Nagoya's Hidden Gem: Endoji Shopping Street

Nagoya used to have three famous shopping streets: Osu, Ozone, and Endoji. Nowadays, Osu Shopping Street is the most popular. My parents prefer less touristy places, so this time we took them to the quieter Endoji Shopping Street and Shikemichi. Starting from the Marriott Hotel, it takes about an hour to reach Nagoya Shikemichi. Shikemichi is now a residential area, so when visiting, be sure to speak softly and not disturb the local residents. The most famous spots here are Asama Shrine, Yane Shrine, and Komori Jizo. At the entrance of Asama Shrine, there is a tree over 300 years old. The shrine itself is not very large, but unfortunately, there was a film crew shooting on the day we visited, so we couldn't fully appreciate it. Following the directions on the ground, we arrived at the very unique Yane Shrine. Yane Shrine is a shrine set on the rooftop. It is said that after a major fire in Shikemichi, the deities were enshrined here. The deities worshipped are from Nagoya Tsushima Shrine, Akiba Shrine, and Atsuta Shrine. After visiting Yane Shrine, we turned a corner and arrived at Komori Jizo, a very small place dedicated to the guardian deity of children. After exploring Nagoya Shikemichi, we arrived at Endoji Shopping Street. Compared to Osu Shopping Street, this place is much quieter, but it has a more rustic charm without the commercial atmosphere. Inside the shopping street, there is a shrine even smaller than Asama Shrine—Hikoto Hira Shrine, which has only one entrance and exit. The blue lanterns of the Western Azure Dragon and the vermilion pillars create a strong contrast. After strolling through Endoji Shopping Street, we came across four statues at an intersection: a golden Oda Nobunaga, a silver Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a bronze Tokugawa Ieyasu, and finally, a colorful statue of Mito Komon, also known as Tokugawa Mitsukuni. Endoji Honmachi is even quieter than Endoji Shopping Street, with a supermarket inside. After walking around, we found that the prices here are much cheaper than the supermarket near the hotel.