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Utagawa Hiroshige - Series of the 69 stations of the Kisokaido: Station Shimosuwa (30th print) (Shimosuwa)
© Trustees of the British Museum
After clearing the difficult Wada pass, travelers could relax in the hot springs of Shimosuwa, the only station offering such amenities. These hot springs, together with the town’s location at the intersection with the Koshukaido road added greatly to Shimosuwa‘s prosperity. Here Hiroshige depicts an inn, where on the left inside the establishment, a traveler (1) relaxes in a bathtub enjoying the hot water after a long day on the road. On the right, a party (2) is having dinner under the watchful eyes of the woman of the house (3) . Her face is made white with powders and is contrasting with the travelers ‘ ruddy faces. The patterned screen (4) at the back of the room is decorated with the publisher’s emblem (林). The external screens are open and we can see the engawa (6), open veranda around the house and the kustunugi-ishi (7) the stepping stone where one would take one's shoes off before entering the house.
There were important changes in the colour palette as the impressions progressed. The colour of the tatamis goes from yellow to green and the wall behind the mats becomes light blue. The robe of the figure with its back to the viewer in the foreground changes from green to blue. It is said that this figure is the artist who liked to include himself in his prints.
(Source: The 69 stations of the Kisokaido, Sebastian Izzard, Brazillier 2008)
Akimiya shrine in Suwa-Taisha in "Kisoji Meisho Zue" or Illustrated album of the famous places along the Kiso road (1805)
Le sanctuaire Harumiya shrine in Suwa-Taisha in "Kisoji Meisho Zue" or Illustrated album of the famous places along the Kiso road (1805)
Shimosuwa from the Wada pass road in 1880
Suwa ca. 1870
Shimosuwa from the Wada pass road in 2009
Suwa Lake
And now ?
Suwa was one of the largest station of the Kisokaido road and is located between the two passes of wada-pass and Shiojiri-pass. Suwa was divided in three sections: Shimosuwa (or Lower Suwa) where the station was located, Suwa (Suwa centre) and Kamisuwa (Upper Suwa). Kamisuwa itself was a station on the Shio-no-michi or Salt road which ends in Shiojiri, the next station on the Kisokaido. In 1843, Shimosuwa has one honjin, one waki-honjin and 40 inns, most of them having hot springs which were the station’s main attraction. Many of the station’s old buildings, then honjin and several inns are still standing.
But Suwa is most famous for Suwa Taisha shrine, a very old Shinto shrine already mentioned in 8th century writings. It is one of the three main Japanese shrines, the other ones being in Ise and in Izumo. These are early examples of Shinto shrines, without a main building, but with several structures spread out within the sacred space. Nature, mountains, sacred trees and season cycles are here venerated in four different main buildings: Maemiya (old shrine), Honmiya (main shrine), Harumiya (Spring shrine) and Akimiya (Autumn shrine). The rope around the shrine is a shimenawa and defines the sacred space by protecting against evil spirits. The one at the Akimiya is the second largest in Japan after the one in Izumo-taisha and weighs over a ton. In Japan, over 10,000 shrines are affiliated to the Suwa-Taisha.
In this part of the country, shrines are surrounded by tree trunks to sanctify the alliance between man and nature. The more sacred the shrine, the bigger must be the trunks. At Suwa-Taisha shrine, the Onbashira festival is taking place every six years (next one in 2022) and the trunks around the shrines are replaced. 200 year old trees are felled with axes and saws specially made for the occasion. The tree trunks are decorated and huge ropes are attached to them. Villagers pull the trunks by the ropes to the top of the slope behind the shrine. The bravest climb onto the trunks and ride down the slope in a dangerous and crazy race named ki-otoshi, popular highlight of the festival.
It is also in Shimosuwa that Sagara Sozo and other members of Sekihotai (赤報隊) group are buried. Sekihotai was an armed group of political extremists who played an important role during the Meiji restoration. The faction supporting the Emperor (Satsuma, Tosa, etc...) has promised to reduce rice taxes by half and the Sekihotai group going from Kyoto to Edo via the Nakasendo Road, was trying to enroll the peasants to support a change of government. Once the new government was in place, they renegaded on their promise and declared the group traitors. The Komoro clan attacked them on February 17th 1868 in Oiwake and the surviving members were executed in Shimosuwa on March 3rd 1868. In 1989 they were officially forgiven as patriots and are now considered heroes. On their graves named Sakigake-zuka, fresh flowers have always been there.... (Many thanks to my friend Yoshida Toshio for his translation and explanations).
Suwa and its lake are popular subjects for prints with artists such as Hokusai in his series of 36 views of Mt.Fuji, Hiroshige in his 36 views of Mt.Fuji and in his 20 views of Mt.Fuji series, Hiroshige II is his series of 100 views of famous places in various provinces.....
Shimosuwa honjin gate
The former honjin, now Iwanami house with its main reception room similar to the one in the print and the veranda, here closed with extra glass panels
Inside the former honjin, built in 1860 with its tatamis and mobile partitions.
Matsumoto Inn (1870)
Rice warehouse of the Matsumoto Inn
Shimaki house built in 1817 with its thatched roof
House of merchant Fushimiya (1868), now a museum.
A street in Shimosuwa old village
The Sakigake-zuka toms and the Sekihotai members' graves
Suwa-Taisha: Akimiya shrine
Suwa-Taisha: Rope Shimenawa of Akimiya Shrine
The ropes are ready for the Onbashira festival and for pulling the newly felled tree trunks
Onbashira Festival: The "ki-otoshi" or tree trunk riding descent. Note the ropes attached to the sides
Katsuhika Hokusai - Series of the 36 vues of Mt. Fuji - Suwa-ko Lake in Shinano Province (1831)
Ando Hiroshige - Series of the 36 vues of Mt. Fuji - Suwa-ko Lake and Mt. Fuji (1858)
Onbashira Festival: The "ki-otoshi" or tree trunk riding descent
Ando Hiroshige - Series of the 20 vues of Mt. Fuji (1858) - Suwa-ko Lake in Shinano Province
Hiroshige II - Series of 100 views of famous places in the various provinces - Catching eels, lampreys and other fishes in Suwa-ko Lake, Shinshu Province (1860)
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