The Great Camphor of Azusawake Shrine: A 2,100-Year-Old Living Sentinel in Atami
Hidden within the lush, sacred grove of Kinomiya Shrine in the hot-spring resort of Atami stands a tree so vast and ancient that visitors instinctively fall silent before it. Officially registered as a National Natural Monument under the name "The Great Camphor of Azusawake Shrine," this colossal evergreen has watched over the Izu Peninsula for more than two millennia. With a trunk circumference of nearly 24 meters, it is the second-largest tree of any species in all of Japan, and one of the country's three legendary great camphors. Travellers who venture from Tokyo to Atami will find that beyond the seafront hotels and steaming baths lies a quiet, primeval world where a single tree continues to inspire awe, prayer, and a sense of human smallness.
What Is the Great Camphor of Azusawake Shrine?
The Great Camphor (Ōkusu) is a giant Cinnamomum camphora tree growing in the inner grounds of Kinomiya Shrine, located on a wooded hillside in the Nishiyama district of Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Its estimated age exceeds 2,100 years, meaning it was already a young sapling when Japan was still in the Yayoi period and Rome was a republic. Today the tree stands roughly 26 meters tall, with a trunk girth of about 23.9 meters at ground level — so wide that it takes more than thirty seconds to walk around.
Why "Azusawake" When the Shrine Is Called Kinomiya?
The official designation name puzzles many visitors. When the tree was registered as a National Natural Monument in 1933, the shrine that surrounded it was officially recorded as Azusawake-no-Mikoto Shrine (阿豆佐和気命神社), one of the ancient Engishiki-listed shrines of Izu. The shrine has long since reverted to its older popular name, Kinomiya — meaning "Shrine of the Tree" — but the natural-monument record retains the older name, frozen in time like the tree itself.
One of the Three Great Camphors of Japan
The Great Camphor of Atami is grouped with the Kamō Great Camphor in Kagoshima and the Takeo Great Camphor in Saga as the Nihon Sandai Kusu, or "Three Great Camphors of Japan." In a 1988 nationwide survey of giant trees conducted by Japan's Environment Agency, only the Kamō Camphor exceeded it in trunk circumference, placing the Atami tree at second nationally.
Why the Tree Was Designated a National Natural Monument
On February 28, 1933, Japan's Ministry of Education designated the camphor as a National Natural Monument. The official designation report noted that the tree consists of two trunks growing close together to the north and south, said in old records to have once formed a single, even greater stem. The northern trunk measured approximately 12.5 meters in circumference at chest height, and the southern trunk approximately 8 meters — figures the report described as representative of camphor giants. The combination of extraordinary scale, advanced age, and continued vitality made it a prime candidate for protection.
A Survivor Against the Odds
The tree's life has not been peaceful. Old chronicles tell of seven great camphors that once stood within the shrine precincts. During the Kaei era (1848–1853), a dispute between Atami village and a neighboring community over fishing rights forced the village to raise legal funds, and five of the seven trees were felled. According to local tradition, when woodcutters approached the sixth tree, a white-haired old man suddenly appeared with arms outstretched. The great saw snapped in two, the figure vanished, and the villagers, taking this as a divine sign, ceased the felling. The Great Camphor and a second large tree were spared. The southern trunk later snapped during Typhoon No. 23 in August 1974, and the broken section was capped with metal sheeting that remains visible today.
Scientific Value
For botanists, the tree is a living archive. Its persistent vigor across more than two thousand years offers data on long-term tree physiology, the resilience of evergreen broadleaf species in coastal climates, and the protective effect of chinju no mori — the sacred shrine groves that have shielded countless biological treasures from urban development.
Highlights for Visitors
The Approach: Kusunoki e no Komichi
The shrine has thoughtfully designed the path leading to the tree. Completed in 2018 as part of the 1,300th anniversary commemorations of the deity's enshrinement, the roughly 100-meter "Path to the Camphor" winds through bamboo and native plantings of Japanese aucuba, fatsia, and butterbur — some six thousand individual plants chosen for their auspicious meanings. The path is finished with diatomaceous earth that drains beautifully even after rain, and the route is choreographed so that the tree is hidden until the very last moment, when it suddenly fills the visitor's field of view.
Walking Around the Trunk
Tradition holds that walking once around the trunk extends one's life by a year, and that holding a wish silently in mind during the circuit will cause it to come true. Many visitors complete the loop several times in quiet contemplation. The space behind the tree is intimate, and conversation naturally drops to a whisper.
