Overview
Suwa Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Chizu, Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture. It was founded to enshrine a divided spirit of the great Suwa Taisha in Shinshu, with its origins traced to 1278 during the Kamakura period. Set at the foot of Mount Ushibuse, its approach adjoins the old Chizu Okan highway. Hundreds of Zelkova and maple trees, echoing the shrine's crest, fill the grounds, making it a celebrated spot for autumn foliage where history and nature meet in harmony.
Highlights
- ●A famed autumn-foliage spot with hundreds of maples echoing the shrine crest
- ●A main hall dating to 1832
- ●The Onbashira Festival held in the Year of the Tiger and Rooster
- ●An approach set against Mount Ushibuse and adjoining the Chizu Okan highway
History
The shrine is said to have been founded in 1278 during the Kamakura period, when a divided spirit of Suwa Taisha in Shinshu was invited and enshrined here. In the Edo period it flourished as a prayer hall of the Ikeda family, lords of the Tottori domain, drawing the domain's reverence. The main hall (honden) is dated to 1832, and this long-standing structure survives today. During the Onbashira Festival, held in the Year of the Tiger and Year of the Rooster, pillars of cedar are paraded through the town, carrying on the Suwa tradition of faith.
Access
The shrine lies in Chizu, Yazu District, in a mountain valley of southeastern Tottori Prefecture at roughly 35.27 latitude and 134.23 longitude. The Chizu Okan highway that its approach adjoins is an old road, so a visit pairs well with the charm of the post town of Chizu. By rail, JR Inbi Line's Chizu Station serves as a base, from which the shrine is easily reached by car or on foot. Please check official information for detailed visiting hours and festival dates.
Best season
The greatest highlight is the autumn foliage. When the hundreds of maple trees filling the grounds turn color, the approach and shrine buildings are steeped in red and gold, drawing many visitors to this famed spot. Early summer's fresh greenery is also refreshing, and years of the Tiger and Rooster, when the Onbashira Festival comes around, bring an especially lively atmosphere.
Map
35.2711, 134.2310 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Head from JR Chizu Station along the Chizu Okan to Suwa Shrine
- 2Pray at the shrine buildings and main hall backed by Mount Ushibuse
- 3Enjoy autumn colors or fresh greenery along the maple-lined approach
- 4Extend your walk to the old streetscape of the post town of Chizu
Did you know?
💡 The maples in the grounds relate to the shrine's crest, so they are not mere scenery but trees bound up with faith, an especially striking point. Enshrined with Mount Ushibuse at its back, with a history reaching to the Kamakura period and the Onbashira Festival every Tiger and Rooster year, it tells of how the faith of Suwa Taisha took root far away in the mountain villages of Tottori.
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