A shrine with ties to Tokugawa Shogunate - Shizuoka Sengen Shrine

Suruga ward and Aoi ward make up the central area of Shizuoka prefecture. The focus of activity since the Imagawa era, Ieyasu Tokugawa spent his youth at Suruga Castle. Afterwards, the area also served as the support center for political activities for the Tokugawa Shogunate. The area has not changed much since then with its right angle intersections. This history accounts for the new name of the area “Aoi”, which was chosen by a citizen vote in 2005.

There is a land of about 43,000㎡ at the southern end of Mt. Shizuhata. It is called “Osengensan” by the locals, and is the first shrine to come to mind when listing shrines in Shizuoka. A major repainting scheduled to take 20 years has been underway since 2014, and the 26 buildings designated important cultural properties are all being restored.

Shizuoka Sengen Shrine is actually the collective name for three shrines – Kanbe Jinja, Sengen Jinja, and Ōtoshimioya Jinja which were built 2100, 1100 and 1700 years ago respectively. All three shrines enjoyed the patronage of powerful warrior clans and continues to be worshipped as the main shrines of Shizuoka. There are a total of 7 shrines located on the property, and visiting all 7 locations is said to make all your wishes come true.

Sakuramon was built in 1816 and emits a godly aura with its red lacquer. The Ohaiden which is also designated an important cultural property is in the “rokaku” style with 25m ceilings, 132-jo space, and is elaborately decorated with dragons, mystical “kirin”, and Chinese phoenix on the beams and pillars. Drawings by Kano Naganobu and Kano Hironobu adorn the ceiling, an indication of the powerful individuals who worship here. Artisans were gathered from around the nation for the constructions, and Nakata commented almost to himself as he observed the colorful décor.

“It’s very similar to Nikko Toshogu Shrine” (Nakata)
He’s on point. It is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu, the main enshrined deity of Toshogu Shrine also visited this Sengen Shrine before a battle. Edo government even paid for repairs after it was damaged by fire.

Mt. Fuji was visible in the distance when we walked up to the highest point on the property. Unlike other shrines, it faces Mt. Fuji which is beautiful from any angle. It is easy to understand why ancient people worshipped the mountain as a god. We weren’t able to visit all 7 shrines, but being in this godly place seemed to bring positive energy.