Kuzuryu Shrine

Kuzuryu Shrine on the shores of Lake Ashi in Hakone enshrines a nine-headed dragon deity said to have been subdued by the priest Mangan in 757. According to the legend, Mangan sat on a stone slab in the water and prayed for three days until the dragon, terrorizing local people who had been sacrificing their daughters to appease it, finally promised to protect the region instead. The annual festival on June 13 is accessible by a special boat from Moto-Hakone, a 20-minute journey. The shrine is particularly popular for those seeking luck in love, so the boats can fill up. On foot, it is a short walk from the Prince Hakone Ashinoko hotel.