Chikuni suwa jinja

The Salt Road from Itoigawa to Azumino, Chikuni.
The Salt Road, which runs parallel to the Oito Line connecting Matsumoto and Itoigawa, was an important highway for transporting marine and agricultural products before the Edo period.
Chikuni flourished as a key post town in the Shinetsu region, with a guardhouse of the Matsumoto Domain.

Chikuni Suwa Shrine, built on a slope overlooking the highway, is known for its autumn festival, "Sasara Suri."
The festival, which prays for the prosperity of descendants, attracts visitors from inside and outside Nagano Prefecture due to its unique appearance, but the shrine is usually quiet and nestled in the mountains.
Passing through the torii gate at the entrance, a spacious shrine ground unfolds, with the kagura hall standing opposite the torii gate.
The haiden (worship hall) and honden (main hall) are housed in an enclosure facing each other across a sumo ring.

The honden, built in 1800, is an ichinomiya-style nagare-zukuri of the Osumi style.
It is said to feature splendid carvings, constructed over a period of three years.

The kagura hall is a large hip-and-gable roof structure.
It is used for lion dances during the autumn festival and is usually closed with storm shutters.
Although it lacks prominent decorations, it stands out in the spacious shrine grounds.