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名古屋神社巡禮

名古屋神社巡禮

Japanese families have traditionally had a kamidana, or household Shinto altar, in their homes. Changes in lifestyles, such as the trend toward living in apartments, have led to the disappearance of these altars from many homes.
However, when you venture outside, you will find many such shrines.
We hope that you, coming from various parts of the world, will encounter deities in Nagoya, who always watch over us, in the belief that such an opportunity will bring you joy.

  • WORSHIP
  • BEGINNING
  • POWER ANIMALS
  • POWER OF THE SPIRITS
  • GOOD LUCK
  • CHARMS

WORSHIP

Japanese people have long lived side by side with nature through farming and fishing lifestyles.
Nature brings us blessings, but sometimes rages in all its fury. People in this country have long accepted that both aspects are brought about by a great power, and have revered this invisible power in the form of deities. Shrines are places that provide them with comfort.
You're invited to explore shrines in Nagoya, a city boasting a large number of shrines.
First, let’s learn the basics of worshipping at shrines.

Route01

Torii gate

The procedure of worshipping at a shrine begins with walking through a torii gate. Since beyond the gate lies the realm of the deity, you should make a bow in front of the gate.

Kifune-sha Shrine
Kifune-sha Shrine

MAP 13

Etiquette

Before passing through the torii gate, bow once. Then proceed along the approach while avoiding walking in the center of the path. Also, when you leave the shrine precincts after you have worshipped the deity, make a bow facing toward the shrine's main hall.

Komainu
(lion-dog guardian statues)

Komainu (lion-dog guardian statues)

Introduced into Japan from India or Persia, komainu are creatures that keep evil at bay. Coming in pairs, the one with an open mouth is a shishi (lion) while the other with a closed mouth is a komainu (dog). The presence of such an asymmetrical pair of creatures is unique to Japan.
The komainu at Ikatsu Hachimangu Shrine in the photos have been handed down over the generations and are designated as an important cultural property.

Ikatsu Hachimangu Shrine

MAP 19

Komainu (lion-dog guardian statues)
Route02

Temizuya
(purification font)

Before worshipping at a shrine, our ancestors washed and purified their bodies by bathing in a river or the sea. As a vestige of these earlier times, shrines today have a place for washing hands to purity the body and soul.

Matsuyama Shrine
Matsuyama Shrine

MAP 7

Etiquette

Hold the ladle in your right hand, pour some water over your left hand to rinse it, and then rinse your right hand. Pour water from the ladle into your cupped left hand to rinse your mouth. (Spit out the water from your mouth outside the font.) Lastly raise the ladle vertically, with the ladle cup upward, to rinse the ladle handle with the remaining water.

Etiquette

Shinkyo (sacred bridge)

Shinkyo (sacred bridge)

In the grounds of large shrines, you will sometimes find ponds or streams crossed by bridges. These bridges, as with torii gates, serve as boundaries between the human world and the sacred area where the deity resides. While traversing them, worshippers prepare themselves mentally to meet the deities.

Gokiso Hachimangu Shrine

MAP 17

Shinkyo (sacred bridge)

Shimenawa
(Shinto sacred ropes)

Shimenawa (Shinto sacred ropes)

Shimenawa refers to a large sacred rope twisted to the left, hanging in front of the shrine’s main hall. It tells us that the area ahead is a sanctuary that we may not approach casually. This magnificent shimenawa belongs to Hichisho-sha Shrine.

Hichisho-sha Shrine

MAP 52

Shimenawa (Shinto sacred ropes)

Banpei (wooden screen)

Banpei (wooden screen)

Unique to the Nagoya area, Banpei wooden screens serve to block the deity from direct view.

Hira Rokusho Shrine

MAP 53

Banpei (wooden screen)

Suzu (Shinto bell)

Suzu (Shinto bell)

A cord with a bell attached is draped over the entrance to a hall of worship. The bell produces a sound when agitated three times. This time-honored custom originates from the belief that vibrating air summons a deity. The sound of the bell bestowed with divine power, rather than the bell itself, expels evil spirits.

