Arayayama Shrine Okumiya, a Top Fortune Power Spot in Yamanashi

The inner shrine of Arayayama Shrine sits at about 1,700 meters on the second station of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi. While the main hall is in the city of Fujiyoshida, the inner shrine lies on the mountainside surrounded by forest and is known as one of the three great fortune shrines of Japan, a leading power spot.

Arayayama Shrine is said to date from the late Muromachi period, around the Tenbun era in 1534, and enshrines Oyamazumi no Mikoto, the god of the mountain. Famed for blessings of fortune, prosperous business, and success in enterprise, it has gathered the faith of business owners and people who work in finance. In the inner precinct there is an arrangement of stones said to be best visited in a set order, and many worshipers come from across the country.

Highlights

• The inner shrine set in forest at about 1,700 meters on the second station of Fuji
• Oyamazumi no Mikoto as the main deity, alongside Amaterasu Omikami and Konohanasakuya Hime
• Fortune blessings as one of the three great fortune shrines of Japan
• Worshipers from across the country seeking prosperity and success
• Precinct stones said to be best toured in a set order

Enjoying the Seasons

Because the inner shrine sits at high altitude, early summer through autumn is the easiest time to visit. Even in summer the cool forest air wraps around you, and you feel the purity unique to the mountainside of Fuji. In autumn the surrounding trees take on color and the path is wrapped in hues. In winter the forest road closes due to snow and worship becomes difficult, so it is wise to check whether the road is open before you go.

Access and Basic Information

• Location: Second station of Mount Fuji at about 1,700 meters, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi
• Main hall: Araya, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi
• Access: By car via the Fuji Subaru Line, or by car up to the second station from the main hall. Public transport access is limited
• Parking: Use the spaces around the inner shrine
• Admission: Free
• Annual festival: October 17

Practical Travel Notes

• The best season runs from early summer through autumn. In the snowy winter months the forest road is often closed and you cannot reach the inner shrine, so always confirm the road status in advance
• The altitude is high and the air stays cool even in summer, so a light layer is handy even at the height of summer
• Allow about half a day when combining a visit to the inner shrine with the main hall
• By old custom it is proper to first worship at the main hall in the city before heading to the inner shrine
• Nearby stand Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, famed as the start of the Yoshida trail up Fuji, and Oshino Hakkai with its clear spring-fed ponds, along with other noted spots at the northern foot of Fuji
• Admission is free. For charms or a goshuin seal, budget a few hundred to around a thousand yen

A Quick Tip

The inner shrine may close in winter, so take care with the timing of your visit. By old custom, it is proper to first worship at the main hall in the city before heading to the inner shrine. The Fuji Subaru Line and the mountain road are winding, so allow extra driving time and do not forget warm clothing.

Visitor Checklist

• Check season and access: The forest road often closes for snow in winter, blocking the inner shrine, so always check the opening status first.
• What to prepare: It is high and cool even in summer, so an extra layer is reassuring in midsummer.
• Estimated time: Allow about half a day including a visit to the main shrine in the city.
• Suggested route: By old custom, visit the city main shrine first, then head to the inner shrine.
• Nearby stops: Combine with Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine and Oshino Hakkai in the northern Fuji foothills.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Address of the main shrine: 4-2-2 Araya, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture 403-0006 (tel. 0555-24-0932 / reception 9:00-16:00)
• Location of the inner shrine: At "Hedanotsuji" on the second station of Mt. Fuji, at an altitude of about 1,700 meters
• Admission: Free of charge
• The road to the inner shrine: You drive up a forest road from the main shrine. The shrine advises that "the paved forest road is very narrow, carries two-way traffic and has poor visibility. Because large construction vehicles also use it, please slow down and keep as far to the left as possible"
• Winter closure: The forest road leading to the inner shrine is closed in winter when there is snow, and you cannot visit. Pilgrimage guide websites state that the closure period is usually from around late November to around late April, but it varies from year to year. Please call the main shrine before you set out to check whether the road is open
• The inner shrine's amulet office: Pilgrimage guide websites give the hours as 10:00-15:00. Allow yourself plenty of time
• Goshuin (shrine seals): At the main shrine's shrine office you can receive seals for both the main shrine and the inner shrine written directly into your book, with an offering of 500 yen (according to a goshuin information site). At the inner shrine's office, pre-written slips for the inner shrine are the norm
• Parking: There is free parking at the main shrine. A parking map (PDF) is available on the official website. On the inner shrine side, the number of parking spaces is limited
• A note on worship etiquette: Do not walk around the shrine within the stone circle; instead bow twice, clap twice and bow once in front of it
• How long to allow: 20 to 30 minutes to visit the main shrine, and it is safest to set aside half a day for a round trip to the inner shrine
• What to wear: The inner shrine stands in forest at an altitude of about 1,700 meters and is chilly even in summer. Bring something to put on even in midsummer. The ground is earth and gravel, so wear comfortable walking shoes
• Strollers and wheelchairs: The inner shrine is in the forest at the end of the forest road, in a mountain-path environment. If getting around is a concern, it is more realistic to plan your visit around the main shrine
• In case of rain: Worship takes place outdoors. On rainy days the surface of the forest road deteriorates, so make a sensible decision and do not push yourself
• Annual events: January 1, Saitansai (New Year's Day festival) / January 16, the eve festival of the New Year festival / January 17, the New Year festival / October 16, the inner shrine festival (morning) and the eve festival (evening) / October 17, the grand annual festival (with kagura sacred dance from the morning and sumo in the precincts). Monthly festivals are held on the 1st and the 17th of each month
• Budget guide: Worship is free. A goshuin is 500 yen, and even adding an amulet it comes to around a thousand yen or so
• Nearby: Famous spots dot the northern foot of Mt. Fuji, including Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine, renowned as the starting point of the Yoshida trail up Mt. Fuji, and the spring-fed ponds of Oshino Hakkai

📚 Sources

This article draws on the guidance of Arayayama Shrine, tourism information from Fujiyoshida City, its introduction as one of Japan's three great wealth-luck shrines with explanations of Oyamazumi and the other deities, and information on the second-station forest road and its winter closure. In winter the forest road closes for snow, making a visit difficult. Since fees and times may change, please confirm the shrine's official information before you visit.

The year of founding (October 17 in the 3rd year of Tenbun) and the history of repairs and construction, the precincts of 2,000 tsubo, the enshrined deities (Oyamatsumi-no-Mikoto, Amaterasu-Sume-Okami and Konohanasakuya-hime-no-Mikoto) and the subordinate shrines, the fact that the main shrine faces north atop the Ganno-ana lava flow plateau, the origin of the name Hedanotsuji where the inner shrine stands and its relocation on August 7, 2011, the etiquette of worshipping from the front rather than walking around the stone circle, the etiquette regarding the sacred stone and its current suspension, the warnings about the forest road leading to the inner shrine, the notice that no mail order or online sales are carried out, the dates of the annual events, and the address and telephone number (0555-24-0932 / 9:00-16:00) were confirmed on the official website of Araya Yama Shrine. The fact that the inner shrine stands at an altitude of about 1,700 meters and that the forest road is closed in winter comes from encyclopedia entries about Araya Yama Shrine and from information on the official website. The approximate winter closure period, the hours of the inner shrine's amulet office, and the 500 yen offering for a goshuin along with the handling of directly written and pre-written seals come from pilgrimage guide and goshuin information websites and are not officially confirmed information. Details are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.