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Suwa Taisha is the "Ichinomiya" of Shinano Province, meaning it is the highest-ranked shrine in the province. It consists of four shrines located by Lake Suwa (Kamisha Honmiya, Kamisha Maemiya, Shimosha Harumiya, and Shimosha Akimiya). This historic shrine appears in the "Nihon Shoki" and is said to have been established approximately 1500 to 2000 years ago. It serves as the head shrine for the Suwa shrines found throughout the country and is one of the oldest shrines in Japan.
There is no shrine building called the Honden at Suwa Taisha. The Honmiya enshrines the sacred mountain, while the Akimiya and Harumiya are centered around the Japanese yew and cedar, respectively, which are revered as sacred trees. It is said that ancient shrines did not have shrine buildings, and Suwa Taisha is a precious shrine that has preserved this ancient form of worship.
Among the four shrines within the precincts, Kamisha Honmiya is the shrine that retains the most historical buildings and is a representative example of the "Suwa-zukuri" architectural style, with intricate and exquisite carvings on the structures. What we see today is the building reconstructed during the Edo period, and the shrine still preserves many important cultural heritage sites designated by the national government, including the Yotsukado Gate donated by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Additionally, the "Oniwa Grand Festival" (officially called the Shikinen Sengu Onbashira Matsuri), held once every seven years, is a festival activity that is highly worth seeing and has been designated as an intangible folk cultural asset by Nagano Prefecture. During the event, tourists from all over Japan flock to the shrine, creating a lively atmosphere.
