February 1st,2020
Location
Mitsumine shrine is located in Chichubu city, Saitama prefecture, about 15km west from central Chichibu and on top of Mount Mitsumine (Mitsuminesan). Mount Mitsumine is a generic name for the 3 peaks Mount Myoho, Mount Shiraiwa and Mount Kumotori.
Address is 298-1 Mitsumine, Chichibu city, Saitama prefecture.
Opening hours
Opening hours are around 6am to 7:30pm.
There are no gates, but motion sensors are installed so entry is prohibited at night. The parking lot is closed at night, and even guests staying at Kōunkaku are not permitted to get out at night.
Reception time for formal worshipping is from 9am to 4pm, the "Juyosho", where charms and talismans are offered, is open from 9am to 5pm. Mitsuminesan Museum is open from 9am to 4pm.
Public transportation
From Ikebukuro station in Tokyo to Seibu Chichubu station in central Chichibu, it is 1 hour 50 minutes by Seibu Ikebukuro line Limited Express train. From Seibu Chichibu station, 75 minutes by Seibu-kanko bus to Mitsumine-jinja bus stop. Only 6 buses on weekdays and 7 on weekends are operated per day.
The nearest station from Mitsumine shrine is Mitsumineguchi station, but is more than 20km away. The bus between Seibu-Chichibu station and Mitsumine shrine stops at Mitsumineguchi station, and will take 45 minutes to Mitsumine shrine.
Also, Mitsumine shrine can be visited by a mountain trail called "Omotesando". This route was used by worshippers to the shrine before the route for cars has opened. It is not a steep mountain path but some equipment is needed just in case. The nearest bus stop from the trailhead is Ōwa bus stop, about 10 minutes from Mitsumineguchi station by buses bound for Mitsumine shrine or Chichibu-ko. It will take about 2 to 3 hours to walk through the mountain trail, and is about 3.7km long.
There used to be an aerial tramway from Ōwa, but it was closed down in 2007.
Parking
Mitsumine municipal parking is right in front of the main entrance of Mitsumine shrine, available for 280 cars. Parking fee is ￥520 for a regular sized car and opening hours are from 8am to 6pm.
The road to Mitsumine shrine has many curves and some parts are very narrow, and is very steep, so inexperienced drivers are recommended to visit by bus. The elevation of Mitsumine shrine is 1100m, more than 800m higher than central Chichibu and in winter the road freezes and will snow.
