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The , also known as the Jin or Miwa clan (神氏, ''Miwa
uji is a city on the southern outskirts of the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Founded on March 1, 1951, Uji is between the two ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto. The city sits on the Uji River, which has its source in Lake Biwa ...
/ Miwa-shi'' or ''Jinshi'') was a Japanese '' shake'' and
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
family. Originating from the area encompassing
Lake Suwa is a lake in the Kiso Mountains, in the central region of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Geography The lake is the source of the Tenryū River. It ranks 24th in lake water surface area in Japan. The cities of Suwa and Okaya and the town of Shimos ...
in
Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, whi ...
(modern-day
Nagano Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...
), it was originally a family of priests who served at the Upper Shrine of Suwa located on the southwestern side of the lake. By the
Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...
, it thrived as a prominent samurai clan with close ties to the
shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
. Surviving the fall of both the Kamakura shogunate and the Southern Imperial Court which it supported, its feud with local rival clans, and frequent clashes with its neighbor in Kai, the
Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...
, during the
Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
(which ended in the extinction of the main family), by the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
the clan had split into two branches: one ruling the
Suwa Domain file:Takashima castle tensyu.JPG, Takashima Castle, administrative centre of Suwa Domain was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in Shinano Province, Honshū. The domain was centered at Ta ...
of Shinano as ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
'', with the other continuing to serve as priests of Suwa Shrine until the
Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
.


