Suwa Taisha
Head shrine of all Suwa shrines in Japan, famed for the Onbashira Festival.
History and Divine Virtue
Suwa Taisha, the ichinomiya (first shrine) of the old province of Shinano, consists of four sanctuaries set around Lake Suwa: Kamisha Honmiya and Kamisha Maemiya on the upper side, Shimosha Harumiya and Shimosha Akimiya on the lower. It is the head shrine of roughly ten thousand Suwa shrines nationwide and counts among the oldest shrines in Japan. Its deities are Takeminakata-no-Kami and his consort Yasakatome-no-Kami; in the chronicles of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, Takeminakata is said to have settled in this land at the time of the mythical transfer of the country. The shrine preserves an ancient form of nature worship, having no main sanctuary building: the upper shrines venerate the sacred mountain itself, Harumiya a cedar, and Akimiya a yew tree. Once every seven years by the traditional count, in the years of the Tiger and the Monkey, the Onbashira Festival sees enormous logs hauled down from the mountains and raised at the four corners of each sanctuary — one of Japan's most celebrated festivals. As a god of wind and water, of hunting and agriculture, and as a god of war long revered by samurai commanders, Suwa's deity has gathered the prayers of those facing work and decisive contests for centuries.
Visiting Notes
- The yonsha-mairi — a circuit of Kamisha Honmiya, Kamisha Maemiya, Shimosha Harumiya, and Shimosha Akimiya — is a beloved custom, with no fixed order.
- The onbashira pillars standing at the four corners of each sanctuary can be seen up close, each marking seven years until the next festival.
- The kagura hall of Shimosha Akimiya bears an enormous sacred rope, guarded by bronze komainu lion-dogs counted among Japan's finest.
The deity of Suwa is said to govern wind and water, and the shrine is bound deeply to the water-energy of Lake Suwa. When you feel your momentum has stalled, Musuhi Techo finds that a circuit of the four sanctuaries — a pilgrimage to change the air within — suits this shrine especially well.
Deities and Location
- Enshrined Deities
- Takeminakata-no-Kami, Yasakatome-no-Kami
- Location
- 長野県諏訪市（上社本宮）ほか諏訪郡下諏訪町・茅野市 (Nagano)
- Access
- From JR Shimosuwa Station (lower shrines) or JR Chino Station (upper shrines), among others
- Lineage
- Moto-Ise & Mythology, Career & Victory
Visiting hours, goshuin (shrine stamps), and festival dates change; please confirm the latest information through each shrine's official announcements. If you find an error in this entry, we would be grateful if you let us know.
