Hakone Shrine hosts the fire festival on 24 October
Published on 10/18/2026 at 00:15 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Hakone Shrine hosts its Sacred Fire Festival and annual festival at Mototsumiya on 24 October 2026. The ceremony links the shrine on Lake Ashi with its mountain sanctuary on Mount Komagatake in Hakone, Japan.
Hakone Shrine fire festival begins at Mototsumiya on 24 October
The programme begins at 10am at the summit ceremonial ground with the Sacred Fire Festival. The shrine describes the rite as a ceremony of kindling a sacred fire, followed by prayers for peace and public safety. A formal annual festival at Mototsumiya follows at 11.45am, when the fire is presented before the sanctuary.
The fire then leaves the summit in a procession towards the lakeside shrine. At 12.30pm, the flame is presented at Hakone Shrine before a peace prayer. The following day, 25 October, the fire is scheduled to travel among shrines across Hakone. The official festival programme sets out the ceremony sequence and the weather contingency.
Mototsumiya is Hakone Shrine's mountain sanctuary
Mototsumiya stands on the summit of Mount Komagatake and is the inner sanctuary of Hakone Shrine. The shrine's own history records that the site faces Mount Kamiyama, regarded as the sacred mountain of Hakone, while the present lakeside shrine was established in 757 by the priest Mangan.
The mountain and lakeside sites therefore form one religious landscape rather than two unrelated sights. That relationship gives the 24 October programme its practical shape: the fire begins at the summit and is carried down to the main shrine. A Kanagawa tourism profile identifies the shrine's lakeside setting, its 757 foundation and the surrounding cedar approach.
From the summit fire to the lakeside peace prayer
The ceremony's route also reflects the structure of the shrine complex. Mototsumiya is positioned high above Lake Ashi, while the main shrine and the red Peace Gate stand beside the water. The fire procession makes that vertical and geographic connection visible during the 24 October programme.
The event is religious rather than a stage performance, and the official programme describes participation in the prayers alongside representatives of the shrine community. The public-facing schedule gives readers a fixed date, named venues and a fallback location, rather than an undated seasonal recommendation.
Visiting Hakone Shrine: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Sacred Fire Festival takes place on 24 October 2026 at Mototsumiya on the summit of Mount Komagatake. The annual festival and the fire procession follow on the same day.
- The planned route starts at the summit and ends at Hakone Shrine. If bad weather stops the Komagatake Ropeway, the official programme says the ceremony moves to Hakone Shrine.
- Access to Mototsumiya is from Hakone-en by the Komagatake Ropeway, followed by the summit approach. The mountain venue is separate from the lakeside shrine grounds.
- The visit combines a ropeway journey with a summit setting, so weather can affect the planned venue and access. The programme provides the lakeside shrine as the alternative location.
- 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.
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 fire festival take place at Hakone Shrine?
The Sacred Fire Festival begins at Mototsumiya on 24 October 2026 at 10am. The annual festival and fire procession follow on the same day.
What is Hakone Shrine?
Hakone Shrine is a Shinto shrine beside Lake Ashi, established at its present site in 757. Its complex includes Mototsumiya, the mountain sanctuary on Mount Komagatake.
Where is Hakone Shrine and how do you get there?
The main shrine is in Moto-Hakone beside Lake Ashi. Mototsumiya is reached from Hakone-en by the Komagatake Ropeway, with a weather-related alternative at the main shrine.
