This week's photo shoot takes us to the honden (main shrine) of Kumomi Sengen-Jinja Shrine, which is located near the summit of a large rock called Mt. Eboshi (162 m / 531 ft).
This large "rock" is actually just a volcanic neck, which refers to a large hill formed when magma in a volcanic vent has cooled and solidified. Mt. Eboshi is such a volcanic neck that was once under the sea.
Over time, as the volcano was pushed above the water's surface, the walls and softer outer layers of the volcano eroded leaving behind the much harder magma column jutting high above the sea.
From the base of the rock, there are 130 stone steps that will take you to the worship hall of the shrine. The steps are wide and easy to climb even for children or the elderly. For practical reasons, I assume that the worship hall is where regular parishioners go to make an offering and pray, instead of going all the way to the top.
From the worship hall, there are two sets of very steep stone stairs for a total of 320 stone steps. The first set of stairs is slightly better maintained and not to difficult to climb compared with the second set of stairs.
When you reach the second set of stone stairs, you can see that the handrail is a bit older, a bit more wobbly and rudimentary. Also, the stone steps are much smaller with just enough space for the forefoot. The stone steps seem older and in some cases slanting downwards, which can be hazardous if you are climbing in inclement weather. Just one slip could be disastrous if you lost hold of the railing.
At the top of the second set of stairs, the trail widens up a bit and mostly consists of a rocky path, worn tree roots, and less arduous than the second set of stairs. No special gear is needed for this climb. Good walking shoes with non-slip tread on the soles should suffice if hiking during dry conditions.
Soon thereafter, you will reach the actual Kumomi-Sengen Shrine. At first glance, this shrine reminded me of Afuri-Jinja shrine on the peak of Oyama in Kanagawa Prefecture.
In both cases, most parishioners or visitors wanting to offer a prayer do not go all the way to the peak to visit the actual shrine, which would be impractical. Both this shrine and the one at Oyama have worship halls or a lower shrine that is much more easy to access, more photogenic, and definitely a better draw for tourists.
At Oyama and Eboshi, the honden or actual shrine structures that house the deity on the peak, seem to place a greater emphasis on spiritual value or purpose of the structure instead of what might draw new parishioners or tourists, which might explain why both shrines have very simple architectural designs and are free of any grandiose colors or overt ornamental elements. Or, maybe it's just too expensive and difficult to build and maintain eye-catching structures in such remote locations.
Once you reach Kumomi-Sengen Shrine, there is a small, but very steep set of concrete stairs to a platform that is just a a meter or so higher than the roofline of the shrine. From there, you have a 360-degree view of Suruga Bay and the entire Kumomi coastline.
Access by train and bus:
Legend of Shrine:
Geological History:
Kumomi-Sengen Main Shrine Worship Hall:
Kumomi-Sengen Main Shrine:
Rocky Steep Coastline
Wide-angle shot of the steep, rocky Kumomi coastline with few sea stacks along the west coast of the Izu Peninsula.
Sea Stacks
Telephoto shot of waves lapping a sea stack along the Kumomi coastline on the western coast of the Izu Peninsula.
Shrine at Summit
Eastern view from summit of Mt. Eboshi, which is rock mountain that is 162 m (531 ft) tall with enough standing room at the summit for about 3 adults with a sheer cliffs on the northern, western, and southern sides. The honden (main shrine) of Kumomi Sengen-Jinja is located just below the summit. The rock was once part of an volcanic lava flow that erupted under the sea and was pushed up to the surface over a process that took 10 million years.
View across the Bay
Wide-angle shot of Suruga Bay with Shizuoka Prefecture on the opposite side of the bay as seen from the summit of Mt. Eboshi, a 162-meter (531-foot) tall rock mountain.
Layers of Light
Telephoto shot of the Komomi Coastline featuring small, weathered sea stacks and headlands jutting out into Suruga Bay.
Lone Fisherman
Small fishing vessel heading out to sea in the deep, dark waters of Suruga Bay, located about 120 km (approx. 75 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
Overcast Coastline
Southern Kumomi coastline under an overcast morning sky creating a spectrum of azure tones.
Edge of Cliff
Wide-angle shot due west out across Suruga Bay as seen from the summit of Mt. Eboshi, a 162-meter (531-foot) tall rock mountain located about 183 km (114 mi) southwest of Tokyo.
Shades of Turquoise
Overcast late-morning sky gives the coastal waters a darker hue of turquoise compared to the more popular shots of light teal waters found on sunny afternoons.
Pumice Stone on Beach
Pumice stone on a orangish sandy beach free of any footprints or human presence.
Large Rocks in Bay
Long-exposure of two large rocks named Ushitsuki-Iwa (lit. cow-ashore-rocks) after some cows escaped death by climbing onto the rocks after a huge flood washed the local village and livestock out to sea. The villagers later put a shrine on the larger rock and “tied” the rocks together with a shimenawa rope to pray for safety of the harbor and fishing vessels.
Gear used for this Photo Shoot
Camera Gear:
Pentax KP
Standard zoom lens: smc Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL[IF] DC WR
Telephoto zoom lens: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE
Tripod: Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)
Ball head: Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate
Video Gear:
Canon EOS Kiss M/M50 Double Zoom Kit
SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)
PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter
Zhiyun Weebill-S Gimbal
RODE Road Wireless GO Wireless Microphone System WIGO
Filters & Filter Systems:
PolarPro QuartzLine ND 64 Filter - 67mm (ND64 6-stop reduction in light)
PolarPro QuartzLine ND1000 Filter - 67mm (ND1000 10-stop reduction in light)
PolarPro QuartzLine ND100k Filter - 67mm (ND100K 15-stop reduction in light)
PolarPro QuartzLine Circular Polarizer - 67mm
PolarPro Summit | Landscape Filter System Custom Kit (Core, Thread Plate, ND4-GR filter, ND8-GR filter, Circular Polarizer)
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Music Tracks Licensed for this video through Epidemic Sound. Visit this link to subscribe:
"Homeward" composed and performed by Trevor Kowalski.
“Calling Me” composed by Henrik Olsson and Sandra Bjurman, and performed by Ooyy.
“Soft Rains” composed by Anders Schill Paulsen and performed by Hushed.
“Envision” composed by Gavin Luke and performed by Amaranth Cove.
“Concussion” composed and performed by Nihoni.
“Bermuda” composed by Henrik Olsson and performed by Ooyy.
Photos used with permission.
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license are available at Pix4Japan.
