Suwa Jinja Legends

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. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
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Suwa Jinja 諏訪神社 Suwa Shrines and their Legends
. Great Suwa Shrine 諏訪大社　Suwa Taisha, Nagano .
Lower Suwa Shrine, Misayama　御射山

- - - Enshrined deities:
Tateminakata no Mikoto 建御名方命
Yasakatome no Mikoto 八坂刀売命
O-Suwa Sama, Suwa Sama 御諏訪様 the "Suwa Deity"

. hakuja (shirohebi) 白蛇 white serpent - messenger of the Deity .

There are many sub-shrines with this name in other parts of Japan.

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. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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Kōga Saburō 甲賀三郎 Koga Saburo
is a character in Japanese folklore associated with the Suwa region.
Many variants on the basic story exist; the following summary is based on the earliest literary version of the tale found in the Shintōshū.
The third son of a local landlord of Kōka District in Ōmi Province, a distinguished warrior named Kōga Saburō Yorikata (甲賀三郎諏方) was searching for his lost wife, Princess Kasuga (春日姫 Kasuga-hime) in a cave in Mount Tateshina in Shinano, with his two elder brothers.
The second brother, who was jealous of Saburō's prowess and fame and who coveted Kasuga, traps the latter inside the cave after they had rescued the princess.
With no way out, Saburō has no other choice but to go deeper into the cave, which was actually an entrance to various underground realms filled with many wonders. After travelling through these subterranean lands for a long period of time, he finally finds his way back to the surface, only to find himself transformed into a giant snake or dragon.
With the help of Buddhist monks (who turn out to be gods in disguise), Saburō regains his human form and is finally reunited with his wife.
Saburō eventually becomes Suwa Myōjin, the god of the Upper Shrine of Suwa, while his wife becomes the goddess of the Lower Shrine.
This version of the legend explains the origin of the name 'Suwa' (諏訪 or 諏方) via folk etymology
as being derived from Saburō's personal name, Yorikata (諏方).
- source : wikipedia -


.......................................................................　Ehime 愛媛県 .....
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南宇和郡 Minami-Uwa district 城辺町 Johen city

O-Rei san おれいさん the babysitter O-Rei
O-Rei san おれいさん The babysitter of 庄屋 the village headman family, O-Rei, had by accident dropped the baby into the well and it died. The angry father threw O-Rei also into the well to kill her.
But soon the headman felt a curse and became very ill.
To find peace of mind he had special rituals for O-Rei held at 諏訪神社 the Suwa Shrine.
愛媛県南宇和郡愛南町城辺甲1782




.......................................................................　Gifu 岐阜県 .....
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When they tried to relocate 諏訪神 the Suwa Shrine to built a castle, a reija 霊蛇 ghost serpent appeared. It lied on the road and did not move. Someone took the branch of a plum tree and hit the serpent on the head. The serpent had a wound on the left eye and left, never to be seen.
Since that event, the ujiko 氏子 parishioners of the shrine never planted plum trees again.
. ujiko 氏子 local worshiper, parishioner of a Shinto shrine .

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Gifu 荻原町 Hagiwara town

aodaishoo, ao daishoo 青大将 Japanese rat snake
For the festival at 諏訪神社 Suwa Jinja people wanted to get the mikoshi 神輿 portable shrine out, but a Japanese rat snake was lying in there and did not move. A retainer of the 金森家 Kanamori family got angry, took the branch of a plum tree and hit the serpent on the head. The serpent had a wound on the left eye and left, never to be seen.
. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .




