Nagoya Shrine Visit Report 2025 Mizuho No.5 Shokyu Shrine
I visit Shinto shrines across Japan to document their stone structures—torii gates, lanterns, guardian komainu, and water basins.
On October 23, 2025, I visited Shokyu Shrine in Mizuhoku, Nagoya, to explore its beautiful stone craftsmanship and serene atmosphere.
— “Bringing the Spirit of Ieyasu Back to the Skies of Owari” —
Shokyu Jinja, a Shinto shrine located in Mizuhoku, Nagoya, enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate.
In 1716, during the height of the Edo period—the age of peace under Tokugawa rule—Lord Tokugawa Tsugutomo, the sixth feudal lord of Owari (present-day Aichi Prefecture), took up his brush and wrote:
“Let the virtue of our ancestor spread rightly and forever.”
The phrase “spread rightly” — in Japanese, Shōkyū (正及) — would later become the name of this small yet dignified shrine: Shokyu Jinja.
The Spirit of Ieyasu Arrives in Owari
Owari was one of the three Tokugawa branch domains, directly descended from Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo Shogunate. A loyal retainer, Kagiya Den'emon, brought a divine spirit of Ieyasu from Nikkō Tōshōgū, Ieyasu’s great mausoleum in eastern Japan. Thus, Shokyu Shrine was born.
At that time, the people of Nagoya were suffering from fires and epidemics. Lord Tsugutomo wished to restore peace to his domain by enshrining Ieyasu’s protective spirit and placing two guardian shrines beside him: one for fire prevention and one for protection from disease.
The Triad of Protection
The three shrines within the grounds of Shokyu Jinja form a sacred balance — a spiritual defense for the people of Owari.
| Role | Shrine | Deity | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center | Tōshō Daigongen (Tokugawa Ieyasu) | Founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate | Guardian of peace, order, and good fortune |
| Right | Akiba Shrine | Kagutsuchi no Kami – the Fire God | Protector against fire and disaster |
| Left | Tenno Shrine | Susanoo no Mikoto (Gozu Tennō) | Guardian against epidemics and illness |
Rebirth and Continuity
In 1984, the main hall was reconstructed in reinforced concrete after centuries of service. Yet the “triple hollyhock crest” (Mitsuba Aoi) of the Tokugawa family still adorns the shrine curtain, proudly marking it as part of the Tōshōgū lineage of Ieyasu worship.
Even today, sunlight filters gently through the trees of Mizuhoku, illuminating the shrine’s white walls and the smiling guardian lion-dogs (komainu). It feels as if the prayers of Owari’s people from 300 years ago still echo softly beneath the canopy.
The Meaning of “Shokyu”
To “spread rightly” means to let righteousness flow naturally from one person to another. The name Shokyu embodies the wish of those who sought to preserve Tokugawa Ieyasu’s wisdom and integrity for generations to come.
Summary Table of Deities
| Shrine | Deity | Aspect | Blessings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Hall | Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tōshō Daigongen) | Deified founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate | Success, victory, peace, protection of the nation | Spirit brought from Nikkō Tōshōgū in 1716 |
| Akiba Shrine | Kagutsuchi no Kami | Fire deity | Protection from fire and disaster | Originates from Akihasan Hongū Akiba Shrine in Shizuoka |
| Tenno Shrine | Susanoo no Mikoto / Gozu Tennō | Deity of protection from plagues | Health, exorcism, good fortune | Rooted in the Gion faith of Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine |
| Hagiyama Shinko-sha | Sugawara no Michizane | God of learning | Academic success, scholarship | Recorded in Nagoya city historical archives |
Closing Statement
Japan has roughly 88,000 shrines. Each holds the memory of its land and the prayers of its people. (According to Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, there are approximately 88,000 Shinto shrines across the country.)
From places like this small Shokyu Shrine in Mizuhoku, 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.