Hakusan Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Gifu Prefecture dedicated to the mountain deity Shirayama-hime-no-Mikoto. As part of the Hakusan shrine network, it serves as a regional center for worship of the sacred Mount Hakusan, which straddles the borders of Ishikawa, Fukui, and Gifu prefectures.
- Denomination
- Hakusan
- Religion
- shinto
- Enshrined kami
- Shirayama-hime-no-Mikoto
- Kami enshrined
- Shirayama-hime-no-Mikoto
- Founding
- Nara period
- Coordinates
- 35.3385734, 137.1184837
Visitor tip
Many Hakusan shrines are located in mountainous areas, so check accessibility and weather conditions before visiting.
Cultural notes
Shirayama-hime-no-Mikoto is revered as a goddess of white mountains and is associated with agricultural fertility, family harmony, and protection from natural disasters. The Hakusan faith emphasizes the sacred nature of mountains as dwelling places of the kami.
Historical note
Hakusan shrines trace their origins to the mountain worship traditions established by the monk Taicho in the early 8th century. These shrines developed as centers for the syncretistic Hakusan faith, which combined Shinto mountain worship with Buddhist practices until the Meiji period separation of Buddhism and Shinto.