.......................................................................　Fukushima 福島県 .....
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いわき市 Iwaki city

. ema 絵馬 と伝説 Legends about votive tablets .
At 諏訪神社 the Suwa Shrine of 下平窪 Shimo-Hirakubo there is an ema 絵馬 votive tablet of an old woman giving Sake to 金太郎 Kintaro.
This was maybe offered with the wish to be healthy in old age to enjoy Sake.
. Kintaro 金太郎 the Golden Boy .
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At 八幡神社 the Hachiman Shrine at 草野 Kusano and at 諏訪神社 the Suwa Shrine at 絹谷 Kinuya there are ema 絵馬 votive tablets from Dewa Sanzan 出羽三山 the three mountains of Dewa. They depict a priest standing unter a waterfall.
In front of the waterfall is a mirror and sometimes people can see the Deity in this mirror.
- At the Suwa Shrine in 絹谷 Kinuya is also an Ema with a serpent. The Serpent is the protector of kaiko 蚕 silk worms, because it eats the rats.
. kinu 絹 legends and tales about silk and silk worms .




.......................................................................　Gunma 群馬県 .....
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渋川市 Shibukawa city 赤城町 Akagi town

. shinboku 神木, shinju　神樹　sacred tree, divine tree .
To prepare a water pipe for 江戸玉川上水 the Tamagawa waterway to Edo the villagers cut the shinboku 神木 sacred tree in the compound of the Suwa Shrine. But over night the tree had grown back.
Another time there was red liquid dripping out of the tree. This was a sign that a forest worker from Echigo had died.




.......................................................................　Ibaraki 茨城県 .....
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茨城町 Ibaraki town
. tanuki 狸 - mujina 狢 － racoon dog, badger legends .
and the keyaki 欅 zelkova tree at お諏訪様 the Suwa Shrine

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Ibaraki 古河市 Koga city

. shii 椎 the Shii-oak, Pasania .
In the compound of 古河城 Koga castle there was a huge 椎の木 Shii-oak tree, venerated as shinboku 神木 a divine tree, to host the Deity of Suwa. The tree became very huge, so the villagers cut it down. But when they used the wood as firewood, the place became cursed.
. shinboku 神木, shinju　神樹　sacred tree, divine tree .

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. keyaki 欅と伝説 Legends about the Zelkova tree .




.......................................................................　Ishikawa 石川県 .....
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鳳至郡 Fugeshi district 穴水町 Anamizu town

. ryuutoo, ryūtō 龍燈 Ryuto, "dragon lantern" .

At 一本木諏訪神社 the Suwa Shrine of Ippongi, there was a strange "dragon light", a ball of fire to be seen at the huge boulder in the sea on the last day of the year. The fire ball would head toward the Suwa Shrine and then back to the sea to Ryuto Misaki 龍燈崎 "Cape Dragon Light".




.......................................................................　Iwate 岩手県 .....
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和賀郡 Waga district

aki matsuri 秋祭り autumn festival
If it rains on the day of the autumn festival of 諏訪神社 the local Suwa Shrine, it will also rain on other Suwa Shrines in the area.




.......................................................................　Kagawa 香川県 .....
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さぬき市 Sanuki city

shokki 食器 dishes
On the festival day of the 諏訪神社 Suwa Shrine there come many visitors and there are not enough dishes to serve them all.
The priest goes to the Shrine on the day before the festival and anounces how many visitors will come. On the Festival day there are just the right number of dishes in a cave near the Shrine. After the festival the priest brings the dishes back to the cave.
One day a family did not bring back the dishes and from that day on, people could not borrow dishes from the Shrine any more.




....................................................................... Kanagawa 神奈川県 .....
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津久井郡 Tsukui district

. ushi no koku mairi 丑の刻参り .
The double-hour of the bull from one to three at night used for a curse.
Once a woman betrayed by her lover went to 諏訪神社 the Suwa Shrine at the double-hour of the bull.
Her hair hung down, the robes were in disarray and she clutched a razor with her teeth.




.......................................................................　Kyoto 京都府 .....
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綾部市 Ayabe city

One of the seven wonders of Kyoto :
一日で熟す諏訪神社の柿 the kaki persimmons of the tree at Suwa Shrine ripen in just one day.

source : ayabebunkazai.blog ...




