Worship of Mishaguji is thought to have originated in the area surrounding Lake Suwa from beliefs centering around the Earth Mother during the Jōmon period [REF].
In addition, traces of Mishaguji worship are found throughout the Kantō and Chūbu regions of Japan: shrines to the god(s) exist in areas such as Shizuoka (233 shrines), Aichi (229 shrines), Yamanashi (160 shrines), Mie (140 shrines) and Gifu (116 shrines) [REF].