Ancestry


In legend

Although the Suwa, which was the high priestly lineage of the Upper Shrine (上社 ''Kamisha'') of Suwa, one of the component shrines of Suwa Grand Shrine, traditionally regarded themselves to be the descendants of the shrine's
deity A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
,
Takeminakata Takeminakata (タケミナカタ), also known as Minakatatomi or Takeminakatatomi, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. Also known as or after Suwa-taisha, Suwa Grand Shrine (Suwa Taisha) in Nagano Prefecture in which he is enshrined alongside ...
(also known as Suwa Daimyōjin), the clan's actual historical origins are shrouded in mystery. In the ''
Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
'' and the ''
Sendai Kuji Hongi , or , is a historical Japanese text. It was generally believed to have been one of the earliest Japanese histories until the middle of the Edo period, when scholars such as Tokugawa Mitsukuni and Tada Yoshitoshi successfully contended that it w ...
'', Takeminakata is portrayed as a son of the god
Ōkuninushi Ōkuninushi (; historical orthography: , ), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (''Oho(a)namuchi'') or Ō(a)namochi (''Oho(a)namochi'') among other variants, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the cycle of myths re ...
who fled to Suwa after his defeat at the hands of the god
Takemikazuchi is a deity in Japanese mythology, considered a god of thunder and a sword god. He also competed in what is considered the first sumo wrestling match recorded in history. He is otherwise known as "The ''kami'' of Kashima" (Kashima-no-kami), the ...
, who was sent by the gods of
heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
to claim the land held by his father in the name of the goddess
Amaterasu , often called Amaterasu () for short, also known as and , is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (''kami'') of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the () ...
. Other myths (mostly of medieval provenance), however, portray the Suwa deity in a different light. In one story, Suwa Daimyōjin is an interloper who wrested control of Suwa from the indigenous god Moriya, the mythical ancestor of the Moriya (守矢氏) clan, one of the priestly families of the Upper Shrine.Moriya, Sanae (1991). ''Moriya Jinchō-ke no ohanashi'' (守矢神長家のお話し). In Jinchōkan Moriya Historical Museum (Ed.). ''Jinchōkan Moriya Shiryōkan no shiori'' (神長官守矢資料館のしおり) (Rev. ed.). pp. 2–3.''Jinchō Moriya-shi Keifu'' (神長守矢氏系譜), in In another myth, the god is said to have chosen an eight-year-old boy to become his priest (祝, ''hōri''; historical orthography: ''hafuri'') and living incarnation by clothing the latter with his own garments. This boy is eventually said to have become the founding ancestor of the Suwa clan.Suwa Kyōikukai (1938).
諏訪史年表
(Suwa Shinenpyō).'' Nagano: Suwa Kyōikukai. p. 11.
Medieval tradition usually identified a semi-legendary individual named Arikazu (有員), who is said to have lived in the early
Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
during the reigns of the emperors Kanmu (reigned 781-806),
Heizei , also known as ''Heijō-tennō'', was the 51st emperor of Japan,#Kunaichō, Emperor Heizei, Yamamomo Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Heizei's reign las ...
(806-809), and
Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...
(809-823), to be this child.Miyasaka (1987). p. 35. The '' Suwa Daimyōjin Ekotoba'' (1356) for example relates:
At the beginning of the god's
manifestation Manifestation may refer to: * Manifestation of conscience, a practice in religious orders * Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith), the prophets of the Bahá'í Faith * Materialization (paranormal), also called manifestation, the creation or app ...
, he took off his robe, put them on an eight year old boy, and dubbed him 'great priest' (''Ōhōri''). The god declared, "I do not have a body and so make this priest (''hōri'') my body." This oyis Arikazu (有員), the priest of the sacred robe (御衣祝 ''Misogihōri''), the founding ancestor of the Miwa (Jin) clan.
However, a brief text attached to a genealogical record of the Suwa clan discovered in the ''Ōhōri'''s residence in 1884 instead portrays Arikazu as a descendant of Kumako (神子 or 熊子), a son of a ''
kuni no miyatsuko , also read as ''kokuzō'' or ''kunitsuko'', were officials in ancient Japan during the Yamato period who governed provinces called ''kuni''. Yamato period ''Kuni no miyatsuko'' governed provinces called ''kuni'' (国), although the location, nam ...
'' (provincial governor) of
Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, whi ...
, who is claimed to have founded the Upper Shrine during the reign of
Emperor Yōmei was the 31st Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 用明天皇 (31)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Yōmei's reign spanned the years from 585 until his death in 587. Traditional narrative He was ca ...
(585-587).''Ōhōri-bon Jinshi Keizu'' (大祝本 神氏系図), cited in
When Kumako was eight years old, the revered deity appeared, took off his robe and put them on Kumako. After declaring, "I do not have a body and so make you my body," he disappeared. This umakois the ancestor of Arikazu of the Miwa (Jin) clan, the ''Misogihōri''. In the second year of Emperor Yōmei, Kumako built a sanctuary at the foot of the mountain at the southern side of the lake.
Another genealogical record, that of the
Aso clan The Aso clan (阿蘇) is a Japanese clan associated with Aso Shrine. They descend from Kamuyaimimi. The clan were originally Kuni no miyatsukoMatsunaga Naomichi: Kuni no miyatsuko', Encyclopedia of Shinto, retrieved 25 October 2023 but after th ...
( 阿蘇氏) of
Aso Shrine is a Jinja (shrine), Shinto Shrine in Aso, Kumamoto, Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.Richard Ponsonby-Fane, Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1962). ''Studies in Shinto and Shrines,'' p. 477; Kotodamaya.com"Aso Jinja" retrieved 2012-10-29. Aso is one of ...
in
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...
(discovered in 1956), similarly identifies Otoei (乙頴) - there given the alias 'Kumako' - as the "''Ōhōri'' of the great deity of Suwa" (諏訪大神大祝) and narrates the same legend as those found above. Recent reappraisals of these two genealogies, however, have cast doubt on their authenticity and reliability as historical sources. Apart from these candidates, the clan has also been claimed to descend from the
Seiwa Genji The is a line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that is descended from Emperor Seiwa, which is the most successful and powerful line of the clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto members, including Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Minamoto no Yoritomo, ...
via Minamoto no Mitsuyasu (one of the sons of
Minamoto no Tsunemoto was a samurai and Imperial Prince during Japan's Heian period, one of the progenitors of the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto clan. He was a son of Sadazumi-shinnō and grandson of Emperor Seiwa. Legend has it that Tsunemoto, in his childhood, ...
).


The Suwa ''Ōhōri''

In antiquity, the Suwa clan produced the Upper Shrine (上社 ''Kamisha'') of Suwa's high priest known as the ''Ōhōri'' (大祝 'great priest', old orthography: おほはふり ''Ohohafuri''; also rendered as ''Ōhafuri''), who was worshiped as the living avatar of the shrine's deity during his period in office. The ''Ōhōri'', who traditionally assumed the position at a young age (ideally between the ages of eight and fifteen), was assisted by five priests headed by the ''Jinchōkan'' (神長官) of the Moriya clan, who oversaw the Upper Shrine's religious rituals, many of which are centered around the worship of
agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
and fertility god(s) called
Mishaguji Mishaguji (御左口神, 御社宮司, 御射宮司, 御社宮神; katakana: ミシャグジ), also known as Misakuji(n), Mis(h)aguchi or Mishakuji among other variants (see below), is a collective term for deities or spirits (''kami'') venerated ...
. The ''Jinchōkan'' was believed to have the prerogative to summon the Mishaguji onto individuals and objects whenever its presence was called for.Moriya, Sanae (1991). ''Moriya-jinchō-ke no ohanashi'' (守矢神長家のお話し). In Jinchōkan Moriya Historical Museum (Ed.). ''Jinchōkan Moriya Shiryōkan no shiori'' (神長官守矢資料館のしおり) (Rev. ed.). p. 4. Though officially the Upper Shrine's chief priest and as incarnate deity, an object of worship, the Suwa ''Ōhōri'' had little, if any, actual power over the shrine's affairs, which rested in the hands of the Moriya ''Jinchōkan'', with his unique relationship to the Mishaguji and his knowledge of closely guarded secret traditions passed down via word of mouth only to the heir to the office. In fact, it was due to the ''Jinchōkan'' summoning the Mishaguji onto the ''Ōhōri'' during the investiture ceremony that the latter became a living deity.


