# Suwa Taisha

> One of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, spread across four buildings around Lake Suwa and famous for the spectacular Onbashira festival.

- Prefecture: Nagano
- Type: Shrine
- Address: Suwa, Nagano, Japan
- Admission: Free
- Official site: https://suwataisha.or.jp/en/

Suwa Taisha is one of Japan's most ancient and venerated Shinto shrine complexes, with origins predating recorded history and first mentioned in the Kojiki, Japan's oldest written chronicle from 712 CE. Uniquely, the shrine consists of four separate buildings divided into two pairs: the Upper Shrine (Kamisha) on the southern shore of Lake Suwa in Suwa and Chino cities, and the Lower Shrine (Shimosha) on the northern shore in the town of Shimosuwa. The shrine is best known for the Onbashira Festival, held once every six years, where massive fir logs are felled from the mountains and ridden downhill by daring participants before being erected at the shrine's four corners in a ritual dating back over 1,200 years. The shrine grounds are set amid towering ancient trees, and the Kamisha Honmiya features distinctive architecture without a main hall, instead worshipping the mountain behind it as its sacred body. Suwa Taisha enshrines the deity Takeminakata, associated with wind, water, and agriculture, and pilgrims have journeyed to this sacred site for well over a millennium.

## FAQ

### How do I get to Suwa Taisha?

Take the JR Chuo Line limited express from Shinjuku to Kami-Suwa or Shimo-Suwa (about 2 to 2.5 hours). The four shrine complexes are spread around Lake Suwa, so buses or taxis link them.

### Why are there four Suwa Taisha shrines?

The grand shrine consists of two Upper shrines (Honmiya and Maemiya) south of the lake and two Lower shrines (Akimiya and Harumiya) north of it. Pilgrims traditionally visit all four.

### What is the Onbashira Festival?

Every six years (years of the Tiger and Monkey), giant fir trunks are felled and ridden downhill ('kiotoshi'), then raised at the shrine corners. It is one of Japan's most spectacular and dangerous festivals, and the next one is in 2028.

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Source: Suwa Taisha — Japan Voyage