Treasure Chests of Fuji Culture
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine is the starting point of the Yoshida Ascending Route, the trail to the summit used by Fuji-ko pilgrims. The shrine’s wooden torii is one of the largest in Japan at almost 18 meters tall, and marks the entrance to Mt. Fuji itself.
For much of its history, this was the main shrine of the Tsuru District and was under the protection of the local lords who worshiped here. It lost this protection in 1704, when the area came under direct control of the shogunate, but the shrine continued to thrive amid the subsequent rise of the Fuji-ko faith. The precincts contain 11 buildings designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan, including the East Shrine, which dates to 1561.