Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time I went on a bike tour from Tokyo to Suwa Taisha Shrine. Suwa Taisha is a shrine located around Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, and is a highly prestigious shrine called Shinano-kuni Ichinomiya. It is the headquarters of Suwa Shrines nationwide, and is considered to be one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Suwa Taisha is divided into upper shrine and lower shrine, each with a main shrine and a front shrine. This time I visited Kamisha Hongu and Shimosha Akimiya.
Suwa Taisha is a shrine with a history dating back to ancient times, appearing in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The enshrined deity is Takeminakata no Mikoto, the god who governs wind, water, fertility, valor, and the origin of life. At Suwa Taisha Shrine, a grand festival called the Onbashira Festival is held once every six years. This is one of Japan’s most representative festivals, where huge trees cut from the mountains are pulled and erected at the four corners of each shrine. Also, Suwa Taisha does not have a building called the main shrine. Instead, Akimiya worships the Ichii tree, Harumiya worships the cedar tree, and Kamisha Shrine worships the mountain as its object of worship. This indicates that ancient shrines did not have shrine buildings.
This time we started from central Tokyo. I entered Yasukuni Dori from Suitengu Dori and took the Shuto Expressway No. 4 Shinjuku Line via Koshu Kaido. I entered the Chuo Expressway from the Shuto Expressway No. 4 Shinjuku Line and arrived at Suwa IC in about 2 and a half hours. From there, it took about 10 minutes to reach Kamisha Hongu via the Suwa bypass on National Route 20. It took about 15 minutes from Kamisha Hongu to Shimosha Akimiya using Prefectural Route 16. Overall, the road conditions were good and there were no traffic jams. However, the Chuo Expressway has many tunnels and the temperature and pressure can change, so you need to be careful.
First of all, at Kamisha Hongu, the huge torii gate at the entrance to the approach is a sight to behold. This torii gate is 15 meters high and 11 meters wide. As you pass through the torii gate and proceed along the approach, you will see a pond on your left. This pond is called Onbashiraike, and the trees used in the Onbashira Festival are immersed in it. There is a small shrine on the island in the center of the pond. As you walk along the approach, you will see the shrine in front of you. If you go up the stairs on the left side of the shrine, you will find Oyama. This is the sacred object of Kamisha Hongu. Miyama is a mountain approximately 900 meters high, and there is a shrine at the top of the mountain. It is possible to climb the mountain, but it requires time and physical strength. There is a treasure hall on the right side of the shrine. There are exhibits here that introduce the history and culture of Suwa Taisha Shrine. You can also see the treasured costumes worn by the Shinto priests of Suwa Taisha Shrine and the tools used in the Onbashira Festival.
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Next, at Shimosha Akimiya, go through the torii gate at the entrance of the approach and you will see a pond on your left. This pond is called Onbashiraike (Onbashiraike), and like the Kamisha Hongu Shrine, the trees used in the Onbashira Festival are immersed in it. There is a small shrine on the island in the center of the pond. As you walk along the approach, you will see the shrine in front of you. To the left of the shrine is the Ichiinoki tree. This is the sacred object of Shimosha Akimiya. The tree in first place is a gigantic tree with a height of about 30 meters and a trunk circumference of about 7 meters, and is said to be over 2,000 years old. There is a chain around the first place tree, but it seems that this is not to protect the tree, but to protect people from the tree. Strong power emanates from the first-place tree, and it is said that getting too close can be dangerous. There is a treasure hall on the right side of the shrine. There are exhibits here that introduce the history and culture of Shimosha Akimiya. You can also see the treasured costumes worn by the Shinto priests of Suwa Taisha Shrine and the tools used in the Onbashira Festival.
Motorcycle parking lot at Suwa Taisha Shrine
Suwa Taisha Shrine has a motorcycle parking lot. At Kamisha Hongu, you can park your motorcycle in the free parking lot near the entrance to the shrine. At Shimosha Akimiya, you can park your motorcycle at a paid parking lot near the entrance to the shrine. The fee is 100 yen/hour. There are also motorcycle parking lots at Shimosha Harumiya and Kamisha Maemiya.
Summary
This time I went on a bike tour from Tokyo to Suwa Taisha Shrine. Suwa Taisha is one of Japan’s oldest shrines and is located near the scenic Lake Suwa. I was able to feel the history and culture by visiting Kamisha Hongu and Shimosha Akimiya. We also stopped at a sake brewery along the Koshu Kaido road and enjoyed souvenirs made from specialty products from the Suwa area. There was also plenty of motorcycle parking, so I was able to go by motorcycle with peace of mind. It’s about 3 hours from Tokyo, so it’s recommended for casual bike touring.
