Nagoya, Japan Shrine Visit Report 2026 Nakamura No.1 Tenoh Jinja
A Record of Tenno Shrine in Meieki, Nagoya — A Small Urban Shrine beside the Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse
On July 14, 2026, I had an appointment near Nagoya Station at 4:00 p.m., so before that I visited Tenno Shrine in the Meieki 5-chome area of Nakamura Ward, Nagoya.
It was a hot day, with the temperature around Nagoya Station reaching 36°C, or about 97°F. In the middle of the city, close to Nagoya Station and Kokusai Center Station, I found a small sacred space with a stone torii gate, stone fence, natural-stone rockwork, a small shrine, and a sacred tree.
This shrine is introduced in reference sources as Tenno-sha. It is said to have originally been a yane-gami, a small deity shrine once enshrined on a roof or under the eaves, later moved down to ground level. Because of that yane-gami background, the shrine is described as enshrining Atsuta-sha, Tsushima-sha, and Akiba-sha together.
Next to the shrine stands the Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse. Momijigari-sha is one of the festival floats connected with the Hanaguruma Shinmeisha Festival in the Meieki district. This small Tenno shrine can be recorded as a place where Tenno faith, yane-gami worship, float culture, and the memory of an older town remain inside the highly urbanized area around Nagoya Station.
Photo Record of Tenno Shrine in Meieki
001 Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse and Tenno Shrine
This view shows Tenno Shrine and the Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse from the street. The float storehouse is on the left, a large tree stands near the center, and the stone torii gate can be seen on the right. Near Nagoya Station, a festival-float storehouse and a small sacred space remain side by side.
002 Stone torii gate and natural-stone rockwork
This is the stone torii gate seen from the front. Behind the gate, natural stones are arranged like a small rocky mound, with a small shrine placed above them. A one-way traffic sign and utility pole stand nearby, showing clearly that this is a small shrine in the middle of the city.
003 Small shrine placed on natural stones
A small shrine is enshrined on top of natural-stone rockwork. The structure looks as if large stones were piled up to form a sacred base. This also matches the reference description that the deity was moved down from a rooftop yane-gami setting to the ground. Although the shrine is small, the presence of the stones is very strong.
004 Stone fence and full view of the shrine precinct
This side view shows the stone fence, stonework, sacred tree, and rocky shrine base. The surrounding area is filled with buildings and storehouses, but this small corner remains as an older sacred space within the town.
About Tenno Shrine in Meieki
| Name | Tenno Shrine / Tenno-sha |
|---|---|
| Location | Meieki 5-chome area, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan |
| Position | A small Tenno shrine remaining in the urban area near Nagoya Station and Kokusai Center Station |
| Founded | Unknown |
| Origin in reference sources | Reference sources describe the shrine as a former yane-gami, later moved down and enshrined at ground level. |
| Worship in reference sources | The shrine is introduced as enshrining Atsuta-sha, Tsushima-sha, and Akiba-sha. |
| Adjacent facility | Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse |
| Related festival | Hanaguruma Shinmeisha Festival, connected with the float culture of the Meieki district |
| Main stone elements | Stone torii gate, stone fence, natural-stone rockwork, stone steps, and stonework |
| Recording policy | This article does not identify every deity in detail. It records the shrine as a small urban Tenno shrine where Atsuta, Tsushima, and Akiba worship, yane-gami tradition, Tenno faith, float culture, and stonework overlap. |
Enshrined Deities and Worship
| Shrine name | Tenno-sha / Tenno Shrine |
|---|---|
| Enshrined worship | Reference sources introduce the shrine as enshrining Atsuta-sha, Tsushima-sha, and Akiba-sha. |
| Tenno faith | Tenno shrines are generally connected with Tsushima faith and prayers against epidemics. Because this shrine includes Tsushima-sha, it can be understood in relation to Tenno faith. |
| Atsuta-sha | This can be treated as a shrine connected with Atsuta faith. However, because the site itself is a small urban shrine, this article does not make detailed claims about the exact deity names. |
| Tsushima-sha | This is treated as a shrine connected with Tsushima faith, Tenno faith, and prayers for protection against disease. |
| Akiba-sha | This is treated as a shrine connected with Akiba faith and prayers for protection against fire. |
| Yane-gami | Yane-gami are small deities traditionally enshrined on rooftops, under eaves, or in the upper parts of townhouses in Nagoya. Reference sources describe this Tenno shrine as one that was moved down from such a yane-gami setting and enshrined at ground level. |
The Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse and the Hanaguruma Shinmeisha Festival
Immediately next to this Tenno Shrine stands the Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse.
Momijigari-sha is one of the festival floats preserved in the Meieki district and connected with the Hanaguruma Shinmeisha Festival. Reference sources describe the festival as featuring three floats: Nifukujin-sha and Momijigari-sha from Meieki 5-chome, and Karako-sha from Meieki-minami 1-chome. These floats are pulled through the neighborhood, and mechanical puppet performances are offered.
This float culture is said to have a connection with the festival of the former Sannomaru Tenno Shrine, now Nagoya Shrine, also known as Nagoya Jinja. In the past, floats from the Hiroi Village area appeared as visiting floats connected with the Sannomaru Tenno Festival. That tradition later remained as part of the float culture around Meieki.
Today, the Meieki 5-chome area is an urban space lined with buildings, high-rise apartments, and storehouses. The fact that Tenno Shrine and the Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse remain side by side shows that older town faith and festival culture still survive near Nagoya Station.
Stone Torii Gate and Rockwork Remaining in the City
The most striking feature of this Tenno Shrine is the rocky shrine base made from natural stones.
The small shrine is not placed on a flat concrete platform. It is enshrined on large natural stones. When you pass through the stone torii gate, the rockwork rises in front of you, and the small shrine appears above it. Although this is a small urban shrine, the arrangement of stone gives the site a strong presence.
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Historical Timeline
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| Edo period | The Tenno Festival connected with the former Sannomaru Tenno Shrine, now Nagoya Shrine, was held, and floats from towns around Nagoya took part. |
| Around 1818 | Reference sources describe a period when visiting floats appeared in the Tenno Festival of the Hiroi Village area. This is important for understanding the float culture around present-day Meieki. |
| After 1868 | After the relationship with the Sannomaru Tenno Shrine festival changed, the floats continued to be pulled in local neighborhood festivals. |
| Present | At the Hanaguruma Shinmeisha Festival, three floats are pulled: Nifukujin-sha and Momijigari-sha from Meieki 5-chome, and Karako-sha from Meieki-minami 1-chome. Mechanical puppet performances are also offered. |
A Small Tenno Shrine Remaining in Meieki
The Meieki 5-chome area is close to Nagoya Station and is now an urban district filled with buildings, roads, and storehouses. Within that setting, a small Tenno Shrine with a stone torii gate and natural-stone rockwork remains.
Reference sources describe the shrine as a former yane-gami moved down to ground level, with Atsuta-sha, Tsushima-sha, and Akiba-sha worship overlapping here. Next to it stands the Momijigari-sha Float Storehouse, connecting the site with the Hanaguruma Shinmeisha Festival and the float culture of Meieki.
During my visit on July 14, 2026, in the heat of 36°C, or about 97°F, I confirmed that yane-gami tradition, Tenno faith, fire-protection worship, festival-float culture, and a small sacred space of stone still remain in the redeveloped urban area near Nagoya Station.
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Recorded on July 14, 2026
Written on July 14, 2026