Nagoya Shrine Visit Report 2025 Mizuho No.27 Shinmei Sha Shrine
Nakayama Shinmei Shrine in Winter Light
On December 18, 2025, in the afternoon, under a clear sky, I offered my prayers at Nakayama Shinmei Shrine.
This small shrine stands quietly in Nakayama-cho, Mizuho Ward, Nagoya. The moment you pass through the roadside torii gate, the sound of the neighborhood softens. The approach is short, yet the atmosphere feels dense—crisp air, clean shadows on stone, and a calm that makes you slow down without thinking.
In front of the worship hall, the komainu (guardian lion-dogs) hold their positions on both sides. The woodwork, the sacred rope, and the simple symmetry create a steady, reassuring presence—very much a local shrine that has been cared for through everyday life rather than spectacle.
At a glance
| Shrine | Nakayama Shinmei Shrine (Nakayama Shinmei-sha) |
|---|---|
| Location | Nakayama-cho, Mizuho Ward, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan |
| Visit | Afternoon, clear weather (December 18, 2025) |
| Highlights | Torii approach, worship hall, komainu, stone water basin, and a sacred camphor tree linked to Ryujin worship |
From the Torii to the Worship Hall
The entrance torii frames the precinct like a clean boundary line. A few steps in, stone lanterns and fences guide your eyes forward until the worship hall appears. The space is compact, but it feels “complete”—as if everything needed for prayer is already in place.
The Sacred Camphor Tree and Ryujin Worship
The most unforgettable part of this visit was the sacred tree. In the precinct, a small torii stands near the base of a large camphor tree, and an on-site board explains the background of Ryujin worship here. The message is clear: faith gathered around the tree first, and the space was later shaped and maintained by parishioners and worshippers as a proper sanctuary.
On-site board (summary)
The board describes how people believed a dragon deity resided in the great camphor tree, and how devotion grew over time. With support from parishioners and worshippers, the sacred area was arranged and the worship of Shinmei Ryujin was formally honored and continued.
Stone Water Basin
The water basin and ladles quietly keep the rhythm of worship intact. Even when no one is speaking, you can feel the order of movement—pause, rinse, breathe, and then step toward the hall. In winter sunlight, the stone texture becomes especially vivid.
Historical Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1667 | Founded. A small shrine was built on an ancient kofun mound, and Amaterasu was enshrined. |
| 1692 | Atsuta Okami was invited and enshrined (as recorded in local shrine introductions). |
| 1754 | Wakamiya Hachiman was invited and enshrined (as recorded in local shrine introductions). |
| 1907 | Relocated to the current site due to school construction in the area (as recorded in local shrine introductions). |
| 1923 | The shrine came to be called “Nakayama Shinmei Shrine” (as recorded in local shrine introductions). |
| 1939 | Akiba-sha and Tenno-sha were merged/enshrined together (as recorded in local shrine introductions). |
| 1984 | The sacred tree was treated as the sacred tree of Shinmei Ryujin (as recorded in local shrine introductions). |
| 1987 | A divided spirit was invited from Dazaifu Tenmangu, and Shinmei Tenmangu was established (as recorded in local shrine introductions). |
Enshrined Deities
| Role | Deity |
|---|---|
| Main enshrined deity | Amaterasu Omikami |
| Enshrined deity | Yamato Takeru-no-Mikoto |
| Enshrined deity | Emperor Nintoku |
Precinct Shrines
Within the grounds, several small shrines and worship areas sit together behind fences. They add depth to the precinct: not a single point of faith, but layers of prayer that have accumulated through the needs of a community.
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tsushima-sha | Listed as a precinct shrine within the grounds. |
| Akiba-sha | Listed as a precinct shrine within the grounds. |
| Atsuta Shrine (precinct) | Listed as a precinct shrine within the grounds. |
| Tenmangū | Listed as a precinct shrine within the grounds; local introductions mention a connection to a divided spirit invited from Dazaifu Tenmangū. |
| Ryūjin-sha | Listed as a precinct shrine within the grounds; on-site signage links worship here to the sacred camphor tree (Ryūjin belief). |
Closing
Nakayama Shinmei Shrine is not a place that tries to impress. Instead, it restores your pace. The clear winter sky, the short approach, the steady komainu, and the presence of the sacred tree—everything here feels focused on one thing: offering a quiet, honest space for prayer.
Last updated: 2025-12-18 (JST)