Hakone Shrine

Hakone Shrine in Hakone, Kanagawa, stands on the eastern shore of Lake Ashi within the Hakone volcanic caldera. The "Peace Torii" rising from the lake is its iconic landmark. The main deity is the Hakone Okami, a triad of Ninigi no Mikoto, Konohanasakuya-hime no Mikoto and Hikohohodemi no Mikoto recorded in the Tensonkorin episode of Kojiki (712 CE). The auxiliary Kuzuryu Jinja on the grounds enshrines the dragon deity of Lake Ashi. Shrine tradition credits the monk Mangan with founding the shrine in 757 CE after experiencing a vision of the three deities. The Kamakura warrior class, including Minamoto no Yoritomo, venerated the shrine, and visits by Yoritomo are recorded in Azuma Kagami. The July 31 Kosui-sai is a lake ritual based on the Kuzuryu tradition, and the August 1 grand festival is the principal annual rite.