Atsuta Shrine

One of Shinto's holiest shrines, Atsuta Shrine occupies a great forested precinct in the south of Nagoya and ranks second in sanctity only to the Grand Shrine of Ise. Its prestige rests on the belief that it enshrines the Kusanagi sword, one of the three sacred Imperial Regalia of Japan, an object of such reverence that it is never displayed, lending the shrine an aura of deep antiquity and mystery.

The setting is a pocket of ancient forest. Within the city, the grounds preserve a grove of towering camphor and other old trees, some said to be many centuries old, that shade the gravel approaches and wooden halls. The main sanctuary is built in the austere, unpainted cypress style of classical Shinto architecture, and the hush beneath the canopy makes the precinct feel far removed from the surrounding streets.

It is a living centre of worship. Atsuta hosts a busy calendar of festivals and rituals through the year, drawing crowds at New Year and for its great summer festival, while a treasure hall displays swords, masks and documents offered to the shrine over the ages. Everyday visitors come to pray, to walk the wooded paths and to sample the shrine's famous kishimen flat noodles at a stall in the grounds.

For a visit, the shrine is free to enter, open through daylight hours and easily reached by train or subway to nearby stations. It is fully walkable on level gravel paths, suiting most visitors, and works well as a tranquil counterpoint to Nagoya's castles and museums. Any season suits, though New Year and the June festival bring the most colour and the largest, most atmospheric crowds. The deep grove of old trees, so unexpected in a big city, is as memorable as the shrine's sacred aura.