Investiture ceremony

The full rite of investiture into the office of ''Ōhōri'' as practiced in the late medieval period involved the candidate first undergoing a twenty-two day period of strict
ritual purification Ritual purification is a ritual prescribed by a religion through which a person is considered to be freed of ''uncleanliness'', especially prior to the worship of a deity, and ritual purity is a state of ritual cleanliness. Ritual purification ...
in the ''Maemiya'' (前宮 'old shrine'), one of the Upper Shrine's two component shrines. During the day of the ceremony itself, the ''Jinchōkan'' led the candidate by the hand before a sacred tree west of the ''Gōdono'' (神殿), the ''Ōhōri'''s residence during his term located west of the ''Maemiya'', under which was a flat rock known as the ''kanameishi'' (要石 'keystone'). During the ceremony, this rock is surrounded a makeshift enclosure or hut and a mat of reeds was placed over it for the boy to sit on. Inside this enclosure, the ''Jinchōkan'' dressed the boy in full ritual attire: traditional makeup (''
oshiroi is a powder foundation (cosmetics), foundation traditionally used by kabuki actors, geisha and their maiko, apprentices. The word is written with kanji meaning "white powder", and is pronounced as the word for white () with the Honorific speec ...
'', ''
ohaguro is the name given in Japan to the custom of blackening one's teeth with a solution of iron filings and vinegar. It was especially popular between the Heian and Edo periods, from the 10th century until the late 19th century, but the opening of ...
'', '' beni'' and '' mayuzumi''), a dull yellow-green '' sokutai'', a ''
hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. Originally stemming from Ku (), the trousers worn by members of the Chinese imperial court in the Sui and Tang dynasties, this style was adopted by the Japanese in the form of in the 6th c ...
'', and a crown (''kanmuri''). The ''Jinchōkan'' then summoned the Mishaguji (who as a
nature spirit In religion, a nature deity is a deity in charge of forces of nature, such as water, biological processes, or weather. These deities can also govern natural features such as mountains, trees, or volcanoes. Accepted in animism, pantheism, pane ...
was believed to manifest on rocks and trees) to the ''kanameishi'' via secret
incantations An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial rit ...
. Via the rock, the Mishaguji was then believed to enter the child's body, thereby turning him into a living god.Miyasaka (1987). p. 28-29. After being consecrated, the ''Ōhōri'' visited the various shrines of the Upper Shrine complex. In another shrine in the ''Maemiya'' area, the Uchi-no-mitama-den (内御霊殿), wherein was kept the sacred treasures of the Upper Shrine (a bell, a
mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...
, a
bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as ...
and a
saddle A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not know ...
) that were supposedly brought to the region by Suwa Daimyōjin himself, the ''Ōhōri'' made a ritual declaration (申立 ''mōshitate'') that he has become the god's new 'body' and will henceforth avoid
impurity In chemistry and materials science, impurities are chemical substances inside a confined amount of liquid, gas, or solid. They differ from the chemical composition of the material or compound. Firstly, a pure chemical should appear in at least on ...
. As time went on the ritual became increasingly simplified and later, was supposedly even omitted altogether, with the ''ōhōri'' simply assuming the position without any ceremony.


