Discover Shimosuwa’s history

Shimosua's history is long and rich. Life here reaches back as far as the Paleolithic era when stone tools which have been discovered in the area were used. The town has flourished and changed through various significant periods in Japan's history. Religion, myth and mystery have always played a role since long ago and still remains to this day. Read on to discover the many ways in which Shimosuwa has developed over time to become the unique town it is today.

• Courtesy: Shimosuwa Town Lake Suwa Museum

  Obsidian and the origins of
  Shimosuwa

  People began living in Shimosuwa nearly 20,000 years ago. The site of the Hoshigato Obsidian Mines in Shimosuwa is one of the few remaining locations where people mined this valuable stone. The region surrounding the mine was well-known for its excellent stoneware. The people of the time carried the excavated obsidian out from the mountains, crafted it in the foothills and traded it for goods. Obsidian and other goods reached as far north as Hokkaido via this trade that continued until the introduction of ironware which eventually replaced the stone. The precious artifacts on display at Hoshigato Museum YANONEYA will give visitors a sense of the close relationship ancient people had with this black stone.

• A one-of-a-kind
  hot spring post town

  Five main highways connecting Edo (the former name for Tokyo) and other cities were constructed in the Edo Period. The town happened to be located at a key juncture of the Nakasendo Highway (connecting Edo and Kyoto) and the Koshu Kaido Highway (another route that connected Edo and Nakasendo). Moreover, among the sixty-nine post towns along the Nakasendo Highway, Shimosuwa was the only post town boasting hot springs. The Nakasendo still runs through Shimosuwa today, and many historical buildings that preserve this post town atmosphere, such as a Honjin (official inn) and ryokans where only high-ranking officials could stay, can be found alongside this major highway.

• Unique rituals and
  a faith surrounded by mystery

  Suwa Taisha is one of the oldest shrines in all of Japan. Details surrounding its origin remain unknown since many ancient documents were lost due to war and other conflicts. Unlike other shrines, Suwa Taisha differs architecturally in that it doesn’t have a honden, or main building which normally houses the shrine’s kami or god. Instead, the upper (Kamisha) and lower (Shimosha) shrines of Suwa Taisha Shrine worship the surrounding nature. Kamisha worships the mountain, and Shimosha the trees. This worship of nature speaks to a more primitive time and reveals just how ancient the shrines are.. Shimosha is home to the ancient Onbashira Festival among other unique religious festivals and rituals that are shrouded in mystery. Those who visit Shimosha will be enveloped by this enduring history and will certainly reflect on the area's unusual religious traditions.

• Two legends of Shimosuwa

  Shimosuwa is home to two famous legends. The first concerns the creation of the Wata no Yu hot spring. When the goddess who lived in Suwa Taisha’s Kamisha moved to Shimosha, she soaked cotton balls in the hot springs she often used and brought the soaked cotton, or yudama, with her. Upon arriving in Shimosha, she put the soaked cotton on the ground and a hot spring bubbled up at a furious speed. This legend is the origin of Shimosuwa Hot Springs.
  Another legend is centered around a phenomenon known as Omiwatari (the crossing of a god). When the entirety of Lake Suwa's surface is frozen, huge streaks of cracked ice run over the frozen lake, which looks like a small range of mountains. However, another cause for this phenomenon is attributed to the god of Kamisha crossing the lake to see the goddess who resided in Shimosha.
  Keeping the legend of Wata no Yu and Omiwatari in mind will make your stay in Shimosuwa all the more enriching.