Atsuta Shrine
Located in Nagoya, Japan (in Aichi Prefecture), Atsuta Jingu (Atsuta Shrine) is one of the fifteen prestigious shrines entitled to receive visits from imperial messengers at festivals. It purportedly enshrines Kusanagi no Tsurugi (Grass-Mowing Sword), one of the three imperial regalia. This sword is said to have been removed from the tail of a serpent by Amaterasu's brother (Susanoo no Mikoto) and dedicated to his sister as a sign of submission to her rule. The shrine enshrines Atsuta no kami, Amaterasu, Susanoo no Mikoto, and Yamatotakeru, the possessor of the sword who died in the area.
Situated on 200,000 square meters of land, with groves of thousand-year-old camphor trees, the shrine was originally built in the Taisha style, as was the Izumo Shrine, with a slightly concave thatched roof and steep wooden steps at the entrance. It was rebuilt in 1893 and again in 1935 in the Shinmei style, long in frontage and short in depth, with logs placed at intervals across the ridgepole. Partly damaged during World War II, it was repaired in 1955 and now is popular for first visits at the New Year.
Further Reading
Bocking, Brian. (1995) A Popular Dictionary of Shinto. Surrey, U.K.: Curzon.
Holtom, D. C. (1965) The National Faith of Japan: A Study in Modern Shinto. New York: Paragon.
Picken, Stuart D. B. (1994) Essentials of Shinto: An Analytical Guide to Principal Teachings. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
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