Nagikama Shrine⛩

The other day I visited Nagikama Shrine on Kirigamine for the first time. Last year I heard about Nagikama Shrine, which had replaced its wooden torii with a stone monument, and I had planned to visit after the snow melted. A passing comment from my wife, who loves Kirigamine, finally prompted us to go. As someone who loves the Onbashira festival, I’ve grown fond of visiting shrines, and I had long wanted to see Nagikama Shrine, so I took my camera and headed for Kirigamine at last.
We parked in the lot below the ski area and followed directions toward the Glider Museum, but unsure of the way and hesitating, I spotted a small sign in front of the museum reading Nagikama Shrine 0.5 km and followed it. It felt a bit farther than expected. Together with my wife and our two children, we walked for several minutes, enjoying Kirigamine’s nature, until we saw the stone monument marking Nagikama Shrine. As a shrine, a torii would feel more fitting, but the stone monument had its own charm. The approach was neatly covered with wood chips, making for a very pleasant walk. When we reached the small shrine, the view took my breath away. It was a scene that excited me like I hadn’t felt in a long time. The clear weather that day only amplified the spectacle. Below stretched the Suwa Basin, the serene Lake Suwa sat beautifully, the Central Alps rose ahead, the Northern Alps to the right, the Southern Alps to the left with sacred Mt. Fuji beside them, and Yatsugatake behind to the left. A shrine that offers a view of so many mountains at once may be rare in Japan, I thought.🏔

As a self‑declared Seeker of Suwa’s Best Views, this vista immediately made my list of top spots. Tateishi Park offers a sweeping view of the Suwa plain and is very scenic, but Nagikama sits at a higher elevation and has an indescribable beauty. I felt it would be a shame to keep this to myself, so I’m sharing it here. The shrine’s goshuin (stamp) is newly available, so anyone touring Suwa’s shrines or visiting Kirigamine should definitely stop by. If the weather is clear, you won’t regret it!

・Enshrined deities: Takeminakata no Okami, also known as Osuwa‑sama: god of martial valor and abundant harvests
・Oyamatsumi no Okami: god of industry and maritime affairs, and further revered as the ancestral deity of sake brewing
・Ashinazuchi no Okami and Tenazuchi no Okami ⇐ Kushinadahime: parents of Kushinadahime, wife of Susanoo no Mikoto

A nagikama (a sacred implement shaped like a sickle) discovered at the ruins of the former Misayama is dedicated here. After the main pillars for the Onbashira are selected, the nagikama is hammered onto those pillars. Curiously, this practice occurs only on the Onbashira of Suwa Taisha Upper Shrine. The nagikama has a shape resembling a rooster’s head and is considered one of Suwa Taisha’s sacred treasures. The nagikama is enshrined inside the hokora, so please take a look along with the spectacular view. Suwa Taisha also offers nagikama amulets♪