Suwa Taisha Kamisha Honmiya — Attraction in Suwa

The spiritual heart of Suwa

Suwa Taisha is one of Japan’s oldest sanctuaries. Nobody knows exactly how old it is, but it was first mentioned in Japanese literature in the 7th century. It is made up of four complexes, the two upper shrines of Maemiya and Honmiya on the Southern side of Lake Suwa, and the two lower shrines of Akimiya and Harumiya on the Northern side.

Honmiya is the main complex of the upper shrines. Built to hold the plentiful sacred rituals which animate the spiritual life of the region, this is the largest and most elaborated of the Suwa Taisha shrines. Take time to observe the detailed carvings of the shrine buildings and the massive ceremonial drum.

A bit of trivia: The god enshrined at Suwa Taisha, Takeminakata-no-kami, is said to have been the first to take part in a sumo match. For that reason, a local sumo competition takes place every year within the shrine premises. Make sure to check the earthen dohyo ring on the way out.

The best way to reach Honmiya is from JR Chino station. You can take a taxi (15min), walk (50min) or rent a bike (20min) and explore the surroundings. Maemiya is just 15min away on foot and on the way there you can stop by Jinchokan Moriya...

I visited in late January. One one hand it appears run-down—some structures were off-limits due to renovation, but on the other, it just feels really ancient. I did a little bit of research on this place prior to visiting (as we should, to appreciate the place more), and I knew this shrine is very culturally significant and one of the main ones in the country. It’s considered a power spot by many, but the only power I felt was the cold fingers of winter tucking themselves down behind my neck. It was cold. This shrine is one of the Suwa shrines that house the sacred logs that some brave, brave people ride down a mountainside during a festival that’s held every 6 years or so. I forget the name. I’m writing this on my phone half-dizzy after a...

We enjoyed this shrine very much, tranquilly located on the edge of a forest and seemingly in harmony with the grand, towering trees that surround it. It is hard to appreciate Shinto shrines if you are not Japanese, or don't have a cultural and aesthetic understanding of their meaning, architecture and significance. But this one is just naturally attractive even if, like us, you have little understanding of what you are looking at. So much beautiful wood in the construction, and a pleasing absence of the signage that seems ubiquitous at many such places and that so badly mars the aesthetics.

Easy to get to by car, with free parking available nearby. Not sure how to go about getting here by...