During the Edo period, the shrine was the center of a cult worshipping Mount Fuji, and drew pilgrims from all over Japan. The Hongū Sengen Taisha was the place at which pilgrims would purify themselves in water before beginning the ascent.[4]

From 1871, under the State Shinto's Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines, the Fuji Hongū Sengen Taisha was officially designated a Imperial shrine, 2nd rank (官幣中社, Kanpei-chusha). It was promoted to a Imperial shrine, 1st rank (官幣大社, Kanpei-taisha) in 1896, meaning that it stood in the first rank of government-supported shrines.[5]

Today, some 400,000 pilgrims climb Mount Fuji every year, and many of them stop at the shrine in order to wish for a safe climb. The shrine celebrated the 1200th anniversary of its foundation in 2006. In 2013, it was included in the World Heritage Site designation for Mount Fuji [6]

The shrine is located about ten-minutes on foot from Fujinomiya Station on the JR Central Minobu Line.[7]

Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha Oku-no-miya at summit of Mount Fuji (富士山頂上奥宮)

Cultural properties[edit]

Important cultural properties[edit]

  • The Honden of the shrine is in the distinctive sengen-zukuri style with a two-story gate tower. It was built in 1604 per a donation by Tokugawa Ieyasu, but has been repaired several times, most notably after the Ansei Tōkai earthquake of 1854. It has been registered as a National Important Cultural Property since 1907.[8]
  • The shrine possesses a Muromachi period hanging scroll depicting the Fuji Mandala (絹本著色富士曼荼羅図 ). The scroll measures 180.2 x 117.8 cm and depicts an idealized view of Mount Fuji in gold, with three summits, each of which contains the image of divinity. A long line of white robed pilgrims is snaking up the slopes of the mountain, and the sun and moon are depicted to either side of the peak. This scroll was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1977 [9]
  • The shrine possesses a Kamakura period tachi Japanese sword (太刀 銘南无薬師瑠璃光如来), which is claimed to have been a donation from Takeda Shingen. The hilt of the sword is inscribed with the name "Kanemitsu", who was a noted wordsmith from Bizen active from 1306-1334. This sword was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1912 [10]
  • The shrine also possesses a wakizashi dagger (脇指 銘奉富士本宮源式部丞信国) from the Muromachi period. This dagger is inscribed with the date of 1427 on its hilt and the name of "Nobukuni". It was a donation to the shrine by Anayama Nobutomo, the son-in-law of Takeda Nobutora in 1547. It has been registered as a National Important Cultural Property since 1912.[8]

Natural monument[edit]

Wakutama Springs (湧玉池)
  • Wakutama-ike (湧玉池) is a large pond in the shrine grounds which contains a spring which is the headwaters of the Kanda river, a minor tributary of the Fuji River. It has been protected as a National Natural Monument since 1944.[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Shibuya, Nobuhiro (2015). Shokoku jinja Ichinomiya Ninomiya San'nomiya (in Japanese). Yamakawa shuppansha. ISBN 978-4634150867.
  2. ^ Plutschow. Matsuri: The Festivals of Japan. Page 173
  3. ^ "Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration: Maps". World Heritage. UNESCO. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  4. ^ a b c Yoshiki, Emi (2007). Zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' tettei gaido (in Japanese). PHP Institute. ISBN 978-4569669304.
  5. ^ Bernstein, Andrew. "Whose Fuji?: Religion, Region, and State in the Fight for a National Symbol,"[permanent dead link] Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 63, No. 1, Spring 2008, pp. 51–99; Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, pp. 125.
  6. ^ 1418 (2013) iii, vi
  7. ^ Okada, Shoji (2014). Taiyō no chizuchō 24 zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' meguri (in Japanese). Heibonsha. ISBN 978-4582945614.
  8. ^ a b "富士宮市内指定文化財等一覧 〈平成29年1月1日現在〉" (in Japanese). Fujinomiya City.
  9. ^ "Database of Registered National Cultural Properties". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Database of Registered National Cultural Properties". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Database of Registered National Cultural Properties". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 12 July 2019.

External links[edit]

Media related to Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha at Wikimedia Commons

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