.......................................................................　Mie 三重県 .....
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四日市市 Yokkaichi city

. 大入道 The O-Nyudo of Yokkaichi .




.......................................................................　Miyagi 宮城県 .....
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仙台市 Sendai city 青葉区 Aoba ward

jatai banzan 蛇体番山 (ジャタイバンザン) straw serpent from Banzan
For a rain ritual, people prepare a large serpent made of straw. Inside they put a living serpent and more straw and then carry it to 番山 Banzan, where the ritual is performed.

Near 蛇台原 Jadaihara close to 下愛子の諏訪神社 the Suwa Shrine at Shimo-Ayashi they make a large serpent of straw.
Banzan has three districts, 東番山 Higashi, 中番山 Naka and 西番山 Nishi. At Nishi-Banzan they call it "jatai banzan".
For rain rituals during a period of long rain, they go to the 黒滝不動 Kurotaki Fudo Waterfall tt the North side of Naka-Banzan of offer the straw serpent. Then the rain will stop.
. amagoi 雨乞いと伝説 Legends about rain rituals / Regenzauber .




.......................................................................　Nagano 長野県 .....

nana fushigi 七不思議 the seven wonders of the Suwa Shrine in Suwa city

湖水の神幸 Kami walking over the water
元旦の蛙狩り catching frogs on the first day of the year
正月十五日五穀の筒粥 cooking rice in a bamboo pipe on the 15th January
三月酉日の高野の耳割鹿 on the day of the rooster in March splitting ears of the deer
六月朔月の御田植の新木 on the day of the new moon in June rice planting
午の日午の刻宝殿の点漏 water leaking from the treasure hall on the day of the horse, at the hour of the horse
葛井の清水 clear water of the kuzu arrowroot pond

. nanafushigi 七不思議 "The Seven Wonders" of Japan .

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. Omiwatari 御神渡 O-Miwatari "God's Crossing" of the Lake .

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Nagano 北安曇郡 Kita-Azumi district 白馬村 Hakuba village

. katsura 桂 Japanese Judas tree, Cercidiphyllum japonicum .
katsura no ki かつらの木 Katsura tree
雨降宮嶺方諏訪神社 Amefurimiyaminekatasuwa Shrine

The deity in resicence at 嶺方雨降宮諏訪社 Minekata amefuri no miya Suwasha is a jatai 蛇体 a serpent.
It had come from Echigo and wondered where to go, until it reached Nagano. At that moment, there was a great light emanating from the Katsura tree.
. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .

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Nagano 南佐久郡 Minami-Saku district

chinshoo 沈鐘 the sunken temple bell
At the riverpool 七曲りの渕 Nanamagari no fuchi there was a sunken bell and the villagers could not pull it out. One villager mumbled: "If we ever get it out, we should give ti to 松原の諏訪様 the Suwa Shrine at Matsubara." Now all of a sudden they could pull it out and even now it is at the Suwa shrine at Matsubara.

Matsubarasuwa Shrine 松原諏訪神社
4316 Toyosato, Koumi, Minamisaku District, Nagano
- homepage of the Shrine . matsubarasuwajinja -

- - - - - . ujigami　氏神 clan KAMI deities .
In the ground of the Ujigami at 諏訪様 Suwa Shrine there lived once many serpents. The villagers asked the priest of the nearby temple to perform 蛇封じ special rituals to drive out the serpents and read the sutras. After that, the serpents did not appear any more.

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Nagano 南佐久郡 Minami-Saku district 小海町 Koumi town

. asa 麻 hemp .
At 佐久穂町 Sakuho town, 諏訪様 the Suwa Deity does not like hemp, because once it had an eye pierced by a stem of hemp.
Therefore the local villagers do not grow hemp.

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. mitsume no usagi 三つ目のうさぎ rabbit with three eyes .

