Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: October 9, 2026 · Facts verified: October 9, 2026
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine (北口本宮冨士浅間神社) in Fujiyoshida is where the Yoshida Trail up Mount Fuji traditionally begins, and a component of the Mount Fuji World Heritage site. A long avenue of cedars and stone lanterns leads to a cluster of shrine buildings, 11 of them Important Cultural Properties. The grounds are open to walk with no admission charge listed, and it is about 20 minutes on foot from Fujisan Station.
Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized
- Area
- Fujiyoshida
- Best Time
- Mornings for a quiet approach; early November for autumn color; 26-27 August for the fire festival
- Best For
- History, Shrine architecture, Mount Fuji pilgrimage, Quiet walk
Why this shrine matters
Before roads reached the 5th Station, climbing Mount Fuji from the north began here. The shrine stands at the foot of the Yoshida Trail, and the prefecture describes the trail as starting from it. A torii on the west side of the grounds marks the trail entrance, which the shrine calls the starting point of the Mount Fuji pilgrimage. Most climbers today start at the Fuji Subaru Line 5th Station, so the shrine is where you see what the climb once meant.
That meaning came from the Fuji-ko, the pilgrimage societies that grew in Edo-period Tokyo and sent members to climb as an act of worship. In 1733 to 1738 Murakami Kosei, leader of one of the largest groups, paid for a major rebuilding that set most of the layout you see today. The shrine is one of the World Heritage components of Mount Fuji, alongside the Yoshida Trail and two oshi (pilgrim-lodge) houses in the town.
The visit is a walk. A road-side torii opens onto a long approach under tall cedars lined with mossy stone lanterns, through the great torii to the oratory and the main hall. Allow time to circle behind the buildings, where the older halls and the trail gate are.
Photo: 江戸村のとくぞう, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized
What to see at the shrine
Walk the cedar approach
The long approach is lined with moss-covered stone lanterns given by pilgrims, under cedars the shrine describes as an old-growth forest. Three ancient trees near the main hall are designated natural monuments.
Find the Yoshida Trail gate
A torii on the west side of the grounds marks the entrance to the Yoshida Trail. Pilgrims set out from here, and the shrine still holds its rite on the eve of the climbing season each 30 June.
Look at the buildings that survived
The main hall dates from 1615. Beside it, the Higashimiya Honden was rebuilt by Takeda Shingen in 1561 and is the oldest building on the grounds; the Nishimiya Honden dates from 1594. The oratory was built in 1739, and 11 buildings in all are Important Cultural Properties.
Visit Suwa Shrine
This older shrine inside the grounds is said to honor the local guardian deity, and the fire festival began as its own festival.
Plan around the Yoshida Fire Festival
On 26 August the portable shrines leave for the town and tall torches are lit along the main street; on 27 August the procession returns to the shrine at night. Expect crowds in the town on both days.
How to Get to Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine
The shrine is in Kamiyoshida, Fujiyoshida, on the road toward Lake Yamanakako.
From Fujisan Station
About 20 minutes on foot, or a short bus ride to the Sengen Jinja-mae stop, which is by the entrance. Fujisan Station is on the Fujikyuko Line between Kawaguchiko and Otsuki.
By car
About 10 minutes from the Kawaguchiko Interchange (Chuo Expressway) or the Fujiyoshida Interchange (Higashi-Fuji Five Lakes Road). Parking is free; the shrine lists several lots around the grounds.
- •Walking from Fujisan Station takes about 20 minutes; buses to the Sengen Jinja-mae stop save the walk.
- •Parking is free, with extra temporary lots at festival times.
- •On 26-27 August the town center is busy with the fire festival; allow extra time.
Best Time to Visit Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine
Mornings for a quiet approach; early November for autumn color; 26-27 August for the fire festival.
- •Weekday mornings are the quietest time on the approach.
- •Early November brings autumn leaves and ginkgo to the grounds.
- •The Yoshida Fire Festival on 26-27 August is the shrine's biggest event; the town fills on the night of the 26th.
- •The shrine looks the same in any weather, which makes it a good stop on a day when Mount Fuji is hidden.
The eve-of-season festival before the Mount Fuji climbing season opens, with kagura dance.
About 80 torches about 3 meters tall are lit along the town's main street on the night of 26 August. The festival is a designated intangible folk cultural property of Yamanashi.
The prefectural tourism body gives early November as the peak for autumn leaves and ginkgo.
Entry Fee & Hours
- •The official tourism listing gives no admission fee for the grounds, and parking is free.
- •Goshuin (shrine stamps) are available for the main shrine, for Suwa Shrine inside the grounds, and for Otsukaoka, the site where the shrine is said to have begun.
- •The shrine does not publish fixed hours for the grounds or its counters; visit in daylight and allow for festival-day crowds in late August.
Nearby Attractions
Easy to combine around Fujisan Station
Chureito Pagoda
Fuji-Q Highland
Oshino Hakkai
Mt. Fuji 5th Station
The shrine in a Fujiyoshida day
The shrine pairs naturally with the other Fujiyoshida stops on the Fujikyuko Line.
Fujiyoshida on foot and by train
Morning
Fujisan Station, then walk about 20 minutes to the shrine for a quiet approach
Late morning
Back to Fujisan Station and two stops to Shimoyoshida for Chureito Pagoda
Afternoon
On to Kawaguchiko for the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway if Mount Fuji is clear
Frequently Asked Questions
References
View references
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine
Yamanashi Prefecture
Yamanashi Tourism Organization
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