Atsuta Jingu Shrine, Aichi

There is Atsuta Ward in the central part of the old city of Nagoya City. It also flourished as Miya-juku Station which is one of the Fifty-three Stages on the Tokaido as temple town of Atsuta Jingu Shrine. Atsuta Jingu Shrine exists here over 1900 years ago. The site is the area where there is a presence in Atsuta Ward even now.
In the vicinity there is a key hub of traffic “Shichiri no Watashi”, and at that time it was located in a very prominent place at the tip of the cape. Also in the surroundings, various shrines and temples, tombs, parks etc. are also scattered today, and they make you feel history. Atsuta Jingu Shrine is famous for setting “Kusanagi no tsurugi” (Grass-Mowing Sword) which is one of the three Imperial regalias of Japan as “Goshintai” (an object of worship belief to the spirit of a deity) is.
The three Imperial regalias refer to the ‘Yata no Kagami’ (the eight-span mirror), the ‘Yasakani no magatama’ (a comma-shaped jewel), and the ‘Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi’ (‘Kusanagi no tsurugi’) (the sacred sword). ‘Yata no Kagami’ is located in the inner shrine of Ise Jingu shrine, ‘Yasakani no magatama’ is placed in the Imperial Palace.
In 113, YAMATO Takeru no Mikoto (a prince of Emperor Keiko, a hero in ancient Japan) died in the country of Nobono in Ise, and worshiped the sacred sword in the field of Atsuta. This is said to be the beginning of Atsuta Jingu Shrine.
After that, in 1560, Oda Nobunaga dedicates the earth wall as a thankful note for visiting Atsuta Jingu Shrine to pray for certain victory, a great victory before leaving for Okehazama’s battle. You can still see it in the precincts as “the earthen wall of Nobunaga”.
In 1945, the building was destroyed by burning but the object of worship and other treasures remained. The current Atsuta Jingu Shrine was rebuilt in 1955.
Currently, Atsuta Jingu Shrine has many votive items stored and exhibited, and various festivals and Shrine ritual etc. are also done. And a lot of worshipers are visiting.

Feel the atmosphere as purifying yourself

Atsuta Jingu Shrine is an excellent shrine being worshiped for a long time. The foundation is said to be 113 years. You feel the atmosphere as purifying yourself while walking toward the approach to the shrine. Atsuta Jingu Shrine is a very large major shrine of approximately 60,000 tsubos (200,000 square meters), and because the trees of several hundred years years old grow thick, it is called “The Forest of Atsuta”.

Large camphor tree

There are many camphor trees in the precincts that are full of nature, and seven particularly big camphor trees are called “Nana-hon Kusu” (seven camphor trees). Among them, “the Oh Kusu” (large camphor tree) which is said to have been planted by “Kobo Daishi ‘Kukai’”, the founder of the Shingon sect, has lived longer than a thousand years and overwhelms visitors.

Kusanagi sword dedicated to the god

Various God is worshiped in the shrine, it is famous even that “Kusanagi no Tsurugi” (“Kusanagi sword dedicated to the god”) as one of The Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Family of Japan is enshrined. The Three Sacred Treasures of the Imperial Family refer to a mirror, a sword and a jewel that are believed to have been granted by Amaterasu Omikami (also known as Tensho daijin or the ‘Sun Goddess’) to her grandson Ninigi during ‘Tensonkorin’ when he descended from heaven to rule over the country.
Yamato Takeru received the sacred sword at the Ise Jingu Shrine and used it to fight off a grass fire, warding off a calamity and gave it the name “Kusanagi no Tsurugi”.

Greeted the 1900th year

Atsuta Jingu Shrine greeted the 1900th year after it enshrined Kusanagi sword in 2013.

Treasure hall

In the Homotsu-kan (treasure hall) of Atsuta-jingu Shrine, approximately 6,000 points of store products donated by the Imperial Family and the feudal lord to this shrine are put. Some of the items on exhibit are changed every month.

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