Hakone Shrine


The Hakone Shrine is a Japanese Shinto shrine on the shores of Lake Ashi in the town of Hakone in the Ashigarashimo District of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is also known as the Hakone Gongen.

Enshrined ''kami''

The primary kami of Hakone Shrine are
They are known collectively as the Hakone Ōkami.

History

According to shrine tradition, Hakone-jinja was founded in 757 during the reign of Emperor Kōshō. The original shrine was at the summit of the Komagatake peak of Mount Hakone.
The shrine was relocated to the shores of Lake Ashi; its current form dates to 1667. Credit for establishment is also given to Priest Mangan, for pacifying the nine-headed dragon that lived at the bottom of Lake Ashi. According to the Azuma Kagami, Minamoto no Yoritomo sought guidance and shelter from the kami at Hakone after his defeat in Battle of Ishibashiyama during the Genpei War. Upon becoming shōgun, Yoritomo became a patron of the shrine.
In the Kamakura period, the shrine was popular with samurai. This support continued through the Sengoku period.
The shrine was burned down by the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Battle of Odawara. It was reconstructed by Tokugawa Ieyasu and given a grant of 200 koku of revenue. The Tokugawa shogunate continued to support the shrine.
In the system of ranked Shinto shrines, Hakone was listed in 1875 among the 3rd class of nationally significant shrines or Kokuhei Shōsha.

Cultural artifacts

Hakone Shrine has a small museum, which displays a number of the shrine's treasures. These include five items which are ranked as national Important Cultural Property.

Events

The main festival of the shrine is held annually on August 1.