Suwa-taisha Kamisha Mae-miya

This is the headquarters of Suwa Shrine, which has about 25,000 shrines throughout Japan. Formerly known as “Suwa Shrine,” it is also called “Suwa-sama,” “Suwa-daimyojin,” and other names. Suwa Shrine has existed for so long that it is considered one of the oldest shrines in Japan.

Four fir tree pillars called “go-bashira” are erected at the four corners of the shrine pavilions, and the layout of the pavilions also has a unique shape. The shrine pavilions are all made of unglazed wood, and many are designated as Important Cultural Properties.

The upper shrine has the Hongu and Mengu, and the lower shrine has the Akimiya and Harumiya. There is no pecking order of shrine ranks.

Unlike the Shimo-sha, the Nimiya Shrine was once the head shrine and the auxiliary shrine. The shrine has a hunter-gatherer character.

The Mae-miya is considered the birthplace of Suwa rituals, and the largest ritual of the Kamisha, the Goto-matsuri, is held with a portable shrine enshrined in the Mae-miya Jukan-ro (ten halls).

The main shrine is made of old timbers from the Ise Jingu Shrine, and there are the remains of the mausoleum of the Suwa deity (Kenmyo-no-kami), as well as the Jukan-ro (ten-room corridor).

Although the current deity is Yasakatohime, there is a theory that the shrine was originally a place to worship Mishaguji, a deity (spirit) enshrined in folk beliefs (Mishaguji worship).