Toyofujiinari Shrine

MAP 27

Suzu (Shinto bell)
Route03

Saisen
(monetary offering)

People offer money into a wooden box in front of the hall of worship. This is a ceremony of ritual purification whereby the anxiety and suffering in our daily life will be brought to the deity along with the offering. The offering amount is left to your discretion.

Yagoto Shiogama Shrine
Yagoto Shiogama Shrine

MAP 25

Etiquette of worshipping a deity

  1. ・Make a bow to the deity (greeting)
  2. ・Clap your hands (to ward off evil spirits)
  3. ・Then keep your hands pressed together and pray.
  4. ・Put your hands down and lastly bow to the deity again.
  • ※Two bows, two claps, and a bow comprise the most common prayer procedure at a shrine. This, however, does not necessarily need to be followed, since the number of bows and claps differs depending on the shrine.
Etiquette of worshipping a deity

Inari  

Inari

In many Inari shrines, a pair of fox statues flank the entrance or main hall to guard the shrine.
While opinions differ, the deity bestows blessings upon worshippers mainly in the form of a bountiful harvest or business prosperity. “Inari” means that one’s will (“i” in Japanese) will be achieved (“nari” or “naru”), so worshippers have faith in the deity for the fulfillment of their dearest wish.

Inari

Haraegushi
(purification wand)

Haraegushi (purification wand)

A haraegushi is a ritual article that Shinto priests use for purification. Priests wave the haraegushi to the left, right and left again over persons or their objects to ward off evil spirits. Some shrines have a haraegushi placed at the entrance to the hall of worship, where worshippers may use it to purify themselves.

Shiogama Shrine

MAP 40

Haraegushi (purification wand)

After you have worshipped the deity, face toward the torii gate and make a bow.

BEGINNING

Visit Atsuta Jingu, the best place to start your tour of shrines in Nagoya

Visit Atsuta Jingu, the best place to start your tour of shrines in Nagoya

A vast sanctuary spanning nearly 200,000 square meters―Peaceful and pure, allowing you to forget your daily life

Established in 113, boasting a long history, Atsuta Jingu (Atsuta Shrine) is dedicated to the Kusanagi-no-tsurugi sword, one of the sacred treasures that have been handed down in the Imperial household of Japan for generations.
Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto was an Imperial prince of ancient Japan. The young Imperial prince and a princess of Owari Province (today’s Nagoya) were meant for each other and got married.
Of no mean military prowess, the prince subjugated the tumultuous country and went down in history as the greatest hero of ancient Japan.
After his death, his Kusanagi-no-tsurugi sword was enshrined by the Princess, and this is how the history of Atsuta Jingu began. Because of its association with the sword, the shrine has come to house a large number of treasured swords. To unveil them to the wider public, Kusanagi-kan, a treasure trove of swords, and Kusanagi Hiroba (plaza) opened in 2021.
Atsuta Jingu is also known as "Horai Island." Horai refers to a paradise of perennial youth and immortality that human beings earnestly wish for.
Revered as a special sanctuary, the shrine has been visited by many worshippers praying for peace in Japan and a healthy long life.
  • 寬廣的神域
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  • 寬廣的神域
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  • 寬廣的神域
    3

御守與繪馬

MAP 37

  1. 1. Etodama: A pair of pretty wooden balls bearing the Chinese zodiac sign of the year.
  2. 2. Kachimori: An amulet made with patterns of a victory dance costume. As for the braid that comes with the amulet, you may wish to loop it around your wrist or carry it with you.
  3. 3. Star-shaped ema. The votive tablets are connected to a romantic legend, which has it that Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto (Prince Yamatotakeru) turned into a swan upon his death and returned to Princess Atsuta.

