Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine

Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine stands near the summit of Mt. Akiha (866 meters) in Haruno-cho, Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu. It is regarded as the head shrine of Akiha shrines across Japan, enshrines Hi-no-Kagutsuchi no Okami, and is known as a deity of fire prevention. Besides the upper shrine on the mountain, there is a lower shrine beside the Keta River at the foot of the mountain. The shrine reveres Mt. Akiha, called the most sacred mountain of the Tokai region, as its sacred mountain. As a deity of fire prevention and good fortune, it is said to bring protection from fire, safety of the home, protection from misfortune and business prosperity.

Shrine tradition dates its founding to 709 (Wado 2). According to the official website, the site was called "Kihebo no Kami no Yashiro" in ancient times, was known in the medieval period as "Akiha Daigongen" under the influence of Ryobu Shinto, and is said to have received the highest court rank, Shoichii. In the early Meiji era an order from the Ministry of Doctrine abolished the title "Gongen," and it became Akiha Shrine. In 1952 it took its present name, Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine, because it is the head shrine of Akiha shrines across Japan.

In the Edo period, Akiha-ko devotional associations were formed across Japan, and group pilgrimages by Akiha-ko were popular from Edo. In the days of travel on foot, pilgrims headed for the main shrine while staying at inns along the way, and many inns lined the foot of the mountain. Since ancient times many swords have been dedicated by warriors and others, and the Treasure Catalog of 1890 (Meiji 23) records 185 of them. Three of the tachi swords (signed Yasutsuna, Rai Kunimitsu and Hirotsugu) are designated Important Cultural Properties.

A mountain fire in 1943 destroyed the buildings of the upper shrine except the shrine gate. The present upper shrine was rebuilt in 1986. The shrine gate is designated a tangible cultural property of Hamamatsu City.

In front of the upper shrine's main hall stands a golden "Happiness Torii." Formal worship inside the hall and viewing of the sacred treasures are offered, and a chinowa (ring of reeds) is set up for the Nagoshi no Oharae purification on June 30. The annual festival and fire-prevention rite are held on December 16. Near the eighth station of the mountain stands the temple Akibadera.

The lower shrine can be reached by public transport such as buses and trains. The upper shrine is reached by car or by extra buses that run at certain times of year, and the official website lists the days on which the buses to the upper shrine operate.