Miwa Shrine, an Old Matchmaking Power Spot Honoring Omononushi in Yamanashi

Miwa Shrine, in Ninomiya, Misaka Town, Fuefuki City, Yamanashi, is a venerable old shrine said to be linked to Omiwa Shrine in Nara. Its enshrined deity is Omononushi, long revered as a god of bonds and of building the land, and Miwa Shrine too has been quietly loved by those who pray for good relationships. Counted as the second shrine of Kai Province and holding the former rank of a prefectural shrine, it has not been overly turned into a tourist site, making it a calm spot for worship.

By shrine tradition it was invited from Omiwa Shrine in Yamato Province, present-day Nara, and its origins are said to reach the era of Emperor Keiko. The precinct is surrounded by trees and wrapped in the gentle air of the Fuefuki countryside. There is nothing showy about it, and for that reason it is a place where you can feel the original quiet of a shrine and the depth of its history. It is also counted among the shrines named in the national histories, and its wooden statue of Omononushi is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Highlights

• An old lineage said to be linked to Omiwa Shrine in Nara
• The rank of second shrine of Kai Province and former prefectural shrine
• Worship to Omononushi, known as a god of bonds
• A wooden statue of Omononushi designated an Important Cultural Property
• A quiet, settled precinct surrounded by trees

Enjoying the Seasons

Spring is a fine time to visit, when the trees in the precinct bud and the whole Fuefuki countryside blooms with peach and cherry blossoms. In summer the shade brings coolness, ideal for a quiet visit. Autumn adds colored leaves to the grounds, and in winter a dignified stillness lingers in the crisp air. It pairs well with a relaxed tour of the surrounding orchards. Seasonal rites such as the Yutate ritual on February 8 and the main festival on March 15 are also worth seeing.

Access and Basic Information

• Location: 1450-1 Ninomiya, Misaka Town, Fuefuki City, Yamanashi
• Nearest station: JR Isawa Onsen Station
• Access: By car or bus from JR Isawa Onsen Station
• Parking: Use the lots around the shrine
• Admission: Free
• Main rites: Main festival (March 15), Yutate ritual (February 8)

Practical Travel Notes

• The best season is spring, when the Fuefuki countryside is colored by peach and cherry blossoms. In the peach blossom period especially, the whole countryside turns pink
• The visit itself takes about 30 minutes. Combined with a tour of the surrounding orchards or Isawa Onsen, it makes for a relaxed one-day or overnight trip
• As an old shrine with few tourists, weekdays are especially quiet for worship
• Isawa Onsen has many inns and day-use bathing facilities, ideal for a rest after your visit, and orchards for peach and grape picking are scattered nearby
• Admission is free. Paired with fruit picking at an orchard or a hot spring, it is easy to plan the budget for a trip that savors the season

A Quick Tip

Fuefuki is famous for peaches and grapes, and in the spring peach blossom season the whole countryside turns pink. Visiting together with the orchards or Isawa Onsen makes for a leisurely trip. If you wish for good bonds, press your palms together quietly and with heart.

Visitor Checklist

• Estimated time: The visit is about 30 minutes; with nearby orchards or Isawa Onsen it becomes a relaxed day or overnight.
• Best season: Spring, when the Fuefuki countryside turns to peach and cherry, tints the whole area pink at blossom time.
• Highlight: The Important Cultural Property wooden Omononushi statue, the yudate rite on 8 February, and the 15 March festival are all of note.
• Quietness: Few tourists visit this old shrine, so weekdays are especially calm.
• Nearby stops: Combine with Isawa Onsen inns or day baths and orchards for peach or grape picking.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Visiting hours: The precincts can be visited freely at any time of day
• Admission: Free of charge
• Shrine office and goshuin (shrine seals): The shrine office is not permanently staffed and is said to be unattended much of the time; according to reports from visitors, if you telephone in advance the head priest will respond and you may be able to receive a goshuin at the shrine office. If you definitely want one, contact them beforehand
• The halls and shrine buildings: The main hall is in the nagare-zukuri style and the worship hall in the irimoya-zukuri style. The object of worship, the wooden standing statue of Omononushi-no-Kami, is not on permanent display
• Parking: There is parking space within the precincts
• Access (car): About 2 km west of the Ichinomiya-Misaka IC on the Chuo Expressway
• Access (train): The nearest station is Isawa-Onsen Station on the JR Chuo Main Line. It is some distance from the station, so a taxi or a car is the realistic option
• How long to allow: 20 to 30 minutes to walk the approach and see the shrine buildings. About 40 minutes if you take your time along the long main approach
• The approach: The main approach leading from the ryobu torii gate is lined with cedars and is said to be the longest of any shrine in Fuefuki City. Walking this approach is the heart of a visit
• Underfoot and what to wear: The approach is flat but is a path of earth and gravel. It can get muddy after rain, so wear comfortable walking shoes
• Strollers and wheelchairs: The main approach is long and partly gravelled, so there are stretches that are somewhat hard going with a stroller or wheelchair. There are steps in front of the shrine buildings
• In case of rain: There are few covered rest facilities. On rainy days it is realistic to keep your visit short and combine it with something like a day-use bathing facility at nearby Isawa Onsen
• Avoiding the crowds: This is an ancient shrine that receives few visitors to begin with, and on weekdays you have the place almost to yourself. People gather for the yudate ritual on February 8, the annual festival on March 15, and the spring festival on the first Sunday of April
• Nearby: Fuefuki City is famous for peaches and grapes, and tourist orchards dot the surrounding area. Isawa Onsen has a cluster of inns and day-use bathing facilities
• Address: 1450-1 Ninomiya, Misaka-cho, Fuefuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture

📚 Sources

This article draws on the guidance of Miwa Shrine, tourism information from Fuefuki City, explanations of its ties to Omiwa Shrine in Nara and the Important Cultural Property wooden statue of Omononushi, and notices on the yudate rite and annual festival. Festival dates and the operating state of nearby orchards and Isawa Onsen vary by season. Since fees and times may change, please confirm the shrines or city's official information before you visit.

The address, the fact that it was designated the second shrine of Kai Province in the ninth century in the reign of Emperor Koko, the devotion of the head of the Takeda clan, the nationally designated Important Cultural Property "wooden standing statue of Omononushi-no-Kami" and the prefecturally designated cultural properties (the colored panel paintings of the Thirty-Six Immortal Poets, the Daidai Kagura, the shiroito-odoshi tsumadori armor [fragment], and the shurei beni-ito sugake-odoshi domaru with haidate) come from the cultural property pages of the official Fuefuki City website. The enshrined deity, the shrine treasure said to be the armor worn by Lord Shingen at his coming-of-age ceremony, and its standing alongside the first and third shrines of Kai Province come from the shrine introduction on "Fuefuki Kanko Navi" by the Fuefuki City Tourism and Products Federation. The first mention in the "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku" in the 5th year of Jogan (863), the designation of the wooden standing statue of Omononushi-no-Kami in the 39th year of Meiji, the annual festival on March 15, the yudate ritual on February 8 (the only surviving yudate ritual in the prefecture) and the dedication of Daidai Kagura on the first Sunday of April, and the nagare-zukuri style of the main hall come from publicly available records of the shrine's history and cultural property materials. The staffing situation at the shrine office and how to receive a goshuin, as well as the condition of the main approach and the torii gate, draw on information published by visitors. Festival dates and the availability of shrine office staff are subject to change, so please check the official information before you set out.