Hakone Shrine fire festival reaches the shrine on 24 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 10:25 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
A sacred fire festival linked to Hakone Shrine (Hakone-jinja) will take place on 24 October 2026, bringing a ritual from the mountain summit to the shrine in Hakone, Japan. The programme gives visitors a fixed autumn date for seeing the shrine and its wider religious landscape connected by ceremony.
Hakone Shrine receives the fire on 24 October 2026
The Mototsumiya Fire Festival begins at 10am on 24 October 2026 at Hakone Mototsumiya, the mountain sanctuary associated with Hakone Shrine. The official programme places a fire-lighting ceremony at the summit, followed by a Mototsumiya festival and a procession carrying the fire towards the lakeside shrine.
The fire is presented at the shrine after the summit rites, where a world peace prayer is scheduled. The following day, 25 October 2026, a wider procession is planned to carry the fire to shrines across Hakone. The official festival programme lists the times and locations, while a current Hakone events calendar also gives 24 October 2026 and the summit venue.
Hakone Shrine links Lake Ashi with Mount Komagatake
The October ceremony is significant for visitors because it connects the main shrine beside Lake Ashi with its mountain sanctuary rather than treating them as separate sights. The official custodian describes Mototsumiya as the inner shrine of Hakone Shrine, positioned on the summit of Mount Komagatake and facing the sacred Mount Kami.
The main shrine was established at its present lakeside location in 757, when the monk Mankwan built a shrine building after receiving a religious revelation associated with Hakone mountain worship. The site later became known as Hakone Shrine after the separation of Buddhist and Shinto institutions in the early Meiji period. Its setting explains the shape of the October programme: the fire begins at the high sanctuary, reaches the lower shrine and then continues through the wider Hakone religious network.
The local calendar describes the ceremony as a recreation of the opening of the heavenly rock cave, with the sacred fire representing light and a new beginning. It also identifies the Hakone Shrine organisation as the contact for the event, confirming the direct link between the summit ceremony and the lakeside site. The 2026 Hakone event calendar names the summit, the fire procession and the shrine connection.
Visiting Hakone Shrine: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Mototsumiya Fire Festival takes place on 24 October 2026, with the main ceremony at Hakone Mototsumiya on Mount Komagatake and the sacred fire later reaching Hakone Shrine.
- The programme includes a 10am fire ceremony, an 11am Mototsumiya festival and a noon fire procession. The fire is then presented at Hakone Shrine before the 25 October procession across Hakone.
- The summit venue can be reached from Hakone-Yumoto by bus to Hakone-en, followed by the Komagatake Ropeway and a walk from the summit station. The ceremony therefore involves mountain transport and a summit approach rather than a visit only to the lakeside grounds.
- The main shrine is at Motohakone beside Lake Ashi. Bus services connect the area with Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto, while the lake setting forms part of the shrine's historic religious landscape.
Searching for Hakone Shrine on social platforms
These links open searches for Hakone Shrine on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Hakone Shrine
When does the Mototsumiya Fire Festival take place at Hakone Shrine?
The festival takes place on 24 October 2026. Its main rites are held at Hakone Mototsumiya before the sacred fire is carried to Hakone Shrine.
What is Hakone Shrine?
It is a Shinto shrine beside Lake Ashi in Hakone, with an inner shrine at Mototsumiya on Mount Komagatake. The main shrine was established at its present location in 757.
Where is Hakone Shrine and how do you get there?
The main shrine is at Motohakone beside Lake Ashi. The October summit ceremony is reached through Hakone-en, the Komagatake Ropeway and the route from the summit station.
