Find good fortune at Hakone Shrine and Kuzuryu Shrine, two of the Kanto region’s most powerful power spots

Hakone Shrine

Hakone Shrine is a famous shrine that has been revered as the Hakone Daigongen(God), the guardian of the Kanto General Town, since ancient times, and is believed to be the god of good luck , traffic safety, and marriage.

According to our auspicious “Hakuneyama Enki Introduction” (established in 1191), the founding of Hakone Shrine has become a major sacred place of mountain worship in the Kanto region since the reign of the 5th Emperor Takaaki,  (called SHO-ZEN SHO-NIN) opened the Shinsengu Shrine on Komagatake on Mt. Hakone and enshrined the main peak of the shrine as Mt. Shintai.

In the first year of the Nara period (757), the Priest Mangan who entered Mt. Hakone received the oracle of the Great God of Hakone and built a shrine on the present site with a royal request. The shrine dedicated to this Hakone god was named “Hakone Gongen” (Hakone God), and it was combined with Buddhism, especially Shugendo(Monk), to gather the faith of the imperial court and general people.

At the beginning of the Heian period(794-1185), when Hakone Road was opened as an official road on the Tokaido Highway, the company was widely known by people who prayed for safety along the way, and with the rise of the samurai family, famous warlords revered it deeply.

What is Torii?

Torii is a barrier that separates the sacred area of ​​a shrine from the secular world where humans live, and indicates the entrance to the sacred area. It is a kind of “gate.”

Kuzuryu Shrine (adjacent to the shrine grounds)

The Nine-Headed Dragon Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the Nine-Headed Dragon God, the guardian deity of Lake Ashi, which has been called the “Hakone Gongen Mitarai Pond” since ancient times. The nine-headed dragon god has been revered by people since ancient times as “Nine-headed Dragon-sama”(sama is called politely) and is believed to be a dragon god with high divine virtue, especially for prosperous business, protection of fortune, fulfillment of wishes, and achievement of good marriage.

“Ryujinsui” (dragon god water)

This water is called “Ryujinsui” (dragon god water), and it is said that when you put it in your mouth, it will cleanse you of impurities and bring you good fortune.
Because Kuzuryu Shrine enshrines the god of love, it is said that drinking this water will increase your luck in love.

Lake Ashi

A long, narrow lake with a circumference of about 20km formed in the caldera of the Hakone volcano about 400,000 years ago. The “upside-down Mt. Fuji” seen from the cedar-lined road on the south shore is counted as one of the most beautiful views of Hakone. The view from the lake is also exceptional. The water temperature is above 4°C all year round, and it is a “tropical lake” that does not freeze even in the middle of winter.

Rainbow trout, black bass, smelt, etc. live here, and many people enjoy fishing.

Lake Ashi was formed in the caldera (depression) of the Hakone volcano about 400,000 years ago. It is famous as a scenic spot with the upside-down Mt. Fuji seen from the cedar-lined road on the south shore, but it has also flourished as a fishing town since ancient times. Even today, there are many rainbow trout and smelt, making it a great fishing spot. In particular, when fishing for smelt is lifted on October 1st every year, the first fish caught are dedicated to Hakone Shrine and then presented to the Imperial Household Agency, as is customary.