Suwa, Nagano

A city on the shores of Lake Suwa in the Nagano highland basin, home to the ancient Suwa Grand Shrine system, whose four main buildings are spread across both the northern and southern shores of the lake and represent one of the oldest active Shinto shrine complexes in Japan. The lake itself freezes in cold winters, producing a phenomenon called Omiwatari, a pressure ridge in the ice interpreted in Shinto tradition as the path of the deity crossing from one shore to the other. The surrounding area is known for precision manufacturing, producing watchmakers and optical equipment companies.