The Grand Suwa Shrine Part II; according to the Nihon Shoki, or the historical chronicle - The Book of Japan, the Suwa Grand Shrine, also known as Suwa Jinja or Suwa Daimyojin, states that the Suwa Daimyojin may date as early as the 6th Century AD/CE!! Initially thought to be a local shrine to ancient, earthly Kami spirits of boundaries, villages & community, or Mishaguji, before the descent of heavenly Kami to Japan, the Suwa Shrine, in legend, also became the location where the old God, Suwa Daimyojin, also known as Takeminakata, retired after being exiled by the heavenly Shinto God - Takemikazuchi. It is said that when the heavenly Kami descended to Earth and encountered Izumo, the ancient elder God of the whole of Japan (Ashihara no Nakatsukuni), they first and foremost demanded his surrender to the authority of the heavenly Kami and formal recognition of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. Izumo's oldest son, Kotoshironushi, advised compliance, but Izumo's second son - Takeminakata - refused, and instead challenged the heavenly messenger - Takemikazuchi, to a test of strength. Ultimately defeated by Takemikazuchi's ability to transform his extremities into unbreakable ice swords (right?), Takeminakata, wounded and having lost one arm in the test of strength, retreated to the Suwa region of Japan, in Nagano Prefecture, in the wooded mountains by a serene lake where he retired there with his wife & significant other - Yasakatome. Regaining his strength over many centuries, the site where his arm landed being erected as an auxiliary shrine, the old God Takemikazuchi never lost his prestige as the ancient old God of wind, war, strength, combat, water, hunting and agriculture. When present at the shrine, you can feel the presence of this jovial old God of strength, and pray for his blessings at the central shrine, or at any of the Onbashira, or hewn logs that are placed at each of the four corners of the shrine from the Onbashira festival held every six years, where in a tribute of strength to Takeminakata, locals will hew six trees, ride them down the mountain (Yamadashi) holding on to nothing but ropes, and subsequently drag them across the river in the second half of the festival held one month later. As a note, it should be said that a human named Koga Saburo is also associated with the Suwa shrine. After a journey through the underworld in search of his wife, who was kidnapped by tengu-demons, it is said that Saburo emerged as a great Dragon Serpent after battling with (and defeating) an underworld serpent in a final, epic battle.
