【Nagoya】Atsuta Shrine: One of the three major shrines in Japan, pilgrimage route, surrounding delicacies.

Atsuta Shrine is one of the three major shrines in Japan, located in the southern part of Nagoya City, enshrining one of the three major divine artifacts of Japan, the Kusanagi Sword. This place is a treasure trove of Japanese history and culture, with many worth visiting attractions and cultural relics, and it is also the center of faith and energy spot in Nagoya. Pilgrimage route of Atsuta Shrine: You can enter from the main gate (south gate), first worship the main shrine, and then walk north along the pilgrimage road, visit Shimizu Shrine, Nobunaga Wall, Big Camphor, Treasure Museum and Kusanagi Hall. On the way back, you can visit the other shrines, Yakken Shrine and Kamizogama Shrine, which both have rich historical stories and prayer effects. The whole route takes about 2 hours. 🔅7 must-visit attractions of Atsuta Shrine🔅 Main Shrine: This is the main building of Atsuta Shrine, enshrining the Atsuta Daishin who holds the Kusanagi Sword. The architectural style of the main shrine is Shinto, using red and white tones, very eye-catching. In front of the main shrine is a large worship hall for worshippers to pray and offer incense money. Behind the main shrine is a divine warehouse, where the Kusanagi Sword is stored, but it is generally not visible to the public. Shimizu Shrine: This is one of the branch shrines of Atsuta Shrine, located on the left side of the main shrine, enshrining the water god. Next to Shimizu Shrine is a hand water house for worshippers to cleanse their hands and rinse their mouths before entering the shrine. The water source of the hand water house is drawn from the well of Shimizu Shrine, which is said to have the divine power to cure all diseases. Nobunaga Wall: This is a wall made of tile stacks, located on the right side of the main shrine, and is one of the three major soil walls in Japan. This wall was built by the famous general Oda Nobunaga in the Warring States period after the Battle of Okehazama to thank the Atsuta Daishin for his protection. The surface of the wall has many different tiles, some are Nobunaga's family crest, some are his subordinates' family crest, and some are his enemies' family crest, which is very interesting. Big Camphor: This is a huge camphor tree, located next to the hand water house, surrounded by wooden fences. This camphor tree is said to have been personally planted by Kukai, a Japanese Buddhist monk, and has a tree age of more than 1,000 years. It is the sacred tree of Atsuta Shrine. The tree trunk has a circumference of 7.7 meters and a height of 20 meters. The interior is hollow and inhabited by several white snakes. The white snake is the incarnation of the god. If you encounter a white snake, you can take a photo and set the photo as the standby screen of your mobile phone to get good luck. Treasure Museum: This is a museum that collects the historical relics of Atsuta Shrine, located behind the main shrine, with two floors. The museum has more than 6,000 cultural relics donated by the royal family, shoguns and people from all walks of life, including ancient divine artifacts, swords, ancient documents and other treasures. The museum displays different cultural relics every month, and also holds special exhibitions in January and autumn every year, allowing visitors to better understand the history and beliefs of Atsuta Shrine. Kusanagi Hall: This is a museum dedicated to displaying swords, located next to the Treasure Museum, and opened on October 4, 2021. The museum displays 450 swords collected by Atsuta Shrine every month, including many famous swords and national treasure-level swords. The museum also has a video introducing the relationship between the Kusanagi Sword and Atsuta Shrine, as well as an experience area where visitors can personally feel the size and weight of the Japanese sword. Yakken Shrine: This is one of the other shrines of Atsuta Shrine, located on the left side of the main gate (south gate), enshrining the same Atsuta Daishin as the main shrine. This is a must-win shrine, because Oda Nobunaga prayed for victory here before the Battle of Nagashino, and finally successfully defeated the Takeda army. The first shogun of the Edo shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu, also ordered people to repair the worship hall and corridor here. This is the footprint of historical generals and a good place to pray for business success and sports victory. Kamizogama Shrine: This is one of the branch shrines of Atsuta Shrine, located on the right side of the main gate (south gate), enshrining the god of learning, Uchizuma. This place can bless academic success, attracting many students to come to worship. There is also an ancient song called 'Gentayu' that has been passed down from ancient times. The content of the song is about this shrine, so it is also called 'Gentayu Shrine'. Surrounding delicacies of Atsuta Shrine: After visiting Atsuta Shrine, you can taste some of Nagoya's special delicacies in the surrounding area, such as: Atsuta Shrine's divine cake-this is the stamp cake of Atsuta Shrine, made of rice flour and sugar. The crust is crispy and the filling is sweet. There are three flavors: red bean, white bean and matcha. You can buy it at the 'Divine Cake Shop' next to the main gate of the shrine. 📍1 Chome-1-1 Jingu, Atsuta Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 456-8585 Japan