Consoled by a shrine in Japan
The shrine is not just a portal for pilgrims setting off to climb Mount Fuji — it is a destination in and by itself.
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The shrine is not just a portal for pilgrims setting off to climb Mount Fuji — it is a destination in and by itself.
The Kagura Hall.
Photograph by edu jarque for DAILY TRIBUNE
The author amongst the trees.
The Thousand-Year Tree in the sacred grounds.
Zuishin Gate.
The Fujisan Grand Torii Gate.
After a week of triumphantly chasing cherry blossoms in four distinct Japanese cities, our next goal was the elusive Mount Fuji.
We monitored the slight drizzle and the unwelcome mist, through hopeful mornings and hushed twilight, for a couple of days before we finally surrendered.
The most photographed peak, cloaked by a nagging shroud of shifting clouds, remained maddeningly hidden. No amount of squinting, coaxing or camera fiddling could reveal even its majestic sprawling base. And we only wished for a peek of the peak? No way!
We soon realized the snowline had begun to recede, marking the change of season. But with it came a kind of quiet frustration only seasoned travelers know: that peculiar blend of awe and disappointment when nature holds back her finest card.
The true hardcore travelers that we are, with our heads held high, we went in search of solace.
It came, unexpectedly, in the form of the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine — conveniently tucked away within the city of Fujiyoshida, nestled at the foot of the very mountain we did not see and could not admire. A pleasant surprise, no less.
The shrine is one of approximately 1,300 Asama area of prayers scattered across Japan, all dedicated to Konohanasakuya-hime, the luminous cherry blossom princess and more importantly, the goddess of volcanoes in Shinto belief. She is said to embody both the fleeting beauty and fierce volatility of Mount Fuji, declaring her as the ideal deity to both worship and appease.
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The grounds of carpeted green vigorously span nearly 99,000 square meters — one of the largest forested shrine precincts in all of Japan. But this particular one is no ordinary temple. It is the Kitaguchi Hongu — the North Entrance Headquarters — and has stood in reverent watch since at least 100 CE, with legends abound and often repeated tales on how it was first erected in honor of Yamato Takeru, a heroic prince who passed through this sacred site on his journey to Kai Province, present-day Yamanashi.
Later, in the year 788, both Yamato Takeru and Konohanasakuya-hime were enshrined here, in hopes of taming Fuji’s periodic wrath. But historical notes barely do justice to the experience of walking through its confines.
A long sando, or pathway of tiny stones, leads up to the main shrine, flanked by moss-covered stone lanterns, standing proudly like faithful sentinels from another age. Towering cedar trees reliably provide an overarching canopy, dimming the sunlight, allowing a sacred silence to descend.
Some of these tall sturdy testimonies of time are said to be over a thousand years old. We were aghast by the Fuji Taro, a cedar of such enormous girth it almost humbles the central structure behind it. Another wonder is the Fuji Fufu Hinoki, a pair of cypress trunks that had once split apart, only to reunite again — now seen as a potent symbol of marriage and reunion. The trees feel like shrines themselves — alive with memories, echoing prayers once whispered into their eternal barks. For tree huggers, this must be heaven!
By the entrance lies the ritual purification basin, crowned by a dragon sculpture. Visitors lean forward, ladling cool spring water over their hands and arms, to wash away the dust of the expedition and even perhaps the bitterness of unfulfilled expectations.
The shrine is not just a portal for pilgrims setting off to climb Mount Fuji — it is a destination in and by itself. And for us, it became something more — a much-needed forever grateful healing balm. What began as a consolation detour turned into an unexpected calm and serene afternoon — complete in absolute immersion.
It is often said that the gods do not always respond to requests, petitions, or intentions in ways we expect. Sometimes, they offer instead an ancient cedar forest, a pair of reunited trees, a soft hush in the wind — all reminders the passage was not in vain.
Ultimately, even though Fujisan declined to show her face, her essence was unmistakably felt in this sacred spot.
