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Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Every six years, Suwa is home to Onbashira-sai, one of the "three dangerous festivals" in Japan. Onbashira is a symbolic reconstruction of the four shrines of the Suwa Taisha with gigantic logs harvested from the forests at the base of Mt. Yatsugatake. The highlight of the festival is the kiotoshi portion, where brave and foolhardy young men ride on these giant logs as they slide down a steep hill. Injuries are common and occasionally deaths occur.
The Mihashira or Onbashira are four wooden posts or pillars that stand on the four corners of local shrines in the Lake Suwa area of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The largest and most famous set of onbashira are those that stand on the four shrines that make up the Suwa Grand Shrine complex.
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諏訪湖間欠泉センター
A once an hour 10-min eruption. See the website for exact times.
諏訪高島城
This castle is quite nice but lacks English signs.
高島公園
The park is especially enjoyable in cherry blossom season.
霧ヶ峰
Look at flowers at this volcano.
八ヶ岳