Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrine name | 97% | Right page right column reads 「新倉富士浅間神社」 in gold brush. The 「三國第一」 (Sangoku Daiichi — "First in the Three Lands") inscription is the shrine's documented imperial-bestowed epithet. The kirie left-page features the Chūreitō pagoda + Mt. Fuji + fireworks + dragon + phoenix silhouettes, which are the documented iconographic elements of Arakura Fuji Sengen's kirie spread goshuin. |
| Date | 88% | Right column reads 令和六年五月十六日 = 16 May 2024. The gold brush on dark blue paper makes the day character slightly less crisp than a standard goshuin, but the reading is consistent with the same-day visit to Omuro Sengen (entry 09). |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 新倉富士浅間神社 (formal alternate name: 三國第一山富士浅間神社)
- Name (Romanized): Arakura Fuji Sengen Jinja
- Type: Shinto shrine — Sengen Jinja (Mt. Fuji-worship) network
- Location: Asama 2-chōme, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture — on Arakurayama (新倉山), with the shrine grounds containing the famous Chūreitō (忠霊塔) five-story pagoda
- Format: 切り絵 (kirie / paper-cutout) two-page spread with gold brush calligraphy on dark indigo paper
- Date received: 令和六年五月十六日 = 16 May 2024
Reading the goshuin (two-page spread)
Right page (gold brush calligraphy on indigo paper)
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 奉拝 | Hōhai — "humbly worshipped" | Top right, gold brush |
| 三國第一 | Sangoku Daiichi — "First in the Three Lands" | Right column, gold brush |
| 新倉富士浅間神社 | Arakura Fuji Sengen Jinja — shrine name | Center, large gold brush, diamond-arranged |
| Diamond / lozenge red seal | Shrine name in tensho | Center, red |
| 令和六年五月十六日 | 16 May 2024 | Right column, gold brush |
Left page (kirie / paper cutout on indigo)
The intricate paper-cut design depicts the shrine's iconic features:
- Chūreitō pagoda (忠霊塔) — the five-story memorial tower, the shrine's signature structure
- Mt. Fuji — the mountain visible from the shrine, foreground in the cutout
- Cherry blossoms — covering the foreground
- Fireworks bursts — multiple in the upper portion
- Dragon and phoenix — flying creatures in the upper-left, symbolic
- Stars and sparkles — scattered throughout
The kirie is laser-cut paper backed with white, so the white silhouettes show through the dark indigo paper. This is one of Yamanashi's most elaborate kirie goshuin designs.
Why "三國第一" (First in the Three Lands)?
This is one of Mt. Fuji's traditional epithets — 「三國第一山」 ("First Mountain in the Three Lands"). The "three lands" (三國) historically referred to:
- 日本 (Nihon — Japan)
- 唐 (Kara / China)
- 天竺 (Tenjiku / India)
— the three lands recognized by medieval Japanese Buddhist scholarship. Mt. Fuji being designated "first among them" is a poetic claim of supreme rank.
The shrine's tradition holds that Emperor Heizei (平城天皇) bestowed the title 「三国第一山」 upon Mt. Fuji and its associated shrine in 807 CE, along with sacred treasures (a gohonpan wooden plaque and a mask). This imperial recognition is why the shrine includes the epithet on its goshuin.
About the shrine
新倉富士浅間神社 was founded in 705 CE (Keiun 2) — over 1,300 years old. It is one of the oldest Sengen shrines and is dedicated to Konohanasakuya-hime, the goddess of Mt. Fuji.
Why this shrine became internationally famous
For most of its history, Arakura Fuji Sengen was a quiet local shrine. Since around 2010, it became a global phenomenon because of one specific photograph:
The view from the 400-step staircase behind the shrine, looking out over Fujiyoshida City with the Chūreitō five-story pagoda in the foreground, cherry blossoms in mid-frame, and Mt. Fuji rising behind — all in a single composition.
This view was promoted heavily by the Yamanashi tourism board and went viral on Instagram and travel media. The composition is now one of Japan's most-photographed scenes — appearing on countless travel posters, Japan tourism advertisements, and social media. The shrine receives more international visitors than Japanese visitors today, with many tourists arriving specifically to photograph the pagoda-cherry-Fuji composition.
Chūreitō (忠霊塔) — the pagoda
The Chūreitō is technically NOT a Buddhist pagoda despite looking like one. It is a war memorial built in 1963 to honor 960+ casualties from Fujiyoshida City who died in WWII and earlier conflicts (Russo-Japanese War, etc.). The 5-story design was chosen for visual harmony with traditional Japanese architecture, but the structure is administered by the city, not by the shrine.
The shrine and the Chūreitō share grounds and have become inseparable in tourism imagery, even though they are technically separate institutions (Shinto shrine + civic war memorial).
Enshrined deity
- 木花咲耶姫命 (Konohanasakuya-hime-no-Mikoto) — the goddess of Mt. Fuji (same as Omuro Sengen, entry 09)
- Plus tutelary co-enshrined deities
What the shrine is known for
- The pagoda + Fuji photograph — most-photographed Japanese landscape composition
- 三國第一 imperial recognition — historical prestige
- Cherry blossom season (early-mid April) — peak photogenic period
- Sengen Jinja Mt. Fuji blessings — protection, harmony with the sacred mountain
- Kirie goshuin program — among Japan's most elaborate paper-cutout goshuin
What the blessing carries
- 諸願成就 (shogan jōju) — fulfillment of wishes (Sengen general)
- Mt. Fuji's protection — blessings of the sacred mountain
- 安産 (anzan) — safe childbirth (Konohanasakuya's domain)
- 災難除け (sainan-yoke) — protection from disasters (especially natural; given Mt. Fuji's volcanic significance)