Last Updated: Jun 22, 2024

Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine

Hamamatsu’s Top Hidden Gem

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

Today, we’ll be venturing back to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Though this city is already somewhat of an off the beaten path destination, the topic of this article is an even more obscure hidden gem (at least for inbound tourism to Japan). Known as Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine, this ancient sanctuary is located atop Mt. Akiha. Though technically still within the confines of Hamamatsu city, Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine is about as far removed from the urban hustle and bustle as you can get. That said, so long as you don’t mind venturing out to this remote mountain location, this diamond in the rough is definitely something that repeat visitors to Japan should consider.

Now, there are a number of reasons why one might want to visit Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine. Historically, it was a popular pilgrimage detour for people traveling to and from Kyoto on the ever-important Tokaido highway. As was the case throughout history, Akihasan Hongu Akiha Shrine was (and continues to be) the head shrine of numerous branch shrines throughout the country. In fact, you’ll find a small Akiha Shrine in many towns and cities in Japan. Back in the days of yesteryear, these all belonged to a collective of mountain ascetics that were known as the Akiha cult, and there are as many…