{"id":2938,"date":"2018-05-18T07:45:18","date_gmt":"2018-05-17T22:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/atsuta-jingu-shrine-nagoya\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T11:35:04","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T02:35:04","slug":"atsuta-jingu-shrine-nagoya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcjapan.com\/ja\/atsuta-jingu-shrine-nagoya\/","title":{"rendered":"Atsuta Shrine Festival in Nagoya"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Atsuta Jingu, ranks in importance second only to the Great Shrine of Ise in Mie, which is the center of the Shinto religion in Japan, and draws over 9 million visitors a year to its gates.\u00a0\u00a0 The\u00a0 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 eighth\u00a0Century compiled\u00a0kojiki, 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, the Grass Cutting Sword.<\/p>\n

Atsuta Jingu and The Grass Cutting Sword, by Chris Glen<\/a><\/p>\n

Walking Courses to Explore Atsuta Shrine<\/h3>\n

12 Chapters of Nagoya Tour<\/a>
\nNIC Walking Course <\/a><\/p>\n

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Atsuta\u00a0Festival<\/h2>\n

A great time to visit the shrine is\u00a0June, for the main\u00a0festival ccelebtating\u00a0this very important shrine. During this matsri\u00a0the local kami<\/em> (gods) are carried in effigy round the shrine\u00a0on\u00a0ornate litters called a mikoshi,\u00a0<\/em>which is essentially a portable tabernacle. The\u00a0mikoshi are carried along the approaches to Atsuta Shrine, and at night, sets of 365 traditional lanterns light up the gates. Exhibitions of judo, swordsmanship and archery are presented for the gratification of the deities.<\/p>\n

More serious ceremonies also take place out of sight in the shrines themselves.<\/p>\n

Rei-Sai Festival at Atsuta Shrine<\/strong><\/p>\n