Tsushima Shrine

Tsushima Shrine is the head shrine of more than 3,000 Tenno shrines throughout Japan and enshrines Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto as its principal deity.

Another highlight is the shrine complex built in Owari-zukuri, an architectural style distinctive to this region. The three structures—the main sanctuary, worship hall, and Saimon Hall between them—are arranged symmetrically in a straight line and connected by corridors.

Perhaps because Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto was revered as a god of great martial prowess, the shrine was also deeply venerated by Sengoku-period warlords such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The grounds offer many other points of interest, including the two-story gate donated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1591; the banpei screen wall, built to prevent evil spirits from reaching the deity directly from the front; and the south gate, said to have been donated by Hideyoshi’s son Hideyori in 1598 in hopes of his father’s recovery from illness.

The Owari Tsushima Tenno Festival, held as Tsushima Shrine’s annual festival, takes place on the fourth Saturday of July and the following day. This boat festival has a history spanning nearly 600 years. Particularly majestic is the evening festival, when boats illuminated by countless lanterns travel along the river. The festival is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.