{"id":3426,"date":"2019-02-26T16:51:15","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T07:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/must-see-shrines-and-temples-of-nagoya\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:34:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:34:52","slug":"must-see-shrines-and-temples-of-nagoya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/en\/must-see-shrines-and-temples-of-nagoya\/","title":{"rendered":"Must See Shrines and Temples of Nagoya"},"content":{"rendered":"

Japan is served by two predominant religions: Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto is a form of ancestor worship and is the traditional religion of Japan – though it was codified in the eighth century it had been around for many centuries before with evidence that it was around during the pre-historical J\u014dmon period<\/a> – with many Gods, or ‘kami’, housed in shrines around the country.<\/p>\n

Buddhism came to Japan around the 6th century (though it is possible that it had been introduced some two hundred years before) and grew side by side with Shintoism. Today many Japanese worship both religions, with it being said that Japanese are born in Shintoism, and die in Buddhism, with the latter having the advantage of a belief in reincarnation over the former. (Recently this phrase has been modified to add that Japanese are also married in Christianity, reflecting the propensity for young people to wed in Christian-style ‘churches’.)<\/p>\n

For many centuries, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples co-existed on the same grounds, one standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the other. However, during the Meiji era (1968-1912), a period of great upheaval in Japanese society as the country transformed from samurai rule to become an industrial super power, a decree was passed that these houses of worship must become either one or the other, leading to many shrines and temples to be destroyed.<\/p>\n

However, there are still many fantastic shrines and temples to be found within the city of Nagoya. Here are a few of our favorites.<\/p>\n

Atsuta Jingu<\/h2>\n

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Atsuta Jingu ranks in importance second only to the Great Shrine of Ise in Mie (the center of the Shinto religion in Japan) and draws over 9 million visitors a year to its gates. The shrine, located in Atsuta Ward of Nagoya City, dates back nearly 2,000 years, and is dedicated to the \u201cFive Great Gods of Atsuta\u201d, who are connected with the sacred sword\u00a0Kusanagi no Tsurugi,\u00a0or \u201cThe Grass Cutting Sword\u201d.<\/p>\n

The sword is one of the Three Imperial Regalia of Japan.\u00a0 According to the 8th Century compiled\u00a0kojiki, Chronicle of old things, the oldest extant chronicle of Japan, the god,\u00a0Susanoo\u00a0found the sword in the tail of an eight headed dragon he had slain. The sword was later presented to the goddess\u00a0Amaterasu, and later presented to the warrior Yamato Takeru, who used it\u2019s magical powers to cut his way out of a grass fire started by a treacherous enemy warlord, hence it\u2019s moniker.<\/p>\n