| Takeminakata-no-Kami | |
|---|---|
God of the wind, water, hunting and warfare | |
 The main shrine or Honmiya (本宮) of the Upper Shrine (上社, Kamisha) of Suwa, one of the two main sites that make up Suwa Grand Shrine. Takeminakata is enshrined in the Upper Shrine located southeast of Lake Suwa, while his consort Yasakatome is worshiped on the Lower Shrine (下社, Shimosha) on the other (northwest) side of the lake. | |
| Other names | Takeminakata-no-Mikoto (建御名方命, 健御名方命) Minakatatomi-no-Kami (南方刀美神) |
| Japanese | 建御名方神 |
| Major cult center | Suwa Grand Shrine |
| Symbols | snake, dragon |
| Texts | Kojiki, Sendai Kuji Hongi, Suwa Daimyōjin Ekotoba |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Ōkuninushi and Nunakawahime |
| Siblings | Kotoshironushi and others |
| Consort | Yasakatome |
| Children | Izuhayao, Katakurabe and others |
Takeminakata (タケミナカタ), also known as Minakatatomi or Takeminakatatomi, is a kami in Japanese mythology. Also known as Suwa Myōjin (諏訪明神 / 諏方明神) or Suwa Daimyōjin (諏訪大明神 / 諏方大明神) after Suwa Grand Shrine (Suwa Taisha) in Nagano Prefecture in which he is enshrined alongside his consort Yasakatome, Takeminakata is historically worshiped as a god of wind, water and agriculture, as well as a patron of hunting and warfare, in which capacity he enjoyed a particularly fervent cult from various samurai clans during the medieval period such as the Hōjō or the Takeda. Takeminakata was also held to be the mythical ancestor of certain families who once served at the shrine as priests, foremost among them being the Suwa clan, the high priests of the Upper Shrine of Suwa who were also revered as living vessels of the god.
Whereas in the Kojiki (ca. 712 CE) and later derivative accounts, Takeminakata appears as one of the sons of the god Ōkuninushi who fled to Lake Suwa after being defeated by the warrior god Takemikazuchi, other myths (mostly of medieval origin) instead offer alternative explanations regarding the god of Suwa Shrine's origins and identity, portraying him either as an interloper who conquered Suwa by defeating the local kami of the region, as a king from India who manifested in Japan, or as a snake or dragon deity.