Visiting Atsuta Jingu: about 35 minutes by subway from central Nagoya to the shrine of the Kusanagi sword

Atsuta Jingu is a Nagoya shrine that enshrines the Kusanagi sword, one of the Three Sacred Treasures said to symbolise the imperial throne, and is said to receive about 7 million visitors a year. According to the Nagoya City Transportation Bureau's route search, it takes about 33 minutes and 270 yen from Nakamura Koen Station to Atsuta Jingu Nishi Station, changing at Sakae, or about 35 minutes and 310 yen to Atsuta Jingu Temmacho Station. From Exit 2 of Atsuta Jingu Nishi to the West Gate, and from Exit 1 of Temmacho to the Main Gate, it is 7 minutes' walk either way. The Kusanagi-kan treasure museum is open 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00). This article explains, step by step, how to get to Atsuta Jingu and how to plan a half-day visit.

What kind of shrine is Atsuta Jingu?

Atsuta Jingu enshrines the Kusanagi sword, said to be one of the Three Sacred Treasures. According to Nagoya Concierge, the official site of the Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau, it is said to receive about 7 million visitors a year. It has one star in the Michelin Green Guide. In a City of Nagoya survey of 463 foreign visitors in November 2024, 19.9% had visited Atsuta Jingu.

How do you get there from Nagoya Station or Nakamura Koen Station?

How do you change trains at Sakae?

The Meijo Line is a loop line around central Nagoya, so watch which direction you board. For Atsuta Jingu, take the counter-clockwise train (towards Kanayama) from Sakae. Stations are numbered: Sakae is H10 on the Higashiyama Line and M05 on the Meijo Line. Going counter-clockwise from Sakae (M05), the numbers go down through M04, M03, M02 and M01, and M28 comes after M01; Atsuta Jingu Nishi is M27 and Atsuta Jingu Temmacho M26. Remember to travel in the direction of falling numbers and you are less likely to take the wrong train.

West Gate or Main Gate?

Atsuta Jingu Nishi Station brings you to the West Gate, and Atsuta Jingu Temmacho Station to the Main Gate; both are 7 minutes' walk. Atsuta Jingu Nishi is 40 yen cheaper and about 2 minutes quicker. If you plan to eat hitsumabushi at Atsuta Horaiken's Jingu branch after your visit, it is 3 minutes' walk from Atsuta Jingu Temmacho Station, so leaving by the Main Gate makes the way easier to follow. Arriving at the West Gate from Atsuta Jingu Nishi and leaving by the Main Gate for Atsuta Jingu Temmacho lets you pass through the grounds without retracing your steps.

When is the Kusanagi-kan treasure museum open?

The Kusanagi-kan treasure museum is open 9:00–16:30, with last entry at 16:00. To combine it with your shrine visit, aim to arrive in the morning or by 15:00 at the latest so you can take your time. Check Atsuta Jingu's official information for closing days and admission.

What to eat after your visit

Near Atsuta Jingu is the Jingu branch of Atsuta Horaiken, the hitsumabushi restaurant founded in 1873. It is 3 minutes' walk from Atsuta Jingu Temmacho Station, takes last orders 11:30–14:30 and 16:30–20:30, and is closed on Tuesdays and the 2nd and 4th Mondays (open on public holidays). Atsuta Horaiken's official site says eating hitsumabushi with condiments or as ochazuke became established in the Meiji era. It is popular, so allow plenty of time and go early.

A half-day timetable

• Around 9:00: leave Nakamura Koen Station and change to the Meijo Line at Sakae (about 33 minutes to Atsuta Jingu Nishi)
• Around 9:40: enter by the West Gate and visit the shrine
• Around 10:30: the Kusanagi-kan treasure museum (9:00–16:30, last entry 16:00)
• Around 11:30: leave by the Main Gate for lunch at Atsuta Horaiken's Jingu branch (lunchtime last orders 14:30)
• Afternoon: Meijo Line back towards Sakae

Times are a guide only. How long a visit takes varies from person to person, so leave some slack.

How to combine it with other sights

• Morning at Atsuta Jingu, then hitsumabushi for lunch at Atsuta Horaiken's Jingu branch
• Afternoon: back towards Sakae on the Meijo Line and a walk around Osu (40.8% of foreign visitors went to Osu in a City of Nagoya survey)
• Evening: Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER in Sakae (in December 2022, the first tower designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan) or Hisaya-odori Park

You can also see Atsuta Jingu and Nagoya Castle on the same day. Nagoya Castle is about 21 minutes from Nakamura Koen Station with a change at Sakae; admission is 1,000 yen for adults and free for junior high school students and younger (revised 1 October 2026). As of 3 November 2026 the keep is closed, but the Honmaru Palace is open.

Can you go on a rainy day or with children?

The shrine grounds are outdoors, so bring an umbrella and comfortable shoes on a rainy day. The Kusanagi-kan treasure museum is indoors and works well in the rain. With children, both gates are 7 minutes' walk from the subway, an easy distance. If you plan to eat afterwards, Atsuta Horaiken's Jingu branch is popular, so with small children allow plenty of time, or get takeout hitsumabushi from ESCA at Nagoya Station on another day.

Can you combine it with the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium?

The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is 5 minutes' walk from Exit 3 of Nagoyako Station, about 37 minutes and 310 yen by subway from Nakamura Koen Station. You can visit it on the same day as Atsuta Jingu, but check the connection and time from Atsuta Jingu to the port with the Nagoya City Transportation Bureau's route search for your departure time. The aquarium closes on Mondays (open daily during Golden Week, July–September and spring and winter holidays); admission is 2,030 yen for adults and 1,010 yen for elementary and junior high students.

What should you keep in mind when visiting?

• A shrine is a place of worship. Please walk quietly and slowly in the grounds
• Check Atsuta Jingu's official information for rules on taking photos in the grounds and posting them on social media
• Last entry to the Kusanagi-kan treasure museum is 16:00
• For a quiet early visit, leave your stay early

Where in Nagoya is convenient to stay?

Central Nagoya has private stays in Nakamura Ward, west of Nagoya Station. From Nakamura Koen Station, the nearest station to House and Residence, Atsuta Jingu Nishi Station is about 33 minutes with one change at Sakae. House is 7 minutes' walk from Nakamura Koen Station and Residence 2 minutes. Stays is 4 minutes' walk from Taiko-dori Station, 1 stop from Nagoya Station on the Sakura-dori Line. All have a kitchen and a washing machine (or washer-dryer), plus a 10% long-stay discount. On the morning of your visit, you can have breakfast in your stay's kitchen before heading out.

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