Hodosan Shrine

Hodosan Shrine is located at the foot of Mt. Hodo in Chichibu, Saitama. It is said that the shrine was built in 110. When Yamato-takeru-no-mikoto (a legendary prince) was on the way to conquer the eastern lands, he was attracted by the graceful mountain and decided to climb to the top. He and his army were suddenly surrounded by a raging fire on the way to the top. However, an enormous dog appeared, extinguished the fire and led the way for the prince and his army. Finally they achieved to arrive at the mountaintop safely. Later on, it became known that the huge dog was the messenger of Oyamazumi-no-kami (the deity of the mountain) and the Hodosan Shrine was built to enshrine these deities, the first emperor as well as the deity of the mountain and the deity of fire. The shrine has been believed to grant wishes for protection against fire, thefts and other disasters. Thus over one million people a year from the local area as well as from other areas in the Kanto region visit the shrine. The name, Hodosan literally means “climbing a mountain of treasures” and many people pay a visit in the new-year to wish for a fruitful year. The current shrine pavilions were reconstructed between the late Edo and the early Meiji eras, and many reliefs are engraved on the transoms such as the twenty-four filial exemplars. From early to mid-April, cherry blossoms bloom one after another along the entrance path to the shrine. A 15-minute walk from Nagatoro Station on the Chichibu Railway.