Spot Details

Exploring the shrine precincts

漂亮的建築
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  • 漂亮的建築
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  • 漂亮的建築
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  1. 1. Bekku (annex shrine)-Hakkengu: Dedicated to the same deity as Hongu (main shrine), where the Kusanagi-no-tsurugi sword is enshrined, Bekku is the next highest class after the main hall.
  2. 2. Minami-shingu-sha: This shrine is dedicated to a deity for warding off plagues and other disasters, and is the only vermilion-lacquered sanctuary building in the precincts of Atsuta Jingu.
  3. 3. Shimizu-sha: Located on the Kokoro-no-komichi footpath that leads to the back of Hongu, this shrine has a sacred spring flowing out from behind the building. It is said that by washing your skin with the spring water, you will become more beautiful. In the center of the spring is a rock believed to be a part of the tomb of Princess Yang Guifei, known as one of the greatest beauties in ancient China.
漂亮的建築
4
  • 漂亮的建築
    5
  • 漂亮的建築
    6
  1. 1. Bekku (annex shrine)-Hakkengu: Dedicated to the same deity as Hongu (main shrine), where the Kusanagi-no-tsurugi sword is enshrined, Bekku is the next highest class after the main hall.
  2. 2. Minami-shingu-sha: This shrine is dedicated to a deity for warding off plagues and other disasters, and is the only vermilion-lacquered sanctuary building in the precincts of Atsuta Jingu.
  3. 3. Shimizu-sha: Located on the Kokoro-no-komichi footpath that leads to the back of Hongu, this shrine has a sacred spring flowing out from behind the building. It is said that by washing your skin with the spring water, you will become more beautiful. In the center of the spring is a rock believed to be a part of the tomb of Princess Yang Guifei, known as one of the greatest beauties in ancient China.
  1. 4. A hanging lantern bathes the precincts in faint light at dawn. It bears the noble beauty of a black opal.
  2. 5. Standing near Shimizu-sha, this huge camphor tree has outlived many human lives.
  3. 6. Known as “Narazu-no-ume,” meaning an ume Japanese apricot tree that has never borne fruit, albeit producing flowers, this 400-year-old ume tree is now in bloom.

Some of the shrines connected to Atsuta Jingu are located outside its precincts. Stretch your legs and visit those shrines to add more pleasure to your visit to Nagoya

Hikamianego Shrine
Hikamianego Shrine
Closely associated with Atsuta Jingu, it enshrines Miyasuhime-no-Mikoto, wife of Prince Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto. This site is said to have been that of the Princess’s parental house.

MAP 30

  • Takakura-musubi-miko Shrine
    Takakura-musubi-miko Shrine
    Enshrining the ancestral deity of the Owari clan (the Nagoya area today), this shrine is worshipped as a deity of child-rearing.

    MAP 36

  • Takakura-musubi-miko Shrine
    Rei-no-mimae-sha Shrine
    Enshrining the deity of entertainment. It is said that there was once a custom of purifying oneself at this shrine before going on to worship at Atsuta Jingu.

    MAP 38

POWER ANIMALS

While touring shrines in Nagoya, you will be surprised to see the diversity of the shrines dedicated to animal deities―in locations ranging from business districts to corners of elegant residential streets, peaceful farming areas, and secluded holy sites that are difficult to reach. Visiting such a variety of shrines in Nagoya will give you the impression of traveling throughout Japan, a fascinating experience.

  • Ooi Shrine

    Ooi Shrine

    Very prolific, the dog deity is believed to bestow divine blessings for easy delivery

    MAP 1

  • Sukunahikona Shrine

    Sukunahikona Shrine

    This small shrine is dedicated to a deity of medicine symbolized by a rabbit

    MAP 41

  • Takamu Shrine

    Takamu Shrine

    At this shrine for fulfilling love, you will meet an owl deity that wards off troubles and hardship.

    MAP 14

  • Inu Shrine

    Inu Shrine

    This shrine is dedicated to the Dog King that protected the village against flood damage. Drawing a Dog King omikuji fortune is also recommended.

    MAP 55

  • Shimada Shrine

    Shimada Shrine

    This is a deity of a bird called an “uso,” or bullfinch, who turns people’s mistakes and faults into lies, as implied by the name (“uso” also means “lie.”)

