The Dignity of the Center, Chusha

Tracing the Presence of Mountains and Water | Togakushi Five Shrines Pilgrimage Record Part 4

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▶ Small yet beautiful, Hinomikosha

Togakushi Shrine.

It is a group of shrines located in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture, centered around five shrines: Hokosha, Hinomikosha, Chusha, Okusha, and Kuzuryusha.

This time, I will visit Chusha, which can be called the center of them all.

Togakushi Shrine Chusha is the shrine visited by the most pilgrims among the five.

The enshrined deity is Ame-no-Yagokoro-Omoikane-no-Mikoto.

He is known as the deity who used his wisdom to guide the gods when Amaterasu Omikami hid in the Heavenly Rock Cave.

In the flow of the pilgrimage continuing from Hokosha, Chusha is truly a place worthy of being called the center.

With parking lots and a shrine office well-maintained, many people use this as a base to visit the gods of Togakushi.

Prefectural Road 36 runs in front of Chusha, and the "Togakushi Chusha" bus stop is located directly in front of it.

And beyond that is the great torii gate.

However, what catches your eye first is not the torii gate.

It is the three giant cedar trees standing as if to surround it.

These cedars, known as the "Three Cedar Trees," stand at intervals of about 72 meters, forming an equilateral triangle.

They are said to be linked to the legend of Yao Bikuni and have been carefully protected as sacred trees since ancient times.

When you look up at them from nearby, you are overwhelmed by their size.

The height is approximately forty meters.

Its form, stretching toward the sky, seemed like the very passage of time that has watched over this land.

Even more interesting are the legends told about what these three cedar trees symbolize.

Ame-no-Tajikarao-no-Mikoto of Okusha, Ame-no-Yagokoro-Omoikane-no-Mikoto of Chusha, and Ame-no-Uwaharu-no-Mikoto of Hokosha.

The three deities that form the core of the five Togakushi shrines.

And the three clans said to be involved in the development of Shinano: the Suwa, the Azumi, and the Achi clans.

It is said that the equilateral triangle formed by the three cedar trees symbolizes these.

Of course, there is no way to verify the truth of this.

However, standing here between the three cedar trees, it feels like a place that holds more meaning than just sacred trees.

To the right of the great torii gate sits the Itsuki Shrine.

It is a sub-shrine of the Togakushi Shrine Chusha, and it is said to have been founded by inviting the deities of Suwa Taisha.

The enshrined deities are the five pillars of:

• Takeminakata-tomi-no-Mikoto

• Homusubi-no-Mikoto

• Oyamatsumi-no-Mikoto

• Wakumusuhi-no-Mikoto

• Sencho-rei-no-Mikoto

.

Here, too, the connection to the history of Shinano peeks through.

When considered alongside the legend of the Three Cedars, it becomes clear that Togakushi is not an isolated sacred site, but a place nurtured within the history and daily lives of the people of Shinano.

In fact, many visitors to Chusha use the parking lot on the side of the West Approach.

In that case, it is possible to leave after only visiting the worship hall.

However, that would be a bit of a waste.

I highly recommend going around to the front and standing before the great torii gate.

Looking up at the torii gate from the plaza surrounded by the Three Cedars, you can truly appreciate the scale of Chusha.

And you will notice that even after passing through the great torii gate, the worship hall is still not visible.

Perhaps that sense of distance is the very dignity that Chusha possesses.

As I gaze at the triangle formed by the Three Cedars, I get the feeling that it symbolizes the center of Togakushi Shrine and quietly represents the foundation of the land of Shinano.

Chusha may well be the place where such history and faith of Togakushi intersect.

That, too, is likely the dignity unique to Chusha.

Furthermore, I have summarized information about the worship hall and the "Sazare Falls" located at the back of the shrine grounds in a separate article.

I would be grateful if you could read that as well.

▶ At the Falls of Togakushi Shrine's Chusha | On the Taurus New Moon

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The pilgrimage to Togakushi Shrine finally reaches the Okusha.

Walking along the approach lined with cedar trees that are hundreds of years old, we head toward the most sacred area of Togakushi Shrine.

▶ Next: Beyond the Cedar Avenue | Togakushi Shrine, Okusha Approach

《Related Links》

Togakushi Shrine

Togakushi Shrine Public Relations Magazine Aogaki Issue 20

Titled 'Ame-no-Omoikane-no-Mikoto and the Togakushi Triangle,' it contains stories about the Three Cedars and the folklore of Shinano Province (back issue).

https://www.togakushi-jinja.jp/aogaki/20.pdf

[Related Posts]

Hokosha, a Treasure of Greenery, Faith, and Kindness | Togakushi Five Shrines Pilgrimage Record Part 1

Fuse-ogami-sho. Shinto was the Way of the Gods | Togakushi Five Shrines Pilgrimage Record Part 2

Small yet Beautiful, Hinomiko Shrine | Togakushi Five Shrines Pilgrimage Record Part 3

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