Yamamiya Sengen-jinja Shrine

According to the historical document of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, Yamamiya Sengen-jinja Shrine was the predecessor of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine and was built by Yamato Takeru. There is no building in the place for the inner shrine, and it is presumed that the unique configuration of creating a place for worshipping Fujisan from afar remained in a form of ancient Fujisan worship in which the mountain was worshipped in order to ward off eruptions.Past the torii gate surrounded by Japanese cedars, visitors are led along a path lined with lanterns to the main shrine hall. Shrine fencing marks off this sanctuary and the most important site is home to a sakaki tree, an evergreen sacred to the Shinto religion. There is a real feeling of something sacred at this shrine location. Earthenware artifacts dating from the 12th to 15th centuries are used in the Shinto rites performed here, which underline the depth and the history behind this faith. In the dense forest surrounding the shrine one can come across what the locals call “Yakeishiyama,” a hill created by lava flows.