oday, we continue our study of Mount Fuji’s spiritual significance. Having previously explored the mountain ascetic tradition of Shugendo and the Fuji-ko pilgrim associations, we now turn to the Sengen Shrines (浅間神社, Sengen Jinja), which are deeply connected to Fuji worship.
What Are Sengen Shrines?
Sengen Shrines are dedicated to Asama-no-Okami (浅間大神), the deity who governs volcanic mountains. These shrines were primarily established to pacify eruptions—particularly those of Mount Fuji.
There are approximately 1,300 Sengen Shrines distributed throughout Japan, with most concentrated in the Kanto and Tokai regions where Mount Fuji is visible. The largest number can be found in Chiba Prefecture, followed by Saitama Prefecture, and then Shizuoka Prefecture at the foot of Mount Fuji.
The Head Shrine and World Heritage Components
The main shrine among these 1,300 Sengen Shrines is Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha (富士山本宮浅間大社), located in Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture. This grand shrine is one of the components of Mount Fuji’s UNESCO World Heritage designation.
The inner sanctuary of this shrine is enshrined at the summit of Mount Fuji. As a result, the land above the eighth station of Mount Fuji (excluding the climbing routes and the former Mount Fuji Weather Station) is considered to belong to Sengen Taisha.
The Eight Sacred Sengen Shrines of the World Heritage Site
Eight Sengen Shrines, including the main Taisha, are registered as part of Mount Fuji’s World Heritage components. Most of these served as starting points for different pilgrimage routes up the mountain:
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Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha (富士山本宮浅間大社) – The main shrine in Fujinomiya
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Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine (北口本宮富士浅間神社) – Located at the northern foot of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture. This shrine marks the beginning of the Yoshida climbing route and became the central trail with the popularity of the Fuji-ko movement.
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Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine (富士御室浅間神社) – Has both a mountain shrine and a village shrine. The mountain shrine is located at the second station of the Yoshida pilgrimage route, while the village shrine is in Katsuyama on the southern shore of Lake Kawaguchi. It is said to be the first shrine established on Mount Fuji.
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Kawaguchi Asama Shrine (河口浅間神社) – Located on the north side of Lake Kawaguchi, where the old Kamakura Highway descends from Misaka Pass. Unlike other shrines that use the reading “Sengen,” this shrine uses the ancient pronunciation “Asama.” It was built to pacify the great Jogan eruption during the Heian period.
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Higashiguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine (東口本宮富士浅間神社) – Located in Subashiri, Oyama Town, Sunto District, Shizuoka Prefecture. It marks the starting point of the Subashiri climbing route. Stone monuments from the Fuji-ko movement line its grounds. Also known as Subashiri Sengen Shrine.
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Suyama Sengen Shrine (須山浅間神社) – Located in Suyama, Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture. It marks the beginning of the Suyama climbing route, said to be the third oldest after the Omiya and Yoshida routes. Also called the “Southern Lower Shrine of Mount Fuji.”
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Yamamiya Sengen Shrine (山宮浅間神社) – Said to be the oldest Sengen Shrine in Shizuoka Prefecture. This shrine for distant worship of Mount Fuji has no main sanctuary building on its grounds. Located in Yamamiya, Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
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Murayama Sengen Shrine (村山浅間神社) – Considered the birthplace of Mount Fuji’s Shugendo tradition. It once flourished as a center for mountain ascetics. Located in Motomuroyama, Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
All these shrines play crucial roles as sites that form the foundation of Mount Fuji worship.
The Deity of Sengen Shrines
Most Sengen Shrines enshrine Asama-no-Okami, who is identified as Konohanasakuya-hime (木花咲耶姫命).
Konohanasakuya-hime appears in Japanese mythology as a beautiful goddess who married Ninigi-no-Mikoto (瓊瓊杵尊), the grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu. She became pregnant in a single night, which caused Ninigi to doubt her faithfulness. To prove her innocence, she gave birth to three sons while inside a burning building. This story led to her being worshipped as a deity who is resistant to fire, making her appropriate for worship at Mount Fuji, an active volcano.
Interestingly, while Konohanasakuya-hime is often described as a “fire deity,” the tradition at Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha identifies her as a “water deity.”
According to one theory, Konohanasakuya-hime only began to be enshrined at Mount Fuji from the Edo period onward. Before that, from the late Kamakura period to the early Edo period, it is said that Kaguya-hime (of “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” fame) was the deity worshipped at Mount Fuji.
The Evolution of Mount Fuji Worship
Going even further back, since the time of the Yamato kingdom, Sengen Shrines were built to pray for the cessation of Mount Fuji’s frequent eruptions, and the deity Asama was enshrined.
Over time, Asama was elevated to the status of Asama-no-Okami (Great Deity Asama). With each eruption, the deity’s formal status and the awe it inspired grew.
With the influence of the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism that began in the late Nara period, Asama-no-Okami came to be called Asama Daibosatsu (浅間大菩薩, Great Bodhisattva Asama) around the end of the Heian period.
Mount Fuji as a Sacred Body
While the names and forms of the deities enshrined at Mount Fuji have changed over time, the mountain itself has always been a shintaizan (神体山)—a mountain believed to be the physical manifestation of a deity. Throughout history, Mount Fuji has been revered and loved by many people as Japan’s premier mountain.
In this sense, it is fitting that Mount Fuji holds outstanding universal value as an object of worship—a designation worthy of its UNESCO World Heritage status.
