Fujiomuro Sengen Shrine Tours

Your visit to the Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine, on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi, begins with a long approach through a dense forest. Follow the roadway lined with stone lanterns to arrive at the red-painted buildings of the shrine, including a main hall from the early 1600s. Take a moment to acknowledge the Mount Fuji Shinto goddess enshrined here, Princess Konohanasakuya, the goddess of cherry blossoms.

The shrine was first established in A.D. 699, but it was subsequently destroyed in the A.D. 800 Mount Fuji eruption. While the original shrine was located at the Second Station of Mount Fuji, the reigning emperor in A.D. 958 built a second shrine at the current site, making it more accessible to worshippers.

Of the more than 1,000 Sengen shrines throughout Japan, Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine in Kawaguchiko is among the oldest. Several festivals are held here throughout the year, including the Reisai annual festival in September and the Hana-matsuri cherry blossom festival. During the Yabusame featival, watch performances of yabusame, a 900-year-old tradition of shooting arrows while on horseback.

Walk west from the shrine along the shoreline of the lake. After about 15 minutes you’ll reach the Sakuya Bell of Love. Ring the bell once for love or twice for the fulfillment of other wishes. Let the kids enjoy the nearby playground while you take photographs of Mount Fuji, with the gleaming metal arch supporting the bell as a frame around the photogenic mountain.

Continue on along the shore to walk through the Michi-no-Eki Katsuyama zone and shop for local vegetables, crafts and pottery.

To reach the Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine, travel on the Saiko Sightseeing Bus from Kawaguchiko Station to the shrine bus stop. Get off at the Fujiyoshida Station if you’d like to include a half-hour walk. If driving, get here in about 15 minutes from the Kawaguchi Interchange on the Chuo Expressway.