On the summit of Haruna Fuji,
a goddess awaits
From the lakeshore, our journey turns toward the summit—and a goddess whose name evokes blossoms.
Haruna Fuji rises above the shore of Lake Haruna. At its summit stands Fujisan Shrine, dedicated to Konohanasakuya-hime. Beyond the mountain scenery lies a story of a goddess and the hopes people have brought to her.
A name that evokes blossoms
Konohanasakuya-hime: a name with the sound of opening blossoms. In the Kojiki she appears as Konohananosakuyabime, a daughter of the mountain deity Oyamatsumi.
Scholarly interpretations connect her name with flourishing like flowers in bloom. Some associate those flowers with cherry blossoms, though the name need not refer to cherry blossoms alone.
Imagine not just one kind of flower, but all the blossoms that brighten a mountain. Her name may then feel a little closer to the nature around Haruna.
A myth about the birth of life
The Kojiki tells of her marriage to Ninigi. When he doubts the parentage of her unborn children, she gives birth safely to three deities in a birthing hut she has set alight, thereby proving their divine lineage.
A name as gentle as blossoms, and a story of bringing life into the world amid fierce flames. The goddess of myth embodies strength as well as beauty.
This is a story from Japanese mythology, not an event said to have taken place on Haruna Fuji. It offers background for understanding the deity worshipped at the summit.
Prayers on Haruna Fuji
A field report describing the origin account displayed at Haruna Fujisan Shrine records a longstanding tradition of worshipping Konohanasakuya-hime for relationships and childbirth.
Local reporting also describes votive plaques near the summit station bearing wishes for safe childbirth, children and their upbringing. Such wishes offer a glimpse of the hopes people bring to this mountain.
A mountain visited for its views can also be a place where someone quietly shares a wish. Knowing this adds another layer to Haruna Fuji as we look up from the lakeshore.
Each person approaches the shrine with their own thoughts. Keep the goddess’s name in mind as you enjoy a quiet moment on the mountain.
My mother told me she always prayed to the mountain for my good health. I, too, climbed this mountain many times, hoping for a child. Now I visit around New Year with my daughter.