Sankaku Baccyo Area ～ 99 Minute Walking Course Guide (From Station) ～

① Manji-no-sekibutsu（"Manji era" Stone Buddhist image） This statue is called Manji-no-sekibutsu, because it is Buddha’s body engraved into stone "Namu Amida Butsu Manji 3 (1660) November 1". This Buddha’s head has features similar to the Moai statues of Easter Island. The head was carved from a fieldstone more than armful in size, and it sits serenely on a native rock. The rock that forms the body is about the size of a van. One of the interesting features of Manji-no-sekibutsu is that the expression on its face is different from different vantage points. The statue appears to sit with its hands folded in front of its body, and gives a heartwarming feeling. As noted when Taro Okamoto praised it highly "I walked in the world, but had not seen so interesting a thing", it has a great deal of charm.

② Suwataisha-Shimosha-Harumiya shrine In Suwataisha (the Grand Shrine of Suwa), there are Kamisha (the Upper Shrine) and Shimosha (the Lower Shrine). In Kamisha, there are Honmiya and Maemiya, and in Shimosha, there are Akimiya (Autumn shrine) and Harumiya (Spring shrine). In Shimosha, the idol containing the spirit of the God changes the place in which it is enshrined semiannually. It is enshrined at Harumiya from February to July, and at Akimiya from August to January of the following year. A ceremony to commemorate the transfer of the god is performed on February 1 (the beginning of spring by the old calendar). During the ceremony, the idol moves from Akimiya to this shrine. This ceremony is very old and was a ritual to summon the god of spring planting. There is a structure called Tsutsugayu-den in Harumiya's precinct. In this structure, Tsutsugayu-shinji (a shrine ritual done with straws and porridge) is performed from the evening of January 14 to the morning of January 15. This ritual predicts whether the year’s harvest will be good or bad. It is said to often be correct. In addition, there is a small island called Ukishima in the Togawa river near Harumiya. At Ukishima, an event called Chinowa-kuguri is held to preserve people’s health. This is done by evading a ring that is 2m in diameter made from reed grass.

③ Jiun-ji Temple Jiun-ji Temple was built in 1300 (during the ) by the Kanasashi clan of Shimosya, and was founded by the high-ranking priest Issan Ichinei. He came all the way from Kamakura to Shimosuwa for this purpose. In addition, he was someone who came from China, and was recognized by the Kamakura Shogunate for his prowess. On the temple grounds, there are many features. These include the main gate of the temple which was built in 1776, an approach to a shrine on the avenue of cryptomerias, the temple bell which was installed in 1368, the stone garden, Tenkei-no-matsu (Pine of priest Keika) said to have been 400 years old, Yayoke-no-ishi (Stone with the magical power to keep arrows out), Ryu-no-kuchi (Mouth of the dragon) and others as well. Truly, it is an historic old temple with many highlights. The traces of a close relation with the famous soldier Shingen Takeda can also be seen.

④ Geba-bashi（Dismount bridge） This bridge is also called "the arched bridge". It was built in 1578 and it is said that it was repaired around 1736. It was called the Dismount Bridge because if a noble person was approaching the holy zone of the shrine on horseback they dismounted at this bridge. After dismounting, they then washed their hands and rinsed their mouths in the Mitarashi river, which at that time flowed under this bridge. After cleansing themselves, they would have proceeded to the shrine to worship. The idol containing the spirit of the God is enshrined at Harumiya shrine in February, and is moved to Akimiya shrine in August. During this transport the idol is carried across this bridge.

⑤ Kyu-Hushimi-ya-tei（Old Fushimi-ya Residence） Kyu-Hushimi-ya-tei is a private house from the period that has been mostly preserved in its original form. Fushimi-ya was built as a merchant's house along the Nakasendo highway at the end of the (1864) by the Nakamura, which was an old local family. In this house, Shimosuwa’s first silk reeling industry was begun in 1873. In later years, businesses began to treat such materials as raw silk, fabric for kimonos, and cotton textiles. Kyu-Hushimi-ya-tei was reconstructed and repaired in 2010, and an old statue was restored. Now it has become a free rest station and volunteers invite visitors inside with a heart of hospitality.

⑥ Imai Kuniko Bungaku-kan （Kuniko Imai literary museum） This building is the house where Kuniko Imai (1890-1948) spent her girlhood and later years. It is also the birthplace of her father. In this building, documents related to Kuniko are displayed. The house operated as the tea dealer of the post town called Matsuya in the Edo period. Kuniko was a female poet on behalf of of the early days of the Showa era. From her childhood, she wanted to compose literature, and let her talent bloom in a tanka (a literary group) after meeting Akahiko Shimaki, the representative poet of the Araragi School, who was born in Shimosuwa Town. Then she formed a tanka society for women only called Asuka Corporation (is Asuka a name or a description?). She also published a Tanka magazine called Asuka, and she was active as a classic researcher, a critical writer, an essayist and others.

