Izusan Shrine

Izusan Shrine is an ancient shrine dating back to the 5th or 4th century BCE. It was established to enshrine the deity Izu-san Okami, believed to be the origin of the name Izu Province. The shrine grounds span an approximate 40,000 tsubo (about 132,000 square meters) from their perch atop a highland at 170 meters, with the main shrine at its center and extending both towards the mountain and the sea.

Take to the stone steps leading down from the main shrine to reach the ruins of the Shimo-miya (Lower Shrine). Further down towards Izu Beach lies Hashiriyu, one of Japan's three oldest hot springs, and the Hashiriyu Shrine. Historically, the hot spring was revered as the divine bath of the gods until the Meiji period, and Izusan Shrine was affectionately known as Hashiriyu Gongen. According to legend, two dragons, one red and one white, transformed from the deity Izu-san Okami and caused the hot springs of Atami to gush forth from underground. These two dragons, represented at the temizuya (purification basin), are venerated at the shrine.

The shrine is also historically significant as the place where Minamoto no Yoritomo, exiled to Izu during the Heiji Rebellion, prayed for the restoration of the Minamoto clan. He later established the Kamakura Shogunate and revered the shrine as the protector of the Kanto region. Tokugawa Ieyasu also followed Yoritomo's example, venerating the shrine as a deity of great fortune.

Legend says the sweethearts Yoritomo and Hojo Masako made their dramatic encounter here. Today, the shrine is visited by many young women and couples who pray for good fortune in love and relationships.