Nagoya, Japan Temple Visit Report 2026 Showa No.2 Joushouji (Myoukengu)

Jōshō-ji (Myōken-gū) — A Nichiren Buddhist Temple with a Torii Gate, Where Shinto–Buddhist Blending Still Feels “Untouched” (Japan)

I’ve been visiting shrines and religious sites in and around Nagoya, starting from Mizuho Ward—where my office and warehouse are located—to share Japanese stone culture with people overseas.

A torii gate is originally associated with Shinto, but after visiting Zenshoji / Hakusansha (a place that used to be treated as one complex), I realized this next stop would be just as hard to label at first glance.

Bottom line first: Jōshō-ji in Myōken-chō, Shōwa Ward, Nagoya is a Nichiren Buddhist temple.

However, you’ll see a torii gate on the approach stairs with the words “Myōken-gū,” so it’s easy to assume it’s a Shinto shrine. That’s the confusing part.

I went there in person to confirm what it actually is: Jōshō-ji (Myōken-gū).

The easiest way to understand the “mix” is to separate the core object of devotion from the visual signs. The core devotion here is Myōken Daibosatsu (a Buddhist figure linked to the North Star / Polaris), enshrined within the temple.

And the torii here isn’t simply a “shrine-only marker.” It’s better understood as a surviving sign of an older era, when people used “-gū” (a “shrine” style expression) as an entrance label for Myōken worship—so the gate remained in the landscape even as the site functions as a Buddhist temple.

In other words, the torii and the name “Myōken-gū” are visible traces of Japan’s historical Shinto–Buddhist blending that still remain clearly on-site.

Date visited: 2026-02-19 (JST)

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Photos

Temple grounds

My first impression of the grounds: it feels clearly like a Buddhist temple, yet the name “Myōken-gū” sits naturally within the space.

A stone-built purification basin (temizuya)

A stone temizuya with a dragon carving

Jōshō-ji main hall

The front of the main hall. The entrance design is striking, and the hanging plaques are also worth a close look.

A cemetery spreads out to the left and behind the main hall.

Torii gate and main hall together

Stone monument

The Shinme-dō (Sacred Horse Hall) across from the main hall

A “Sacred Horse Hall” inside a temple precinct is one more reason this place is difficult to describe in a single label.

The white “sacred horse.” It’s easier to understand this as a visual remnant of historical blending, rather than proof that the site is “primarily Shinto.”

Information board about the white horse

According to the on-site explanation, the horse survived two wars under heavy fire and was later dedicated here as a protective presence believed to ward off misfortune. After its death, the mane and tail were reportedly buried at the temple.

Stone lanterns near another entrance

A torii gate, yet a Buddhist temple — what “Myōken-gū” really means here

What makes this place interesting is that the torii gate and the name “Myōken-gū” stand out, yet the site belongs to Nichiren Buddhism. The layout doesn’t fit neatly into a modern “shrine vs. temple” choice—it preserves a visibly layered history.

The origin story commonly told here begins in 1832, when the object of devotion (Myōken Daibosatsu) was received from Myōken-san in Nose, Settsu Province. Myōken worship connects to star belief (the North Star / Polaris) and developed within a Buddhist framework. Meanwhile, the torii and the “-gū” label can be understood as remnants of an older landscape of blended practice that remained especially easy to see at this site.

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Hokushin-dō and Myōken Daibosatsu — a place where Polaris becomes the center of prayer

Inside the main hall, you can see plaques such as “Hokushin-dō” and “Jōshō Hōdō.” Myōken Daibosatsu is enshrined in the Hokushin-dō. Hokushin refers to the North Star. In traditional thought it was sometimes associated with a heavenly ruler, and this idea was absorbed into Buddhist belief and expressed as “Myōken Daibosatsu.”

The word “Myōken” is also explained as “clear sight” or “seeing through truth,” which is why the belief is sometimes associated with prayers for eye health. A torii on the approach and “Hokushin” on the hall—this double-layered entrance is exactly what makes the site hard to explain in one sentence.

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The white horse (sacred horse) — a wartime memory preserved inside the precinct

The grounds also enshrine a white horse. The on-site story says the horse served through two wars and was later dedicated here by an officer named Nakazawa, who wished to honor the animal after returning home.

Star-linked devotion (Myōken) and a concrete, modern historical memory (the horse) co-exist in one compact space—another reason Jōshō-ji (Myōken-gū) feels different from an ordinary old temple.

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Stone Lantern

Stone features shape the rhythm of the grounds. Over time, edges soften in wind and rain, and the surface begins to show its age. With granite stone in particular, the outlines tend to hold longer because of the hardness—so “time” becomes visible as lines and texture.

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Komainu

There are no komainu guardian-lion statues here, which is one more reminder that this site is not a typical Shinto shrine—although some shrines also lack komainu depending on local tradition.

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History Timeline

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Enshrined Deity

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Summary

By visiting Jōshō-ji in person, I was able to confirm that it is not a Shinto shrine, but a Buddhist temple.

Shrines and temples can feel different in how they relate to ideas of death, memorials, and care for ancestors. Here, seeing the cemetery beside the main hall helped me personally settle the question: this is a Buddhist temple. Myōken worship also has elements that don’t fit neatly into today’s “Shinto-only” category, and this site feels like a place where earlier generations openly adopted what they found meaningful into daily life and devotion.

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Written on: 2026-02-20 (JST)