    MAP 23

  • Kogane Shrine (in the grounds of Yamada Tenmangu Shrine)

    Kogane Shrine
    (in the grounds of Yamada Tenmangu Shrine)

    These Kogane mice, wielding a small golden mallet, are believed to bring economic fortune as messengers of the deity. Kogane mouse omikuji fortunes are available at the shrine.

    MAP 5

  • Susanoo Shrine

    Susanoo Shrine

    This shrine enshrines deities for warding off epidemics and sundering evil relationships. In the precincts is a cow deity sculpture, commonly seen in Japan; nade-ushi, meaning “stroking cows,” is a standard procedure, since through this action our prayers will be answered.

    MAP 50

  • Tobe Shrine

    Tobe Shrine

    Frog-shaped omikuji fortunes. A frog is an auspicious animal for safe journeys, as anecdote has it. (“Kaeru,” the term for “frog” in Japanese is phonetically the same as that for "return.")

    MAP 32

  • Miwa Shrine

    Miwa Shrine

    Cute rabbit deity sculptures welcome you here and there. Looking for them is a part of the fun of worshipping at this shrine. Omamori amulets and ema votive picture tablets are all designed with the rabbit deity.

    MAP 46

  • Hitsuij Shrine

    Hitsuij Shrine

    This shrine is dedicated to the deity of fire. In its precincts is a sculpture of parent and child sheep, which offers divine blessings for family protection. Cute sheep can also be found at Temizuya (purification font) and on ema (votive picture tablets).

    MAP 4

  • Ikutama Inari Shrine

    Ikutama Inari Shrine

    Pay a visit to worship this good-luck fox cuddling a little fox with an affectionate gaze.

    MAP 11

  • Kawahara Shrine

    Kawahara Shrine

    Turtles living in the pond at this shrine are considered deities, who sometimes stray into nearby houses. They should then be entertained with sake so that they can be happily inebriated before returning to the pond, according to a folktale handed down from olden times. The cute turtle in the photo is an amulet.

    MAP 18

POWER OF THE SPIRITS

Now that you have visited Atsuta Jingu, where the Kusanagi-no-tsurugi divine sword is enshrined, next we will guide you to the city center area.
Having been deified, the princes and princesses in the legends watch over us as deities who bestow many divine blessings upon us.

Legend of the Prince

Atsuta-sha Shrine

Atsuta-sha Shrine

At this shrine, Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto is worshipped as a deity. A large torii gate towers above the surrounding fields and paddies. Its pure white sanctuary building is reminiscent of a swan in exuberant spirits.

MAP 39

  • Itsukiyama-inari-sha Shrine

    Itsukiyama-inari-sha Shrine

    The place where Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto and his wife were joined in marriage. Since this place faced the sea at that time, they woke to the sound of waves on the morning after their nuptial night. Today, the place is still called “Mezame-no-sato” (village of waking.)

    MAP 31

  • Tachibana Shrine

    Tachibana Shrine

    This shrine concerns an event that happened before Yamatotakeru-no-Mikoto met Miyasuhime-no-Mikoto. On his way to conquer the east, he was caught in a storm on the sea. His then wife Ototachibana-hime, who was accompanying him, sacrificed herself to the sea, quelling the anger of the sea god. This shrine is sacred to the memory of Ototachibana-hime.

    MAP 29

Dragon Power

Hakuryu Shrine

Hakuryu Shrine

In ancient times when fever was prevalent, a shrine was erected at the base of a willow tree to the spirit of a deity according to his divine revelation, causing the epidemic to subside. Later, the deity was moved to a ginkgo tree. Since then, the deity has continued to be venerated by people, being affectionately called “Hakuryu san.”

MAP 51

Kuragarinomori Hachiman Shrine

Kuragarinomori Hachiman Shrine

When lightning struck in the area, a married black dragon deity couple landed to dwell in this camphor tree. The deities are said to have brought business prosperity, good luck in relationships, and other blessings to local worshippers.

