Hikosan Jingū

Hikosan Jingū
英彦山神宮
Hikosan Jingū; 英彦山神宮
	Hikosan Jingū Shrine at the summit of Mt. Hiko.
Religion
Affiliation	Shinto
Deity	; Izanagi; Izanami-no-Mikoto
Location
Location	1 Hiko-san, Soeda ; Tagawa District ; Fukuoka
	Shown within Japan
Geographic coordinates	33°28′41″N 130°55′34″E / 33.477944°N 130.926222°ECoordinates: 33°28′41″N 130°55′34″E / 33.477944°N 130.926222°E
Architecture
Date established	740
	Glossary of Shinto

Hikosan Jingū (英彦山神宮) is a Shinto shrine located in Soeda, Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Located on the boundary between Fukuoka and Oita Prefectures, Hiko-san has been venerated from ancient times as a sacred mountain. It was also a center of training for the Shugendō sect of Buddhism. The shrine is located on the Fukuoka Prefecture side of the mountain. The Jō-gu is located in the innermost part of the shrine grounds on the top of Naka-dake, the center peak of the three Hiko-san peaks. The sanctuary is said to have been built in 740. The Hōhei-den, a large lecture hall built in 1616, and the Kane-no-Torii, a bronze Shinto gateway built in 1637, have both been designated Important Cultural Properties by the Japanese government.

History[]

The shrine was originally built in 740 as a center of training for the Shugendō sect of Buddhism. However, the Shugendō temple was abolished by the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, introduced after the Meiji Restoration. Reisen-ji (霊泉寺), the head temple of the Tendai Buddhism, was converted into Hikosan Jinja (英彦山神社). In 1975, it was renamed to its present name, Hikosan Jingū.

Gallery[]

Hōhei-den (Important Cultural Property)
Kane-no-Torii (Important Cultural Property)
Omotesandō, very steep stone stairways approaching to the shrine.
Hikosan Kaen Slope car, a monorail system run from Kane-no-Torii to Hikosan Jingū, was open in 2005.