Hakone Shrine: The Peace Torii on Lake Ashi & Kanto’s Premier Power Spot

Introduction

Hakone Shrine stands beside Lake Ashi in Moto-Hakone. According to tradition, the priest Mangan Shonin built its first hall in 757 (Tenpyo Hoji 1), and until the early Meiji era it was known as “Hakone Gongen.” In one visit you can see the vermilion “Peace Torii” standing in the lake, the stone-stepped approach through old cedars, and the Shingu of Kuzuryu Shrine on the grounds. This article covers the shrine’s history, the main sights, nearby spots, and access.

Overview of Hakone Shrine

The grounds extend from the shore of Lake Ashi up the slopes of Mount Hakone.

*Please check the official Hakone Shrine website for the latest visiting information.

The enshrined deity “Hakone Okami” is a collective name for three deities: Ninigi-no-Mikoto, Konohanasakuya-hime-no-Mikoto, and Hikohohodemi-no-Mikoto. The shrine names its blessings as good fortune and protection from misfortune, fulfillment of wishes, traffic safety, and good relationships.

The Shingu of Kuzuryu Shrine is enshrined immediately to the right of the main hall.

History of Hakone Shrine

1. Nara Period (757): Founding by Mangan Shonin—A Center of Mountain Worship

According to the shrine’s founding chronicle, the Hakone-san Engi narabi ni Jo (compiled in 1191), people had long worshipped the mountains of Hakone, looking up to Mount Komagatake and Mount Kamiyama.

In 757 (Tenpyo Hoji 1), Mangan Shonin, who had entered the Hakone mountains for ascetic practice, is said to have received an oracle from Hakone Okami and built a shrine hall on the present site. He is also said to have subdued a nine-headed poisonous dragon that tormented people on Lake Ashi and enshrined it as the lake’s guardian deity; this is the origin of Kuzuryu Shrine.

The shrine was called “Hakone Sansho Gongen (Hakone Gongen)” and merged with Shugendo mountain asceticism. When the Hakone road opened as an official route of the Tokaido in the early Heian period, it also became widely known among travelers praying for a safe journey.

2. Kamakura Period: Minamoto no Yoritomo’s Devotion—Becoming the Warriors’ Guardian

It is said that after Minamoto no Yoritomo was defeated at the Battle of Ishibashiyama, the chief priest of Hakone Gongen helped him.

Yoritomo began the “Nisho-mode,” a pilgrimage to Hakone Gongen and Izu Sōtō Gongen, and visits by successive shoguns became a regular event of the Kamakura shogunate.

In the oath section of the Goseibai Shikimoku, the law code issued by the regent Hōjō Yasutoki in 1232 (Jōei 1), “the two Gongen of Izu and Hakone” are the first of the Japanese deities named individually.

3. Sengoku to Edo Period: The Hakone Checkpoint and Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Protection

In the Sengoku period the shrine was revered by five generations of the Later Hōjō clan, beginning with Hōjō Sōun. In the Edo period Tokugawa Ieyasu donated shrine lands worth 200 koku in 1594 (Bunroku 3) and carried out a large-scale construction of the shrine buildings in 1612 (Keichō 17).

When the Tokaido was improved in the Genna era and the Hakone post town and Hakone Checkpoint were established, Hakone Gongen became a place to pray for safe travel at this key point of east–west traffic, and gained a following among ordinary people as well.

In the Edo period, Hakone Gongen had an administering temple and many monks’ lodgings.

4. Meiji Era: Separation of Shinto and Buddhism and Transformation into “Hakone Shrine”

With the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the early Meiji years, Hakone Gongen was renamed “Hakone Shrine.”

In 1873 (Meiji 6), Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken visited the shrine.

In 1952 (Showa 27), a torii was erected in Lake Ashi to commemorate the conclusion of the Peace Treaty and the investiture of the Crown Prince (now the Emperor Emeritus). In 1964 (Showa 39), to mark the shrine’s 1,200th anniversary and the Tokyo Olympics, a plaque reading “Heiwa” (Peace) in the hand of Yoshida Shigeru was hung on it, and it has been called the “Peace Torii” ever since.

5. Modern Era: The Peace Torii and the Hakone Ekiden

During the Hakone Ekiden relay on January 2 and 3 each year, the first-day finish and second-day start are set on the shore of Lake Ashi, and the runners pass beneath the First Torii, which spans National Route 1.

Highlights and Recommended Spots

Visiting the grounds is free; only the Treasure Hall charges admission.

1. The Peace Torii—Hakone’s Symbol Floating on Lake Ashi

The vermilion “Peace Torii” standing in the lake is the only one of Hakone Shrine’s torii built in the ryōbu style (all the others are myōjin style).

On clear days you may be able to see Mount Fuji across the lake.

During the day a line of people waiting to take photos can form in front of the torii. If you want to avoid the crowds, come early in the day.

2. Cedar-Lined Approach—About 90 Stone Steps Among Old Cedars

From the Fourth Torii beside the water basin to the Fifth Torii in front of the main hall, you climb about 90 stone steps (the main approach) surrounded by old cedars. The steps are gentle, and easier to climb than they look. Soga Shrine stands on the left partway up.

If you want to avoid steps, there is a step-free side approach through the woods. Wheelchair users can use the elevator in the Treasure Hall or Parking Lot 3.

The grounds are home to the sacred trees “Yatate no Sugi” and the “Anzan Sugi,” said to be over 1,000 years old, and behind the main hall grows a pure stand of himeshara (Stewartia monadelpha), a Kanagawa Prefecture Natural Monument.