MAP 48

Storytelling

Ryuji-sha Shrine

Ryuji-sha Shrine

This shrine enshrines a snake with ears as a deity, whose life was spared after being caught. This event happened over a hundred years ago and appeared in a newspaper at that time. The deity is held to have the divine power to cure ear disorders.

MAP 12

  • Rokusho Shrine
  • Rokusho Shrine

Rokusho Shrine

Legend has it that, hearing a baby crying in a forest and going there to investigate, a villager found a young couple holding a baby. The couple vanished shortly afterward, a mystery that led to rumors that they may have been deities. This is how an annual festival started to be held for safe child delivery on February 26, the date of their disappearance. Every year, the festival attracts many visitors who gather to obtain colorful candies that represent umbilical cords.

MAP 9

Galaxy

Yobitsugi Shrine

Yobitsugi Shrine

This shrine enshrines a meteorite, or “star stone,” that fell from space on this area. A picture depicting a scene of people surrounding the meteorite is preserved in an ancient document in Nagoya.

MAP 35

Hoshimiya-sha Shrine

Hoshimiya-sha Shrine

This shrine was founded according to a divine oracle received at a time that seven stars (presumed to be the Big Dipper) fell from the sky. (There are various theories about its origin.)

MAP 34

GOOD LUCK

A complete collection of behaviors that attract good luck

Shinsui

  • Shiogama Shrine

    Shiogama Shrine

    Pour water three times over the head of a kappa, an imaginary creature with a cavity called a “sara” (dish) on top of its head, and your prayers will be answered.

    MAP 40

  • Sakura Tenjin-sha Shrine

    Sakura Tenjin-sha Shrine

    Pouring shinsui/jinzui, water offered to deities, over the cow deity as many times as your age will grant you your wishes.

    MAP 44

  • Kogane Shrine (in the grounds of Yamada Tenmangu Shrine)

    Kogane Shrine (in the grounds of Yamada Tenmangu Shrine)

    Pour shinsui/jinzui water three times each over Ebisu on the left and Daikokuten on the right as you face them, who are both among the Seven Deities of Fortune. Next, pour the water flowing out from under their feet over your money, and your economic fortune will improve!

    MAP 5

  • Nanao Tenjin-sha Shrine

    Nanao Tenjin-sha Shrine

    Place a piece of paper with your prayers written on it on the back of the turtle with seven tails (“nanao” means seven tails), and pour water over the paper. When the paper dissolves in the water, that is a sign that your prayers have been heard by the deity.

    MAP 6

  • Shiroyama Hachimangu Shrine

    Shiroyama Hachimangu Shrine

    Rose quartz is a power stone that soothes the soul. Immerse koi-mikuji, a love fortune-telling lot, in the water-filled basin arranged with rose quartz, and characters will appear, telling your love fortune. Omikuji related to matters other than love are also available.

    MAP 15

Stroking

  • Gosha-gu Shrine

    Gosha-gu Shrine

    The shrine has a natural stone called “nade-ishi,” or stroking stone, in front of the hall of worship. Stroking the stone will render your prayers for economic fortune and safe child delivery more powerful.

    MAP 22

  • Wakeoe Shrine

    Wakeoe Shrine

    Stroke the head, belly and legs of the Ebisu deity statue and then lift him up, and you will be blessed with good fortune.

    MAP 3

  • Ichino Gozen-sha Shrine

    Ichino Gozen-sha Shrine

    Visit to worship the sacred tree where Kokuryu Ou (Black Dragon King ) and Hakuryu Hime (White Dragon Princess) dwell, and touch the tree with your hand and then the affected area of your body―a procedure believed to help cure illness.

    MAP 20

  • 三輪神社

    Miwa Shrine

    The cute nade-usagi, or stroking rabbit, helps you recover from illness.

    MAP 46

Tying

  • Biyo Shrine

    Biyo Shrine

    This shrine is dedicated to the lords of Nagoya Castle, the symbol of Nagoya City. The ceremony is held in the New Year (in January), involving tying paper wish slips onto a hemp cord. The beautiful view created by pink and light blue wish slips swaying in the wind is worth seeing.