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o-kyozuka no yoru no ame お経塚の夜の雨 rain in the evening at the sutra mound
West of the 諏訪神社 Suwa Shrine three is kyozuka 経塚 a sutra mound.
In the forest of this sutra mound there is one place where it rains just a bit on every night.
In this area they say if rain falls at night, there will be bakemono 化け物 a monster coming out.

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suo no ki すおうの木 Caesalpinia sappan tree, Indian redwood
This tree resembles the つがの木 Tsuga sieboldii, southern Japanese hemlock tree. If people use the bark of this tree for dyeing things, they can get any color they like. This tree grows in the compound of お諏訪様 the Suwa Shrine, but nobody ever dared to use the bark.
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Takanebayashi no horagaishi 高根林のほらが石
conch-shell stone of Takanebayashi forest
North of the forest of Suwa Jinja there is a stone looking like a horagai 法螺貝 consh-shell.
If there are strange things to happen in the village, the stone makes a warning sound of a conch-shell.
Nearby is also a statue of 地蔵様 Jizo Bosatsu, and some call the stone
Jizo no horagaishi 地蔵のほらが石 conch-shell stone of Jizo.
. Jizō - Jizo Bosatsu 地蔵菩薩 - ABC List .

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ryooha no susuki 両葉のすすき pampas grass with leaves on both sides
There was a place where this special pampas grass grew wild. If anyone got it, he would be lucky for life.
It grows in the compound of 諏訪神社 Suwa Shrine, but nobody dared to get any.
. susuki 薄 (すすき) pampas grass .
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Nagano 諏訪市 Suwa city

kaeru 蛙 frogs

At 信州諏訪大社 the Great Shrine of Suwa there was a frog venerated at the river 御手洗川 Mitarashigawa, the river where people purify their hands in the water.
Once the Shrine priest cut the ice of the river with an ax and frogs came jumping out. He caught three frogs and used them as an aim for shooting with his arrow.
In the year 1706, on the last day of the year, there was a strong rain and all the ice had melted. So the priest could not get any frogs. But when the first day of the New Year had come, the priest saw three frogs squatting at the stairs to the Shrine. So he could proceede with the rituals. This is one of the seven wonders of the Great Shrine of Suwa.

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Nagano 上田市 Ueda city

. kuzuryū, kuzu ryuu 九頭龍 Kuzuryu, "9-headed dragon" at Togakushi .

Once upon a time, 諏訪様 the Deity of the Suwa Shrine transformed into a woman and got married. When she gave birth, a creature with nine heads came creeping and sliding out.
It was Kuzuryu 九頭龍 the nine-headed dragon, which is now venerated at 戸隠 Togakushi.




.......................................................................　Nagasaki 長崎県 .....
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長崎市 Nagasaki city

. yakudoshi 厄年 "years of calamity" .
On the 1st day of June men of the age of 41, their yakudoshi 厄年 year of calamity, go to 諏訪神社 the Suwa Shrine for a special purification ritual.
After that they go to a restaurant or bar and start drinking. These men do not go home the whole day.
If they would go home, they will be cursed.

- quote -
the major Shinto shrine of Nagasaki, and home to the Nagasaki Kunchi (kunchi (くんち) means "festival"). It is located in the northern part of the city, on the slopes of Mount Tamazono-san, and features a 277-step stone staircase leading up the mountain to the various buildings that comprise the shrine.
Suwa shrine was established as a way of stopping and reverting the conversion to Christianity that was taking place in Nagasaki. In modern times it remains an important and successful center of the community.
The shrine in Nagasaki is one of many Suwa shrines, all of which are dedicated to Suwa-no-Kami, a kami of valor and duty, and are linked with Suwa Taisha, the head shrine of Suwa-no-Kami worship. Two other kami spirits are also enshrined at Suwa shrine, all three of which are celebrated during the Kunchi.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !




