Yamamiya Sengen-jinja (山宮浅間神社) is a shrine in

Fujinomiya, Shizuoka is a city located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 132,507 in 56,655 households, and a population density of 340 persons per km². The total area of the city is . History The city name comes from ...

, Japan. The shrine is unique as it lacks a

honden In Shinto shrine architecture, the , also called , or sometimes as in Ise Shrine's case, is the most sacred building at a Shinto shrine, intended purely for the use of the enshrined ''kami'', usually symbolized by a mirror or sometimes by a sta ...

and instead only has an altar. It uses a

Kannabi refers to a region in shinto that hosts a mitsumashiro or yorishiro (yorishiro) in which the divine spirit (Kami or Goryo) resides. Or, the natural environment as Kamishiro (shintai). In the Manyoshu, there are seven occurrences (22 poems, 23 ...

instead In 2013 the shrine was inscribed as part of the

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

"Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration".

History

The shrine's exact construction year is unknown however archaeological digs have found

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...

that dates back to the 12th or 15th century. Historical documents claim that the shrine was the predecessor to the

Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha The 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 ...

. The first "Yamamiya Goshinko" ritual was performed at the two shrines in the 16th century and the last performance of the ritual was in 1874. In 2013 the shrine was inscribed as part of the

"Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration" due to representing Mount Fuji's role as an object of worship.

Architecture

The shrine has a unique layout as it lacks a

and instead has an

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

where one can pray to

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...

. The shrine was built on an axis in order to provide the best views of Mount Fuji.

Yamamiya Goshinko

The "Yamamiya Goshinko" was a biannual ritual performed both among the Yamamiya Sengen-jinja and the

. It is performed in April and November. During the ritual a round trip is performed between the two shrines is made the priest of the Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha. During this trip the priest holds a spear said to be inhabited by the spirit of Asama no Okami, the

kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...

. The route that the priest followed was known as the "Goshinkomichi", the route was marked by stones markers erected in 1691. The final "Yamamiya Goshinko" took place during 1874 and the ritual no longer observed.

References

Shinto shrines in Shizuoka Prefecture Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Asama shrines {{Asama Faith