    MAP 16

  • Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine

    Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine

    According to legend, tying pink and light blue wish ribbons called negai-no-o to a dedicated place means your prayers will be answered.

    MAP 45

  • Ikutama Inari Shrine

    Ikutama Inari Shrine

    Purchase a goen-suzu (literally, “relationship bell,” meaning a bell that brings good luck in relationships) at the shrine office and tie it to a musubi kitsune, a “relationship-forming fox couple.” You may take home the five-yen coin that comes with the bell as an omamori amulet. (The term for “five yen” in Japanese is “goen,” which has the same sound as that for “relationship.”)

    MAP 11

Direction

  • Yamada Tenmangu Shrine
    Yamada Tenmangu Shrine

    Yamada Tenmangu Shrine

    Turn the cow’s face in the direction of the place related to the wish that you hope will be granted, and then hang a wish bell around the neck of the deity on the cow.
    The papier-mâché deity must be returned to the shrine after your wish has come true.

    MAP 5

Walking

  • Tako Hachiman-sha Shrine

    Tako Hachiman-sha Shrine

    These two trees support each other, and hence are called “wago-no-ki,” meaning “trees in harmony.” By walking around them seven-and-a-half times, you will be blessed with children.

    MAP 21

  • Shiroyama Hachimangu Shrine

    Shiroyama Hachimangu Shrine

    Make a wish while touching the blue stone and walk toward the red stone with your eyes closed. If you reach it with a single try, your dearest wish will be fulfilled. Reaching it after trying a couple of times suggests that your dearest wish will be fulfilled through persistent effort. If someone gives you a hand to reach it, you will be able to fulfill your wish with someone’s help.

    MAP 15

Lifting

  • Hakuryu-sha Shrine (in the precincts of Gokiso Hachimangu Shrine)

    Hakuryu-sha Shrine (in the precincts of Gokiso Hachimangu Shrine)

    The purple omokaru-ishi is said to not only aid the granting of your wish but also to reduce your pain when stroked.

    MAP 17

  • Ofuku Inari-sha Shrine

    Ofuku Inari-sha Shrine

    A rare stone in the shape of a mani hoju (wish-fulfilling jewel).

    MAP 2

  • Tamanushi Inari Shrine (in the precincts of Inu Shrine)

    Tamanushi Inari Shrine (in the precincts of Inu Shrine)

    A shrine dedicated to a deity for prosperous business.

    MAP 55

Resonating

  • Susaki Shrine
    Susaki Shrine

    Susaki Shrine

    Wave a haraegushi, or purification wand, to the left, right and left again, pass through the small torii gate, and ring the bell. Proceed to Ishigami, the stone deity, located at the side of the approach to the shrine. Hang a dedicated loop with your paper wish slip attached around the pole to which a five-color cloth is tied, and ring another bell there. The resonating sounds of the two bells are the charm that will form good relationships.

    MAP 47

Looking

  • Takakura-musubi-miko Shrine

    Takakura-musubi-miko Shrine

    According to legend, children will stop being mischievous after they look into the well where Ryujin-sama, the dragon deity, lives.

    MAP 36

  • Gokiso Hachimangu Shrine

    Gokiso Hachimangu Shrine

    After praying to find a good partner and looking through the hole in the mitooshi-no-ishi, or “looking-through” stone, you will then be able to foresee your future.

    MAP 17

Offering

  • Katayama Hachiman Shrine
    Katayama Hachiman Shrine

    Katayama Hachiman Shrine

    Visitors may make offerings before the altar, allowing them to worship the deity more fervently. The hatsuho-ryo (the money offered to shrines) can be offered in any amount you think appropriate as a token of gratitude.

    MAP 8

Tapping

  • Wakeoe Shrine

    Wakeoe Shrine

    Tap the wooden board with the mallet to bring good luck. The sound produced will draw the attention of the deity, who will then listen to your prayers.