⑦ Suwataisya-Shimosya-Akimiya Shrine Akimiya (Autumn shrine) is the place where idol containing the spirit of the god is enshrined from August until January of the following year. A ceremony to commemorate the transfer of the idol is performed on August 1 every year. By the old calendar, this date was the beginning of autumn, so the idol is moved from Harumiya (Spring shrine) to this shrine. In Akimiya, Ofune-biki (literally: boat pull) is held in August. It is a ceremony similar to one held in February at Harumiya. Ofune-biki is also part a festival to thank the god for a good harvest. In the festival, ceremonial floats shaped like boats are pulled by parishioners back along the same path used earlier to move the portable shrine to Harumiya. The boats are approximately 10m in length, are made from green grass and feature a decorative curtain which is hung from the bottom of their hulls. This series of events, called Ofune-matsuri (Honourable Boat Festival), is limited to Shimosuwa Town as "the Imperial capital of Shimosya". Also, ceremonies to commemorate the transfer of the appear to have once been held on January 1 and July 1 (based on the lunar calendar). Because in the era the solar calendar was enforced, the date of the transfer of the Shinto shrine to Akimiya was performed on July 1, as well. However, there was a proposal from parishioners and inhabitants called “We want to change the festival day, because we are so busy we'll take any help we can get around July 1.” Therefore, it seems that the festival day was postponed for one month, and came to be celebrated on August 1 (by the solar calendar). It is an anecdote that shows that in those days the sericulture business and silk-spinning industry were prosperous.

⑧ ground park Onbashira Festival is the grand festival of Suwataisya performed in the year of the Tiger and the year of the . There is a monument space dedicated to the images of the Onbashira Festival. The monument’s design features bundled ropes which are used in the Onbashira Festival. These imitate the Oduna (men’s rope) and the Meduna (women’s rope). There is also a hot spring, which is appropriate for "The town of the hot spring," gushing out abundantly at the bottom. In the Edo Period, this spot was the approach to Akimiya and the Nakasendo highway junction. At that time, there was a placard spot that posted instructions from the shogunate and the local feudal government, or Ban-ya, and was the equivalent of a present-day guard house. A Ban-ya was put at the entrance of all post towns. This spot was where the road coming from entered the Shimosuwa post town.

⑨ Gisyo-do （Theme museum of the clock） Gisyo-do is a theme museum that displays a 12m model of Suiun-gisyo-dai in the courtyard of its main building. Suiun-gisyo-dai is an astronomical observation clock tower that worked by waterpower. That which the model represents really existed in the early 11th century in China. Apparently, it was completely restored from a book; a process taking over 4 years. In the Suwa area, the precision machinery industry was prosperous, and Suwa was called "the Oriental Switzerland." In particular, the clock making industry came to represent the area. In Gisyo-do, the history and the structure of the clock (clocks in general perhaps?), as well as the latest clock making techniques, are displayed clearly. Other than viewing clocks made by Suwa clockmakers, visitors can have the experience of making a clock themselves (reservation required). There is also a free footbath called "Onbashira Kamiyu" at the entrance.

⑩ Otoro（Big stone lantern） Otoro was made in 1829, and it stands 6m in height. In those days, the edge of was near this point, and tradition says that when this lantern was lit, fishermen on the lake could see it clearly. Thus, it functioned not only as a light for those approaching Shimosuwa shrine, but also as a lighthouse. The triangular area linking Harumiya shrine, Akimiya shrine, and Oishidoro has been called Sankaku-baccho (literally: triangle eight 'cho') since the Edo era. The triangle is 954yd per side.

⑪ Sakigake-duka（"Sakigake"mound） The name Sakigake-duka means "a mound dedicated to the pioneers of the ". Eight Sekihotai-corps officials who followed Sozo Sagara were executed here on March 3, 1868（by the old lunar calendar）. Sozo Sagara played an active part as a loyalist to the Emperor in the early stages of the Japanese civil war during the last days of the . He was also in the vanguard of the government’s army. Sagara and his eight companions travelled to the Kanto area by the Nakasendo highway. As they went, they said, "According to the revolutionary government: If you support the Emperor, your taxes will be cut in half". However, an unpopular force called “the bogus government army” intercepted them, and they were arrested. This army arrived in Shimosuwa-juku on March 2. Sagara and the others were tied to the trees of Akimiya shrine overnight in a cold rain and not given anything to drink. The next morning, they were forced to walk more than a kilometer over soaked terrain in stocking feet and were then punished by decapitation.

⑫ Somei-kan Somei-kan is a music box museum. This romantic building from the Taisho Era was built in imitation of the old Shimosuwa-machi town hall. In the Suwa area, many precision machinery instrument makers gathered, and the production of music boxes was famous along with clock making and other things. Suwa area music box makers at one time produced approximately 90% of the world’s music boxes. In the museum’s hall, many antique music boxes from Europe (Switzerland and Germany) and the United States are displayed. These music boxes are around 100 years old. Also, the experience to handcraft an original music box is possible (Reservation is required).