Honoo-Honome Shrine, Shinto shrine in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, Japan
Honoo-Honome Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Beppu with three parts on Mount Tsurumi: the upper shrine at the summit, the middle shrine on the eastern slope, and the lower shrine at the foot. The lower shrine has a raised wooden hall on a stone base, a curved shingled roof with gilded ridge ornaments, a purple banner with a white emblem, and a straw rope with paper streamers.
According to shrine tradition, Honoo-Honome Shrine was founded in 771. In 849 the deity received the junior fifth rank, and in 867, when Mount Tsurumi erupted, the court ordered the reading of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra before the shrine. Listed in the 927 Engishiki as a Shikinaisha, its halls were burned by Otomo Sorin in the Tensho era, and the lower shrine was rebuilt in 1664 by Kurushima Michikiyo.
The shrine is dedicated to fire, which is reflected in its name and holds an important role in local beliefs. Visitors can see how people make offerings and participate in ceremonies that express the community's connection with spirits of nature.
The shrine is easily accessible with a simple entrance marked by a traditional torii gate, and the pathways through the grounds are well-maintained. Visitors should behave respectfully, remove their shoes if required, and bow before entering the main area.
The shrine's three sanctuaries sit at different heights on Mount Tsurumi: the upper shrine at the summit, the middle shrine on the eastern slope, and the lower shrine at the foot in Hiromi. The lower shrine's grove of ilex oaks and the middle shrine's natural forest are both Oita Prefecture natural monuments, designated on 28 March 1975.
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