Hakone Shrine held fish offering ceremony on 1 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 07:23 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Hakone Shrine held its monthly ceremony and fish offering ceremony on 1 October 2026 at its shrine grounds in Hakone, Japan. The ritual marked the opening of smelt net fishing on Lake Ashi and included an offering of the first catch at the sanctuary, also known locally as Hakone-jinja.
Hakone Shrine's October fish offering ceremony
The ceremony combined the shrine's regular monthly observance with a formal report about the smelt offering. The custodian announced the programme on 28 September 2026 and specified that it would take place at 7am on 1 October.
The date was linked to the opening of smelt net fishing on Lake Ashi. The first smelt brought ashore that morning was offered before the shrine's deities, while the ceremony also reported the intention to present smelt to the imperial household. The programme therefore connected a local fishing season with one of the shrine's established religious observances.
The October ceremony was held at the main shrine rather than at the mountain summit sanctuary. The official calendar separately lists a fire ceremony and annual rite at Hakone Motomiya for 24 October, but that later programme is a different event and is not the subject of this report.
A 757 foundation behind Hakone Shrine's October rite
The shrine stands at Moto-Hakone on the eastern shore of Lake Ashi. Its custodian says that the present shrine buildings were established beside the lake in 757, after the monk Mangan entered the Hakone mountains and received a religious revelation connected with Hakone's deities.
The site developed from mountain worship centred on Mount Hakone and Mount Kamiyama. The same religious complex includes Hakone Motomiya, the inner sanctuary on the summit of Mount Komagatake, while the nearby Kuzuryu Shrine is dedicated to the guardian deity of Lake Ashi.
That setting gives the 1 October ceremony a clear local context. The offering was not an isolated food event, but part of a calendar in which the shrine marks seasonal change, fishing activity and prayers for the wellbeing of people connected with the lake. A 2026 October ceremony notice gives the date and place, while the custodian's history of the shrine describes its foundation and relationship with the surrounding sanctuaries.
Visiting Hakone Shrine: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The fish offering ceremony took place at Hakone Shrine on 1 October 2026 at 7am. It was a single religious observance rather than a multi-day festival.
- The ceremony concerned the main shrine grounds in Moto-Hakone. The announcement described the ritual and did not announce a closure or altered visitor route.
- The shrine is at Moto-Hakone, Hakone, on the shore of Lake Ashi. Its official address is 80-1 Moto-Hakone, Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan.
- The wider site is associated with mountain worship, Lake Ashi and the inner sanctuary at Mount Komagatake. Visitors should distinguish the lakeside shrine from Hakone Motomiya on the summit.
- Japan's official language is Japanese and its national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Hakone Shrine
When did the fish offering ceremony take place at Hakone Shrine?
The ceremony took place on 1 October 2026 at 7am. It accompanied the shrine's monthly ceremony and marked the opening of smelt net fishing on Lake Ashi.
Where is Hakone Shrine and how do you get there?
Hakone Shrine is at Moto-Hakone on the shore of Lake Ashi in Hakone, Japan. The official address is 80-1 Moto-Hakone, Hakone, Kanagawa.
What is Hakone Shrine?
It is a Shinto shrine whose present lakeside site was established in 757, according to its custodian. The wider religious complex also includes Hakone Motomiya, its inner sanctuary on Mount Komagatake.
