Meeting the gods of fire and earth,
at Haruna Shrine
Join hands in the mountains.
These prayers are connected to our daily lives.
Haruna Shrine sits partway up Mount Haruna, surrounded by towering rocks and deep forest. This setting holds a long history of prayer. Through the deities worshipped here, we explore the connection between mountain and everyday life.
Fire and Earth, the two gods
Haruna Shrine enshrines Homusubi no Kami and Haniyama Hime no Kami. The god of fire and the god of earth.
Fire cooks our food and keeps us warm. Soil nourishes the crops that sustain us. Both are woven into everyday life.
The deities’ names may seem unfamiliar, but fire and earth bring their connection to our lives into focus.
Prayer that is close to daily life
Haruna Shrine has been worshiped for its blessings of good harvest, fire suppression, and good luck.
May the crops flourish. May we be protected from fire. May our days pass safely.
When you think of such a wish, praying to a shrine no longer seems like a distant world. While receiving the blessings of nature, we live with a fear of its great power. The gods of fire and earth are an opportunity to think about their connection to such lifestyles.
people heading to the mountains
Faith in Mt. Haruna spread outside the region. During the Edo period, there was a connection to worship called ``Haruna-ko,'' and there were people called ``Oshi'' who spread the faith and guided worshipers.
This was an age before an easy drive into the mountains. What hopes did those pilgrims carry, and how might they have felt as they walked toward the shrine?
The approach to Haruna Shrine continues through a landscape of cedar trees, rocks, and rivers. When you visit, pay attention not only to the buildings, but also to the nature that surrounds them.
Learning the deities’ names and imagining the people who came to visit can make this mountain shrine feel a little closer to us.
A living tradition in the community
Local parishioners help carry on Haruna Shrine’s festivals and rituals. The sound of flutes during these ceremonies is part of a tradition passed down through generations—a living connection with the community’s culture.
These two clips show parishioners playing flutes during shrine rituals. Both videos are presented without audio.
As a child, I went to Haruna Shrine almost every day. I still make a point of visiting around New Year. One of my childhood joys was going to watch my father play the flute in shrine ceremonies. You can see him playing in the footage in this article.