A road that links the past to the present

Chino City is home to the Maemiya of Suwa Grand Shrine, and it is where I was born and raised. The old Suwa Grand Shrine road is a road I have walked along on countless occasions since my childhood. From the front of the Maemiya past the Suwa Taisha Kamisha Honmiya and the Homotsuden (treasure hall) to the Narayaki Shinto Shrine, the walk takes around an hour or so. Midway along the road is the Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum, which I designed. Even now, when I return to my hometown, I always visit this road.
From around the middle of the Edo Period, stone statues and similar objects began being placed in the vicinity of the road. Along the sides of the road there are a lot of old houses, and objects such as travelers’ guardian deities and stone statues that make you aware of Shinto and Buddhism. It is by no means a well-known road, but to local people it is a place that gives them a sense of faith. The areas around Shinto shrines have a pleasant feel to them. Furthermore, by observing historical Shinto and Buddhist deities it is possible to feel the flow of time, linking the past to the present.