Goddess of Mt. Fuji
From Asama no Kami to Sengen Daibosatsu
This is a replica of the earliest surviving statue of Asama no Kami, goddess of Mt. Fuji. The original, carved from wood in the eleventh century, is enshrined at Ebara Sengen-jinja Shrine in Minami-Alps city, about 90 minutes by car west-northwest.
Much remains unknown about this statue. The sculptor carved three female figures, all manifestations of Asama no Kami, along with a buddha that rises from their midst. The buddha may be Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, but the depiction is ambiguous. The reason for the triple representation of the Asama deity is also unknown.