- Location: 1 Chome 1-1 Jingu, Atsuta Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture 456-8585, Japan
- Phone: +81 52-671-4151
- Website: atsutajingu.or.jp
- Visiting time: Thursday
Anyone who has never been to Japan often thinks that the only religion on the islands is Buddhism. However, it is not. Shinto is equally popular, although its adherents have fewer opportunities to visit temples. There are not so many in the country. Let's find out about the most visited of them - the temple of Atsuta.
What is interesting about the sanctuary of Atsuta?
In Japan, there are places that were founded in the second century of our era, and one of them is the temple of Atsut in the city of Nagoya . The building of the temple is located in a park of the same old, as the sanctuary itself, millennial cypress trees. The entrance to it is a traditional square arch (the gate of Torii), which can be found in all Shinto temples of the country.
The main attraction of this holy place, which is visited annually for the worship of more than 8 million people, is the sword of Kusanagi ("mowing grass"), which is a sacred relic. Curiously, he is worshiped, but you can not see him, because, according to beliefs, it promises great trouble and even death. In ancient times it was granted to the imperial family by the sun goddess Amaterasu. Since then, only a few people have seen this miraculous sword in all ages, and they were all emperors or shoguns.
In addition to the sword, there is a Treasure Hall in the temple of Atsut, in which various cultural and historical artifacts are exhibited - collections of swords, masks for rituals and other artifacts unusual for the Slavonic man.
How to get to the temple of Atsuta?
Anyone who would like to get a step closer to the subject of the worship of millions of Japanese is lucky. The temple is located at a convenient traffic intersection of the city. Just 3 minutes walk from Jinju-May metro station on the Meitecu-Nagoya branch - and you are already at the gates of the temple. Also here is the Meijo subway line. It should go to the station Jinjuni-nishi.
It is best to visit the temple during the festival of Atsuta Matsuri, which is held annually. Here various martial arts schools show their skills. To ensure that guests do not stay hungry, they have a small portable kitchen, where guests are served with flavored Kishimen noodles. Having visited this place, you can not only entertain yourself with spectacular performances, but also have a hearty lunch.