Suwa clan

The Suwa clan (諏訪氏, Suwa-shi) was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Minatakatomi no Takatō, a descendant of the deity Takeminakata, enshrined at the Suwa Grand Shrine (Suwa Taisha) in Shinano Province (modern-day Nagano Prefecture). For centuries, the Suwa clan served as the chief priests (大祝, Ō-hōri) of the Suwa Grand Shrine, wielding significant religious and political influence in the region.

Their power base was primarily centered around Lake Suwa. During the Kamakura period, the Suwa clan aligned with the Kamakura shogunate. However, during the Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392), the clan split into factions supporting either the Southern or Northern Courts.

During the Sengoku period (1467-1615), Suwa Yorishige was the head of the clan. He initially allied with Takeda Shingen, but was later overthrown and forced to commit suicide after Shingen invaded and conquered Shinano. Shingen took Yorishige's daughter, Lady Suwa (later known as Suwa Goryōnin), as a concubine. She bore him a son, Takeda Katsuyori, who later succeeded Shingen.

Following the demise of the main Suwa line, the clan's traditions and religious authority were maintained by descendants who served as priests at the Suwa Grand Shrine. Various branches of the Suwa clan continued to exist, some serving the Takeda clan and later the Tokugawa shogunate. In the Edo period, a hatamoto branch of the Suwa clan was established, descended from Suwa Yoritada. The Suwa remained an influential family in the region throughout Japanese history, particularly in the religious sphere surrounding the Suwa Grand Shrine.