Shinano Province Ichinomiya Suwa Taisha Kamisha Hongu is one of the head shrines of the Suwa Shrines, which number about 25,000 nationwide, and is located in Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture. Suwa Taisha is made up of four shrines: Kamisha Honmiya, Kamisha Maemiya, Shimosha Harumiya, and Shimosha Akimiya, with Kamisha Honmiya being the central one. The Honmiya has a worship hall, but it has a very unusual architectural style in that it does not have a main hall. Instead, it enshrines the mountain behind it as the deity, conveying the ancient form of nature worship to the present day. This unique form of worship leaves a strong impression on visitors.

In the grounds of Kamisha Honmiya, huge fir trees that are hundreds of years old are erected at the four corners as "Onbashira" (pillars). These are replaced during the heroic "Onbashira Festival" held once every seven years, and its scale and power make it one of Japan's three most unusual festivals. Even when there are no festivals, the huge pillars have an overwhelming presence and stand as a symbol of a sacred space. Just walking around the grounds will give you a sense of solemn atmosphere and a sense of awe towards nature from ancient times.

Sacred mountains tower behind the shrine, and it is surrounded by abundant nature. Suwa Taisha Kamisha Honmiya, where history, faith, and the energy of nature come together, is not only a power spot, but also a place with deep charm where you can experience the form of ancient Japanese faith.

[Trivia]
Suwa Taisha does not have a main shrine, and the Kamisha Shrine enshrines the mountain and the Shimosha Shrine enshrines the sacred tree, strongly retaining the ancient form of nature worship. In addition, the Suwa Taisha Shrine's Onbashira Festival is held every seven years (years of the tiger and monkey) by the Japanese calendar, and the "Ki-otoshi" (tree-pulling), in which a giant fir tree is pulled down from the mountain, and the "Tsuna-otoshi" (tug-of-war), in which a rope is run down a steep slope, are very impressive.