3. Kuzuryu Shrine (Shingu)—Shrine of the Lake Ashi Dragon God

Kuzuryu Shrine enshrines Kuzuryu Okami, the guardian deity of Lake Ashi, in two places: the Hongu (main shrine) in the “Kuzuryu Forest” on the lakeshore, and the Shingu to the right of Hakone Shrine’s main hall. The shrine names its blessings as prosperous business, financial fortune, fulfillment of wishes, and good matches.

In front of the Shingu are the Ryujinsui (dragon god water) and the “Jōju Suiban” (wish-fulfillment basin). You write your wish and a vow on a “Seiganfu” slip of water-soluble paper (¥500 offering) and float it in the basin, where it dissolves and is said to reach Kuzuryu Okami in Lake Ashi. Note that the Ryujinsui is not sold; it is given only to those who receive a prayer ritual.

The monthly festival at the Hongu is held on the 13th of each month from 10:00. On that day a pilgrimage boat departs at 9:20 from the Lake Ashi sightseeing cruise pier in Moto-Hakone, and the boat ticket is ¥2,000 per person (as of September 2026). If the boat does not run because of bad weather or other reasons, the ceremony is held at the Shingu.

4. Treasure Hall—Important Cultural Property Statues and Scrolls

The Treasure Hall opened in 1907 (Meiji 40), and the current building opened in 2007 (Heisei 19). The permanent exhibition is on the second floor and special exhibitions on the third. Its collection includes Important Cultural Properties such as the seated statue of Mangan Shonin (early Heian period, regarded as the oldest portrait sculpture in the Kanto region), Heian-period seated statues of a male and a female deity, the “Hakone Gongen Engi” picture scroll, and a short sword with a red-wood hilt said to have belonged to Soga Gorō.

It is open 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00), and admission is ¥500 for adults. Allow about 30 minutes.

5. Lake Ashi and Hakone Shrine Through the Seasons—Festivals and Seasonal Scenery

The shrine’s biggest festivals of the year are the Kosui Festival on July 31 and the Grand Festival on August 1. On the evening of the Kosui Festival, a boat carrying offerings rows out onto Lake Ashi, and fireworks follow the ritual on the lake.

The himeshara behind the main hall bears white flowers from mid-June to mid-July. In winter the air is clear and there are more days when Mount Fuji can be seen across the lake.

Lake Ashi lies at an elevation of over 700 meters, so dress warmly, especially in winter.

Nearby Attractions

Hakone Checkpoint—Experience the Edo-Period Gateway

Further south along the lakeshore from Hakone Shrine is the Hakone Checkpoint, an Edo-period checkpoint restored using the building methods of the time. Established in the Genna era, it was known for its strict inspections of “guns coming in and women going out.”

The restored guardhouse buildings and the museum explain how the checkpoint worked. It is open 9:00–17:00 (until 16:30 December–February), and admission is ¥500 for adults (as of September 2026).

Owakudani—The Power of Hakone’s Volcano

Owakudani lets you see the fumaroles of the Hakone volcano up close, and you can reach it by the Hakone Ropeway. The “black eggs” (kuro-tamago), boiled in sulfurous hot spring water until their shells turn black, are known for the saying that eating one adds seven years to your life.

On clear days you can also see Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji from the ropeway.

Hakone Hot Springs—Yumoto, Gora, and Sengokuhara

Hakone has many hot spring areas, including Hakone-Yumoto, Gora, Sengokuhara, and the Lake Ashi area, with many facilities offering day-use bathing.

Hakone-Yumoto, the gateway to Hakone, has many day-trip hot spring facilities around the station. For art, there is the Hakone Museum of Art in Gora and the Pola Museum of Art in Sengokuhara, among others.

Access

By Train and Bus

• Odakyu Line: From Hakone-Yumoto Station, take a bus bound for Hakone/Moto-Hakone (about 60 minutes, per the shrine’s official site), get off at “Moto-Hakone-ko,” then walk about 10 minutes
• JR Tokaido Line: From Odawara Station, take a Hakone Tozan Bus toward Moto-Hakone (check the operator’s timetable for travel time)
• From Shinjuku: About 85 minutes by Odakyu Romancecar to Hakone-Yumoto Station → about 60 minutes by bus

By Car

• About 30 minutes from Gotemba IC on the Tomei Expressway (via the Hakone Skyline)
• About 40 minutes from Hakone-guchi IC on the Odawara-Atsugi Road
• Visitor parking on the shrine grounds (buses use Parking Lot 2; there is also parking beside the Second Torii)

By Lake Ashi Sightseeing Boat

• Crossing Lake Ashi on the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise (pirate ship) from Hakone-machi Port or Moto-Hakone Port is also a popular route
• About 25–40 minutes from Togendai Port to Moto-Hakone Port
• Viewing the Peace Torii from the boat is also recommended

Recommended Route

The smoothest route is to take the Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto Station, then the Hakone Tozan Bus to Moto-Hakone. With the Hakone Free Pass (from Shinjuku, valid for 2 days, ¥7,100, as of September 2026), you can ride the Hakone Tozan Train, cable car, ropeway, sightseeing cruise, and buses in the Hakone area as much as you like. Circling Hakone via Hakone-Yumoto → Gora → Owakudani → Togendai → Lake Ashi → Moto-Hakone lets you see the main sights in one loop.

Summary

If you time your visit for the Kuzuryu Shrine Hongu’s monthly festival (the 13th of each month), you can also cross the lake by boat to worship there. Combine the shrine with the Hakone Checkpoint and Owakudani for a day around Lake Ashi.

Frequently Asked Questions