Nagoya Shrine Visit Report 2025 Mizuho No.2 Hojo Hachiman Shrine
I went there and took the photos on October 13, 2025.
Hojo Hachiman Small Shrine — A Wayside Sanctuary Linked to Oda Nobuteru
On a small rise in Marune, Mizuho Ward, this compact Hachiman sanctuary has the quiet presence of a hokora—a wayside shrine—rather than a grand shrine complex. By local tradition, it guarded the nearby Nakane Minami Castle and is connected to Oda Nobuteru, a lesser-known kinsman of Oda Nobunaga.
1) Deity and Origins
The principal deity is Hojo Hachiman Okami. In the Hachiman tradition, this name is locally understood as an aspect of Emperor Ojin, the classical figure identified with Hachiman in Japan. The sanctuary is believed to have taken shape in the mid-Edo period, around 1725 (Kyoho 10).
Note: While the local name “Hojo Hachiman Okami” is used here, the broader Hachiman faith commonly identifies the deity with Emperor Ojin.
2) Nakane Minami Castle and the Nobuteru Tradition
Just east of the small shrine stood the Sengoku-period Nakane Minami Castle. Local lore holds that Oda Nobuteru resided there and venerated Hachiman as the castle guardian deity. Today the ground still shows faint terraces and rises that recall the former fortifications.
3) Oda Nobuteru — Concise Profile (History & Tradition)
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Oda Nobuteru |
| Life | 1546 (Tenbun 15) – 1610 (Keicho 15) |
| Lineage | Kinsman of Oda Nobunaga (sources vary: half-brother or cousin). Fostered by the Nakane family. |
| Titles | From Izumi-no-kami to Ecchu-no-kami |
| Seat | Traditionally associated with Nakane Minami Castle (Mizuho Ward, Nagoya) |
| Record | Noted for participating in the 1581 cavalry review (Uma-zoroe); otherwise sparse in major war records. |
| Local Role | By tradition, promoted Hachiman worship as guardian of the castle; encouraged local martial folk arts. |
| Death | Spent later years quietly in Owari; died in 1610 (age 65). |
Important: Nobuteru is not enshrined here as a deity in formal records. The sanctuary enshrines Hojo Hachiman Okami (identified with Emperor Ojin). Nobuteru is honored in local memory through the shrine’s historic role as a castle guardian.
4) Oda Nobunaga — Context in Brief
Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) was the transformative warlord of Owari who broke the old order, defeated Imagawa at Okehazama, advanced firearms tactics, and promoted market reforms (rakuichi-rakuza). His drive toward centralization shaped the transition from the Sengoku era to early modern Japan; his legacy continued through Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
5) Atmosphere — A Hokora on a Small Rise
Rather than a large shrine complex, this site feels like a hokora—a modest, wayside sanctuary on a gentle rise. Stone lanterns, a water basin, and modest stonework frame a quiet space where the wind carries memories of the former castle and the villagers’ prayers.
Closing Statement
Japan has roughly 88,000 shrines. Each holds the memory of its land and the prayers of its people. From places like this small Hachiman sanctuary, I will continue documenting stone lanterns, guardian komainu, water basins, and the very air of the precincts—turning each visit into a living record on Japanstones.shop.