The Second Great Camphor
Easily missed but well worth seeking out is the Second Great Camphor (Daini Ōkusu), located along the main approach. Its interior was hollowed out by a lightning strike, leaving a near-shell-like trunk that is nonetheless covered in vigorous green foliage — a striking testimony to the species' tenacity.
The Kodama Light-Up
From 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. each evening, around 160 small LED lights illuminate the grove and the area around the camphors as part of the shrine's "Kodama Project," named for the tree spirits of Japanese folklore. The atmosphere is altogether different from daytime — quieter, cooler, and faintly mysterious.
Cafés and Sweet Confections
Several small cafés operate within the precincts, including Sairyō Hōko and Sairyō Goshiki-no-Yashiro. House specialties feature mugi-kogashi (toasted barley flour) and daidai (bitter orange), ingredients said to have been offered to the enshrined deity at the shrine's founding. The "Ōkusu Roll" filled with adzuki and walnut cream is a memorable take-home souvenir of the visit.
Around the Shrine: What Else to See in Atami
Atami rewards travellers willing to spend a full day in the area. Within walking distance of Kinomiya Shrine you can visit the MOA Museum of Art with its sweeping ocean views and outstanding collection of East Asian art, the historic Kiunkaku villa once frequented by Japan's leading novelists, and the seaside Atami Sun Beach. The town's hot springs have been celebrated since the 8th century, and a quick soak at one of many public baths is an ideal way to round out the day. In late January and early February, the early-blooming Atami plum garden adds another layer of seasonal pleasure.
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Q&A
- How old is the Great Camphor of Azusawake Shrine, really?
- The widely cited figure is 2,100 years or more, based on traditional accounts and the tree's enormous girth. While precise dating of living camphors is difficult, both the shrine and Japan's Environment Ministry surveys consistently describe it as one of the country's oldest living trees.
- How do I get there from Tokyo?
- Take the JR Tōkaidō Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Atami Station (about 35–50 minutes), then transfer to the JR Itō Line for one stop to Kinomiya Station. The shrine is roughly five minutes' walk from there. A taxi from Atami Station takes about six minutes.
- Is there an admission fee?
- No. The shrine grounds, including access to the Great Camphor, are free of charge. The shrine office and amulet counter operate from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., though the precincts themselves can be entered around the clock.
- When is the best time to visit?
- The grove is beautiful in every season, but the fresh greenery of late April through May is particularly striking. The Ōkusu Festival on May 5 features the elegant "Dance of the Great Camphor." Evening visits between 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. offer the quieter atmosphere of the Kodama light-up.
- Is it true that walking around the trunk grants wishes?
- According to local tradition, walking once around the trunk extends one's life by a year, and silently circling while holding a wish in mind allows the wish to come true. Whether you take the legend literally or not, completing the circuit is a calming, contemplative experience.
Basic Information
| Designation Name | The Great Camphor of Azusawake Shrine (Azusawake-jinja no Ōkusu) |
|---|---|
| Common Name | The Great Camphor of Kinomiya Shrine |
| Designation Category | National Natural Monument (Plant) |
| Designation Date | February 28, 1933 |
| Species | Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) |
| Estimated Age | Over 2,100 years |
| Height | Approximately 26 m |
| Trunk Circumference | Approximately 23.9 m |
| Location | Within Kinomiya Shrine, 43-1 Nishiyama-chō, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Access | Approximately 5 minutes' walk from JR Kinomiya Station; approximately 6 minutes by taxi from JR Atami Station |
| Visiting Hours | Grounds open at all times; shrine office 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Admission | Free of charge |
| Light-Up | Daily 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. |
References
- Kinomiya Shrine Official Website — Ōkusu (Great Camphor)
- https://kinomiya.or.jp/top/overview/ookusu/
- Shizuoka Prefecture — Cultural Property Navi: The Great Camphor of Kinomiya Shrine (Azusawake Shrine)
- https://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankosports/bunkageijutsu/bunkazai/1002825/1041003/1041884/1004983/1021381.html
- Wikipedia — The Great Camphor of Azusawake Shrine
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/阿豆佐和気神社の大クス
- Atami City Tourism Information — Kinomiya Shrine
- https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/spot/115
Last verified: 2026.04.27