    MAP 3

Goshuin
Ema・Omamori

Goshuin (stamped proof of your visit to the shrine) that is considered to embody your respect for the deity; ema (votive picture tablet) that conveys your prayers to the deity; and omamori (amulet) through which you will be bestowed with divine favor.
All of these items are gracious gifts from the deities.
In ancient Japan, whose culture was centered around rice farming, people offered harvested rice to the deities to express their genuine gratitude. Cash offered at shrines is called "hatsuho-ryo" (literally, "first rice harvest of the year"), representing a relic of this ancient custom. So, receive such gifts with gratitude to the deities.

Goshuin
(stamped proof of visit)

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NEXT

  • Nanasho Shrine

    Nanasho Shrine

    MAP 33

    The goshuin stamp in the upper photo is prepared with a traditional Japanese paper-cutting art technique known as “kirie,” and is offered only in January. A happy birthday goshuin stamp is also available.

  • Miwa Shrine

    Miwa Shrine

    MAP 46

    These cute rabbits are very popular! Those visiting this shrine on their birthday can receive a specially designed happy birthday goshuin stamp.

  • Gosha-gu Shrine

    Gosha-gu Shrine

    MAP 22

    A god of wealth holding a treasure sack and a dragon to improve your fortune.

  • Nagoya Toshogu Shrine

    Nagoya Toshogu Shrine

    MAP 42

    A limited-edition gold goshuin stamp that makes you feel the weight of history.

  • Yatsurugi Shrine

    Yatsurugi Shrine

    MAP 10

    The amabie, one of the yokai creatures of Japanese folklore believed to have the power to ward off plagues, embodies a prayer for eliminating disease.

  • Wakeoe Shrine

    Wakeoe Shrine

    MAP 3

    Goshuin stamps with a different design every month are popular.
    A happy birthday goshuin stamp is also recommended.

Ema
(votive picture tablet)

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  • Susaki Shrine

    Susaki Shrine

    MAP 47

    This ema is hand-painted with a depiction of Saru hiki no uma, a legend in which a monkey with the power to protect horses from plagues is leading a horse.

  • Katayama Hachiman Shrine

    Katayama Hachiman Shrine

    MAP 8

    These ema are painted with a picture of a Citrus tachibana tree that is featured in the shrine’s crest.
    In the precincts of this shrine, these ema in seven different colors are hung in lines in the emaden, the votive tablet hall, creating beautiful views.

  • Toyokuni Shrine

    Toyokuni Shrine

    MAP 49

    A famed general was believed to have been born at this site. This ema is designed after hyotan gourds that he was particularly fond of, and brings luck in competitions and forming good relationships.

  • Jizuka Shrine(located in the grounds of Inokoishi Shinmei-sha Shrine)

    Jizuka Shrine(located in the grounds of Inokoishi Shinmei-sha Shrine)

    MAP 12

    This shrine offers blessings for the health of the lower part of the body below the waist. The ema is humorously drawn with a picture of a peach resembling a bottom.

  • Shiogama Shrine

    Shiogama Shrine

    MAP 40

    This kappa, an imaginary creature, drawn with an anime touch is attention-grabbing.

  • Gosha-gu Shrine

    Gosha-gu Shrine

    MAP 22

    This ema is hand-painted with a picture of Mt. Fuji, a popular symbol all over the world.

  • Hakuryu Shrine

    Hakuryu Shrine

    MAP 51

    An ema with a picture of a rising dragon.

  • Hoshi Shrine

    Hoshi Shrine

    MAP 54

    On this ema, the loving couple Orihime and Hikoboshi, who were separated across the Milky Way in the Tanabata legend, are tied together with a red thread.

Omamori
(amulet)

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  • Nanao Tenjin-sha Shrine

    Nanao Tenjin-sha Shrine

    MAP 6

    Bullfinch-shaped wooden amulets These wooden amulets represent bullfinches, which are believed to be the guardian deity of the deity of academics, and also to turn mistakes and faults into lies (“bullfinch” is "uso" in Japanese, also meaning "lie"). Buyers have a one in ten chance to get a golden-colored amulet.

