Koga SaburoKoga Saburo, the Serpent Deity of the Underworld

The fascination of the Koga Saburo legend lies not merely in its heroic epic, but in how it explains the origins of Suwa Myojin as "the return of a mortal who fell underground." Unlike Takeminakata-no-Kami from the Kojiki, who retreats to Suwa as the defeated figure in the myth of the transfer of the land, Koga Saburo travels from Omi to Shinano, falls into the underworld through a cave on Mount Tateshina, and returns as a serpent. The deity of Suwa does not simply descend from the heavens, nor does it merely arrive from central mythology; it manifests by passing through mountain caves, subterranean kingdoms, and the body of a snake. This narrative beautifully weaves together the elements of Suwa worship—water, mountains, dragons, serpents, hunting, and the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism—into a single tale. This is precisely why it is meaningful to establish Koga Saburo as a distinct figure alongside the official enshrined deity Takeminakata.