Suwa Taisha (Grand Shrine) Kamisha Honmiya (Main Hall) : 諏訪大社上社本宮

Historical Shrine of the Great Pillars Festival

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The Grands Shrines of Suwa consist of Honmiya (Main Shrine) and Maemiya (Beginning or Head Shrine) of Kamisuwa to the south, and Akimiya (Fall Shrine) and Harumiya (Spring Shrine) of Shimosuwa to the north. One of the oldest shrines in all of Japan, there are 10,000 Suwa-related branch shrines throughout the country. Nicknamed 'O-Suwa-Sama', believers come to pray for wind, water, farming and strength. Honmiya is located at the base of Moriya Mt. and is surrounded by a forest.
The Grand Shrines signature event is the Great Pillars Festival ("Onbashira") held every 7th year. (Next is 2016.) Thousands of the shrine's supporters gather to bring 1 m thick, 17 m long logs weighting 12 tons, down from the mountains to the shrines, where they are stood up into place on the four corners of the shrine.