  • Hitsuji Shrine

    Hitsuji Shrine

    MAP 4

    Designed with sheep due to the shrine’s name (“hitsuji” means sheep), this omamori amulet brings happiness. Dedicated to the deity of fire, this shrine offers divine favor for avoiding fires. The amulets are available for purchase every day except on Tuesday afternoons, Wednesdays and Fridays.

  • Konarumi Hachiman-sha Shrine

    Konarumi Hachiman-sha Shrine

    MAP 26

    By putting together the two parts of a shiawase-kai, a happiness shell, you will be blessed with good encounters. This handmade amulet can be purchased only on the 1st and 15th days of each month.

  • Katayama Hachiman Shrine

    Katayama Hachiman Shrine

    MAP 8

    This sachi-mamori, or amulet for happiness, is beautiful with an embroidered crane in gold thread on a pure white background. The amulet can attract happiness through the power of the character “sachi” (happiness) embroidered on it.

  • Susaki Shrine

    Susaki Shrine

    MAP 47

    (From left to right) Traditional bell amulet consisting of five-colored ginkgo nuts that bestows divine blessings for warding off plagues; white snake amulet granting family prosperity and luck with money; and an amulet for societal and family ties.

  • Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine

    Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine

    MAP 45

    (Clockwise from the left) Amulets made with a genuine stone that brings good luck in relationships; omikuji fortunes in the shape of the deity Fukurokuju who grants happiness, economic fortune, and long life; and an amulet embodying prayers for Tokowaka, a concept unique to Japan that means always being fresh and youthful while living in the present, not being bound by the past and the future.

  • Kuragarinomori Hachiman Shrine

    Kuragarinomori Hachiman Shrine

    MAP 48

    A peach seed amulet, based on the belief that a peach is a spiritual fruit that wards off evil spirits.

  • Takamu Shrine

    Takamu Shrine

    MAP 14

    This amulet with a cute, transparent pink heart brings good luck in relationships and romance. Since it is also available in turquoise blue, couples may wish to wear matching amulets.

  • Shiroyama Hachimangu Shrine

    Shiroyama Hachimangu Shrine

    MAP 15

    The amulet in the shape of a fruit of Citrus tachibana, the sacred trees standing in the precincts, grants healthy longevity, while the other amulet containing elegantly fragrant potpourri made from the same trees wards off evil spirits.

  • Narumi Shrine

    Narumi Shrine

    MAP 28

    Tie-dyeing is one of the traditional cultures that Nagoya boasts, and this tie-dyed amulet is something you won’t see anywhere else. It is said that the practice of decorating fabric for amulets with patterns had its beginnings in prayers for warding off evil.

  • Yatsurugi Shrine

    Yatsurugi Shrine

    MAP 10

    These pretty amulets designed with a birth flower of each month show you what that flower means in the language of flowers. They also make good gifts. Available for purchase only on the 1st and the 15th, and their respective nearest Sundays in each month.

  • Inokoishi Shinmei-sha Shrine

    Inokoishi Shinmei-sha Shrine

    MAP 12

    These happiness amulets are designed with a wild boar, with which this shrine is connected. Behind them is a bell called a “migawari-suzu,” literally “substitute bell,” which is commonly placed at the entrance to a house as an amulet against evil. The bell is said to break when it has taken on calamities meant for its owner.

  • Tobe Shrine

    Tobe Shrine

    MAP 32

    (From the left) Three-happiness frog amulet bringing luck with money, safe journeys, and health; a gold frog amulet for business recovery; and an orange, six-happiness frog amulet granting wishes for happiness, good luck in relationships, luck with money, long life, better luck, and safe journeys.

  • Nagoya Toshogu Shrine

    Nagoya Toshogu Shrine

    MAP 42

    In Japan, the most auspicious dream among hatsuyume, the first dream you have in the New Year, is held to be of Mt. Fuji, followed by dreams of hawks and eggplants. A shogunate general, enshrined as the deity at this shrine, indeed cherished these auspicious items. These hatsuyume bell amulets are available at the shrine and can also be ordered.

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