Role

During his term, the incumbent ''Ōhōri'' was treated as the physical manifestation of Suwa Daimyōjin. In 1186,
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, ruling from 1192 until 1199, also the first ruling shogun in the history of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako ...
officially recognized the ''Ōhōri'' as the god's incarnation in a letter to his subordinates, declaring that the ''Ōhōri'''s orders are those of the god himself. The ''Ōhōri'' was expected to live a life of ritual purity and was also forbidden to step outside the boundaries of Suwa region under pain of divine punishment.Suwa Shishi Hensan Iinkai, ed. (1995). p. 695. During his term of office, the ''Ōhōri'' originally resided in a building near the Suwa ''Maemiya'' known as the ''Gōdono'' (神殿). Reflecting its being the residence of an incarnate deity, the ''Maemiya'' area and its vicinity was known during the Middle Ages as the ''Gōbara'' (神原), the 'god's field'. Should an incumbent ''Ōhōri'' die while in office, his corpse was immediately brought before the Uchi-no-mitama-den where he was ceremonially retired - the idea being that the ''Ōhōri'''s spirit was temporarily deposited in the shrine until a new candidate was chosen. Originally, the deceased priest was buried wearing hunting attire (such as that supposedly worn by Suwa Daimyōjin) and with hair and beard kept unshaven.Suwa Shishi Hensan Iinkai, ed. pp. 719. However, in 1465, with the death of then ''Ōhōri'' Yorinaga (頼長), the local priesthood began to adopt the Buddhist custom of
cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...
. By the early 17th century, the ''Ōhōri'''s residence was moved from the ''Maemiya'' t
a place
in what is now Nakasu, Suwa City.


History


From the Heian period to the Sengoku period

In the meantime, other male members of the clan aside from the ''ōhōri'' - who cannot step outside the boundaries of the region, as well as come into contact with sources of impurity such as the flesh and blood of men or horses - began to pursue military careers. One of the first recorded warriors from the clan was Tamenaka (為仲), a son of then ''ōhōri'' Tamenobu (為信). Tamenaka served under
Minamoto no Yoshiie , also known as and his title , was a Minamoto clan samurai of the late Heian period, and '' Chinjufu-shōgun'' (Commander-in-chief of the defense of the North). The first son of Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, he proved himself in battle with the Ab ...
during the
Zenkunen War The , also known in English as the Former Nine Years' War or the Early Nine Years' War, was fought between the Imperial Court in Kyoto, Imperial Court and the Abe clan in Mutsu Province, in Tōhoku region, Northeast Japan, from 1051 to 1062. It ...
(1051-1063) under the orders of his father, who could not participate himself due to his priestly status. He then also served again under Yoshiie in the later
Gosannen War The Gosannen War (後三年合戦, ''gosannen kassen''), also known as the Later Three-Year War, was fought in the late 1080s in Japan's Mutsu Province on the island of Honshū. History The Gosannen War was part of a long struggle for power ...
of the 1080s, this time despite opposition from his family due to him already inheriting the position of ''ōhōri'' from Tamenobu in the interim between the two wars. Tamenaka's eventual suicide out of shame after his subordinates had a violent quarrel with
Minamoto no Yoshimitsu was a Japanese samurai lord during the Heian period. He served as Governor of Kai Province. He is credited as the ancient progenitor of the Japanese martial art, Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu and Takeda-ryū. Biography Yoshimitsu was born t ...
's men during a feast held by the latter was considered to be divine punishment for his violation of the ban. Due to the circumstances of his father's death, Tamenaka's son, Tamemori (為盛) did not inherit the office of ''ōhōri'', it instead passing in succession to Tamenaka's three younger brothers, two of whom died within mere days of their investiture. It would be the youngest brother, Tamesada (為貞), who would turn out to successfully pass down the priesthood to his progeny. By the
Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...
, the clan - now renowned as being both a priestly and a warrior clan - rose to national prominence as vassals (''
gokenin A was initially a vassal of the shogunate of the Kamakura and the Muromachi periods.Iwanami Kōjien, "Gokenin" In exchange for protection and the right to become '' jitō'' (manor's lord), a ''gokenin'' had in times of peace the duty to protect ...
'') of the
shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...
and later, flourished greatly under the patronage of the
Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this perio ...
. The clan's fortunes waned with the fall of the Kamakura shogunate and the defeat of the Southern Imperial Court (which the clan supported) during the
Nanboku-chō period The , also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period, was a period in Japanese history between 1336-1392 CE, during the formative years of the Ashikaga shogunate, Muromachi (Ashikaga) shogunate. Ideologically, the two courts fought for 50 ...
. During the
Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...
, the Suwa were involved both in a feud with the Kanasashi clan of the ''Shimosha'' which supported the
Northern Court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. Even though the present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the ...
, and interclan strife between the head family (惣領家 ''sōryō-ke'') and the ''ōhōri-ke'' (大祝家), a branch of the clan that had come to assume the priestly duties. With the defeat of the Kanasashi and the head family's reattainment of the position of ''ōhori'', the clan became a
regional power In international relations, regional power, since the late 20thcentury, has been used for a sovereign state that exercises significant power within its geographical region.Joachim Betz, Ian Taylor"The Rise of (New) Regional Powers in Asia, ...
, clashing with the
Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...
- originally their allies - during the
Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...
. The clan again suffered a setback with
Suwa Yorishige Suwa Yorishige may refer to: * Suwa Yorishige (daimyo), Japanese samurai daimyo of the Shinano province * Suwa Yorishige (Nanboku-chō period), military commander during the Nanboku-chō period {{hndis ...
's defeat in the hands of
Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...
(who was, ironically, a staunch devotee of Suwa-myōjin) in 1542 and with his suicide in 1544, the extinction of the main family; his cousin Yoritada (諏訪頼忠, 1536-1606), who succeeded Yorishige's younger brother Yoritaka (諏訪頼高, 1528-1542) as ''ōhōri'', was spared. After the Takeda was destroyed by an alliance of
Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...
and
Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
, Yoritada allied himself with the latter, who eventually reinstated Yoritada in his family domain in 1601.