.......................................................................　Niigata 新潟県 .....
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長岡市 Nagaoka city

katame no kamisama 片目の神様 Kami with one eye
諏訪様 The deity of Suwa Shrine once fell down and pierced one eye with the ears of wheat. Therefore the people in this area do not grow wheat.
Many villagers are said to have one very small eye.
. Yamanokami legends . 片目片足の神様 the Deity with one Eye and one Leg.

. katame no Kami 片目の神 Kami with one eye - legends .

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魚沼市 Uonuma city
諏訪様 The deity of the Suwa Shrine once had a bout of Sumo wrestling in a field of goma ゴマ sesame.　The shells of the sesame pierced its eyes and it became a deity with one eye.




.......................................................................　Saitama 埼玉県 .....
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秩父郡 Chichibu district 吉田町 Yoshida town

. daija, orochi 大蛇 the huge serpent, great snake .
A couple which did not have any children went to お諏訪様 the Suwa Shrine to pray and indeed, the woman got pregnant. When the girl was 15 years old, it suddenly wanted to go to the Suwa shrine. The parents thought it strange and had some purification rituals held. The girl then jumped to the local pond and became a daija 大蛇 huge serpent.




.......................................................................　Shizuoka 静岡県 .....
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浜松市 Hamamatsu city 龍山町 Tatsuyama town

o-hataki オハタキ / o-hataki mochi オハタキ餅 / おはたき餅 bare and long steamed rice cake

On the second day of the New Year, people pound rice at 諏訪神社 Suwa Shrine in a stone mortar. They use the powder to make rice cakes, called o-hataki mochi.
If people eat them, they will not become ill all year long.
. mochi 餅と伝説 Legends about rice cakes .




.......................................................................　Toyama 富山県 .....
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富山市 Toyama city

. Aragamisama, Koojin sama 荒神様 Kojin Wild Deity .
During the festival of 諏訪神社 Suwa Shrine, there are two hikiyama 曳山 festival floats, one for each deity.
The floats from each neighbourhood pass each other, hitting the floats and fighting.
This is done because the deity of Suwa Shrine and the Kojin deity like to have a fights.
Thus the festival became known as kenka matsuri 喧嘩まつり fighting festival.




.......................................................................　Yamanashi 山梨県.....
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北杜市 Hokuto city

. meoto keyaki 夫婦欅 "husband and wife Zelkova" tree .

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Yamanashi 北都留郡 Kita-Tsuru district

shikazuka no tatari 鹿塚のたたり curse of the deer mound
The Suwa Shrine of 川久保 Kawakubo is counted as one of the 24 major Suwa Shrines of 信州 Shinshu.
At the Shrine they collect the heads of deer. The same order was given to the Suwa Shrine at 小菅 Kosuge.
The bodies of the deer were buried at the border between 山沢 and 大久保. A sekito 石塔 stone pagoda was erected above the grave. If people defile this pagoda, they will be cursed.

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南巨摩郡 Minami-Koma district 南部町 Nanbu town

Suwa Jinja no Kami 諏訪神社の神 The Deity of Suwa Shrine
The messenger of Suwa Shrine is hakuja (shirohebi) 白蛇 a white serpent. It came down on the river, riding on 「麻からのくき」 a hemp leaf.
The villagers from 睦合村 Mutsuai village　塩沢部落 Shiozawa hamlet saw it first, scooped it from the water and built a small Shrine to venerte it. To honor the situation, the villagers do not grow asa 麻 hemp any more.
Now they hold a festival in its honor at the Suwa Shrine on April 15 every year. During the festival, the mikoshi 神輿 portable Shrine in placed in a small hut erected for this purpose at the banks of the river 富士川 Fujikawa.
But one year they did not erect the small hut and and soon after densenbyoo 伝染病 an epidemic came over the hamlet.
This was the curse of the Deity. Therefore the next year they build the hut again and all went well.

. hayariyamai はやり病 / Ryukobyo 流行病と伝説 Legends about epidemics .
伝染病 Densenbyo contagious diseases / pandemic

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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