Weaving Futamata
A rare town
The roots of Futamata
It begins with the immense power of the Tenryu River flowing in from the Southern Alps. At this "crossroads" where the mountain and the town intersect, people have nurtured the power to turn the "mingling" of heterogeneous elements into a source of life since ancient times.
From the Futamata Festival, where gorgeous floats and people's enthusiasm intersect, to Soichiro Honda's challenges, and from nostalgic streets to newly styled shops. The pride of Futamata lies in its history of embracing diverse wills and reweaving them into a new breath, sometimes even altering the very shape of the town. We will unravel the "7 Breaths," the true essence of Futamata that awakens anew with every intersection.
1 Power of Nature
Power of Nature The inexhaustible energy carried by a great river
The torrent of the Tenryu River carrying the dragon vein of the Southern Alps. Its overwhelming water flow became dam power generation in modern times and powerfully supported the development of Japanese industry. The energy overflowing in this land becomes the source to reboot (charge) the vitality of visitors.
2 Faith
Faith Drifting from the source, Suwa Taisha, a soul united by enthusiasm
According to legend, the origin of the Futamata Suwa Shrine is said to be a small shrine (hokora) that flowed down the Tenryu River from the upstream Suwa Taisha and drifted ashore to this land. The "Futamata Festival" honoring that god is a soulful event that remains essential to the unity of the residents today. The time when magnificent floats are pulled around, and gods and humans violently mingle, is a proof of "living faith" that connects the pride of the region across generations.
3 Military
Military The fortress on the cliff, fought over by successive champions
Built by the Imagawa clan, fiercely contested by Shingen Takeda and Ieyasu Tokugawa, and later heavily renovated by a lord associated with the Toyotomi clan—the "Key to Totomi." This strategic point, highly valued by many powerful figures, continues to convey the strategies for surviving harsh times and the ruthlessness of history as castle ruins on a cliff.
4 Commerce
Commerce The crossroads of commerce where old and new resonate
This land, where roads from all directions and the Tenryu River intersect, has long been a "town of commerce" where diverse people and goods come and go. Its soil, which has always been exposed to new winds from the outside, naturally accepts the sensibilities of today's young creators. A landscape where long-established noren (shop curtains) and new shops stand side by side without any sense of incongruity. This is created by the original "depth of heart" of this town, which does not reject those who come and finds changes interesting.
5 Industry
Industry The pioneer's gene that moved the world
Once, the Tenryu River was the main artery for "rafting" to transport high-quality timber from upstream. In Futamata, a hub of this water transport, people coming and going between the mountains and the town and vast wealth gathered. Its prosperity reached its peak in the Showa era, and its appearance crowded with movie theaters and shops was enveloped in such enthusiasm that it was called a "mountain metropolis." The patience of the "Tenryu Beautiful Forest" nurturing forests with a view of 100 years into the future, and the "Yaramaika (Let's do it) Spirit" of Soichiro Honda, who was born from this vibrant soil and challenged the world. The economic power nurtured by water transport and the genes of pioneers remain the pride of this town.
6 Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering An indomitable will that changes even the topography
The Futamata River, which once flowed through the center of the town, repeatedly flooded. It was Kicho Hakamata, a village headman in the Edo period, who saved the town from this predicament. Investing his own fortune, he accomplished a magnificent and difficult construction project to cut through the hard bedrock of Mt. Tobayama and change the flow of the river. That spirit of "nation-building" lives on in the turntable, a registered tangible cultural property that is still in active operation today, and in the railway heritage that is coming alive through collaborations with anime. You can sense from its history the DNA of this town, which overcomes nature and continues to evolve without fearing the changes of the times.
7 Culture
Culture A fusion of beauty and enthusiasm that stimulates the sensibilities
The tranquil world of Japanese paintings depicted by Fuku Akino, and the sacred place of anime works that the whole world is enthusiastic about. The reason why these seemingly polar opposites blend together seamlessly is that the genes of the "power of mingling" flow through this town, which has accepted heterogeneous things since ancient times and turned them into its own sustenance. The enthusiasm of a 1000-year-old festival and modern pop culture are equally a part of the town's breath here. In this place where cultures transcending eras and genres intersect, your sensibilities will surely be updated anew.