Edo period onwards

Yoritada's eldest son, Yorimizu (頼水, 1571-1641) became the first ''daimyō'' to rule
Suwa Domain file:Takashima castle tensyu.JPG, Takashima Castle, administrative centre of Suwa Domain was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in Shinano Province, Honshū. The domain was centered at Ta ...
, with the office of ''ōhōri'' passing down to his fourth son, Yorihiro (頼広). With this, the clan effectively split into two branches: the ''daimyō'' line and the ''ōhōri'' line. To distinguish themselves from the ''daimyō'' line, the priestly line altered one of the
Chinese characters Chinese characters are logographs used Written Chinese, to write the Chinese languages and others from regions historically influenced by Chinese culture. Of the four independently invented writing systems accepted by scholars, they represe ...
of their surname (from 諏訪 to 諏方). All in all, ten generations served as ''daimyō'' of Suwa Domain until the abolition of the
han system (, "domain") is a Japanese historical term for the Estate (land), estate of a daimyo in the Edo period (1603–1868) and early Meiji (era), Meiji period (1868–1912).Louis Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Han"in ''Japan Encycloped ...
during the
Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
. Meanwhile, the establishment of
State Shinto was Empire of Japan, Imperial Japan's ideological use of the Japanese folk religion and traditions of Shinto. The state exercised control of shrine finances and training regimes for Kannushi, priests to strongly encourage Shinto practices that ...
abolished the tradition of hereditary succession among Shinto priesthood, including that of Suwa Grand Shrine. Local clans such as the Suwa lost control of the shrine's traditional priestly offices (which in turn became defunct) as government appointees began to manage the shrine, which passed under state control. The last Suwa ''ōhōri'', the fifteenth since Yorihiro, died in 2002 with no heirs.


See also

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Mishaguji Mishaguji (御左口神, 御社宮司, 御射宮司, 御社宮神; katakana: ミシャグジ), also known as Misakuji(n), Mis(h)aguchi or Mishakuji among other variants (see below), is a collective term for deities or spirits (''kami'') venerated ...
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Moreya Moreya or Moriya (洩矢神, ''Moriya- / Moreya-no-Kami'') is a Japanese Kami, god who appears in various myths and legends of the Suwa, Nagano, Suwa region in Nagano Prefecture (historical Shinano Province). The most famous of such stories is th ...
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Suwa Domain file:Takashima castle tensyu.JPG, Takashima Castle, administrative centre of Suwa Domain was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in Shinano Province, Honshū. The domain was centered at Ta ...
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Suwa Taisha , historically also known as Suwa Shrine (諏訪神社 ''Suwa-jinja'') or , is a group of Shinto shrines in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The shrine complex is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Shinano Province and is considered to be one of the oldest sh ...
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Suwa Province 250px, Location of Suwa Province (721) is an old province in the area of Nagano Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Suwa''" in . It was located in the Tōsandō region of central Honshu. According to the old history book ''Shoku ...
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Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...
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Takeminakata Takeminakata (タケミナカタ), also known as Minakatatomi or Takeminakatatomi, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. Also known as or after Suwa-taisha, Suwa Grand Shrine (Suwa Taisha) in Nagano Prefecture in which he is enshrined alongside ...


References

Japanese clans {{Suwa Faith