Nagoya - Atsuta-jingu Shrine
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Atsuta Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in Japan. In this shrine one of three Imperial insignia, the "grass-mowing sword" (kusanagi-no-tsurugi) was preserved.
In Japanese mythology the sword originally belonged to the storm god Susanoo. When the legendary hero Yamato-takeru set out to conquer the eastern provinces the sword was presented to him by the high priestess of the Ise Shrines, Yamato-hime. Then, when his enemies tried to kill him by setting the long grass on fire, he saved himself by mowing the grass with his sword. He then hung the sword on a mulberry tree, from which it was stolen by Princess Miyazu-hime. And finally according to the legend, the brilliant flash of the blade set a cedar tree on fire. Hence in popular etymology, the name of the shrine (atsuta = "burning field").
In the northern part of the wooded precincts is the principal shrine, Hongu, surrounded by an enclosing wall. To the east is the Treasury, a modern building which contains a large number of works of art (old and modern pictures, ceramics, jewelry and dramatic masks).
In Japanese mythology the sword originally belonged to the storm god Susanoo. When the legendary hero Yamato-takeru set out to conquer the eastern provinces the sword was presented to him by the high priestess of the Ise Shrines, Yamato-hime. Then, when his enemies tried to kill him by setting the long grass on fire, he saved himself by mowing the grass with his sword. He then hung the sword on a mulberry tree, from which it was stolen by Princess Miyazu-hime. And finally according to the legend, the brilliant flash of the blade set a cedar tree on fire. Hence in popular etymology, the name of the shrine (atsuta = "burning field").
In the northern part of the wooded precincts is the principal shrine, Hongu, surrounded by an enclosing wall. To the east is the Treasury, a modern building which contains a large number of works of art (old and modern pictures, ceramics, jewelry and dramatic masks).
Address:
Atsutajingu-Kyu-Cho Shrine Office, 1-1-1 Jingu, Nagoya, Chubu 456-8585, Japan
Hours:
January 1 to December 24: 9am-4:30pm
Tips: Closed the last Wednesday and the following day every month.
Parking: Free
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