Hakone Shrine

Hakone Shrine was founded in 757, the first year of the Tenpyo-Hoji Era, by a priest named Manmaki Shonin, and was called Hakone Sansho-Gongen in ancient times. In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the temple was respected by Minamoto no Yoritomo and other important figures of the Kamakura shogunate, and its fame grew. Today, there are many outstanding treasures of the shrine, including a wooden seated statue of Manmaki Shonin (designated as a national treasure). The approach to the shrine is lined with cedar trees over 800 years old, creating a sacred atmosphere.