Shimosuwa: Sept 18, 2016 (off Tokyo)

Japan had extraordinary much rain in many places this September. The rain caused disasters in Iwate, Kyushu, Hokkaido and other places. The global climate change may be affecting.

Today was rainy and I could not walk Nakasendo. Instead, I visited the Suwa Shrines in Shimosuwa town

This is my second visit to Shimosuwa this year. The first visit was in May when they had the “Onbashira Festival”. There were tens of thousands of people gathering here to enjoy the event, which is held every six years.

The town was calm today. There were a few people in the streets. Shimosuwa is the 29^th shukuba station of Nakasendo and is a hot spring resort.

I visited two major parts of Shimosuwa Shrines -- Akimiya and Harumiya.

In the festival in May, four onbashira (wood pillars) were carried into Harumiya and Akimiya respectively. The pillars now stand in the four corners of each shrine. The onbashira is believed to be a god.

Two big lion sculptures sit in front of the shrine buildings in Akimiya. It rained heavily.

It also rained hard in Harumiya. (see also the 2nd photo from the top)

The onbashira are about 17 meter high.

It was banned to play Pokemon GO in the shrines, 

There is a stone sculpture of Buddha in the fields near Harumiya. It was made in 1660 (the 3^rd year of Manji in Japanese calendar) and is called Manji no Sekibutsu.

Visitors were walking around the sculpture as they prayed for the Buddha.  

Rain continued.