Suwa Yorimizu

Suwa Yorimizu (1570–1641) was a descendant of the Suwa clan, a distinguished family of Shinano Province. He belonged to the branch of the Suwa clan that had been destroyed by Takeda Shingen, and was the son of Suwa Yoritsada, who served as the high priest (ohōri) of the Suwa clan's priestly family line. After the fall of the Takeda clan, he served Tokugawa Ieyasu. For his contributions supporting the Eastern Army at the Battle of Sekigahara, he was enfeoffed as lord of 27,000 koku in Shinano Suwa and stationed at Takashima Castle. He maintained close ties with the priestly family serving as ohōri (high priest) of Suwa Grand Shrine (Kami-sha and Shimo-sha) and continued to bear the role of guardian of Suwa faith. In domain governance, he devoted himself to agricultural promotion and flood-control projects, contributing to the stability of the Suwa region. The Suwa clan maintained a generations-long tradition of dedicating sacred swords to Suwa Grand Shrine, and Yorimizu similarly valued the dedication of swords to the shrine. Moreover, from his lineage as a retainer of the Takeda clan, he is said to have favored swords of the Kai and Soshu traditions. Several celebrated blades transmitted through the Suwa family are still preserved today as treasures of Suwa Grand Shrine.