ATSUTA-JINGU

This shrine is dedicated to Amaterasu - the Shinto sun goddess from whom all Japanese emperors are said to be descended. After the shrine at Ise, this spiritual Mecca remains the most venerated in Japan. It is set in parkland, where the beauty of the trees and the rarity of the species confer great majesty. The shrine was built in 86 A.D. to house the sacred Kusanagi no tsurugi sword (the two-edged grass-cutting sword), which is unfortunately not on public display. This sword represents one of the three imperial attributes (which are the mirror, the large eight-element ring and the two-edged sword). It was a gift from Amaterasu Ōmikami to a Japanese clan chief, Takeru Yamato, considered Japan's first federator. He escaped an ambush after cutting the flaming grass with the sacred sword. The sanctuary has the same architectural features as the sanctuaries of Ise. A sacred enclosure, Nakanoe, surrounds the main building, the Hon-gū, and a secondary shrine. The park features several tea pavilions.

To the east of the park is the Bunka den (open from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., except on the last Wednesday and Thursday of the month. Admission: ¥300), where the shrine's treasures are on display. Of particular note is a fine collection of bugaku masks. On the other side of the Hori-kawa River is the pleasant traditional Shirotori garden with a teahouse (open from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., except Mondays. Admission charge).